Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: Minnesota-Wild

Morning Line- Craig Leipold

by Paul on 10/07/21 at 08:06 AM ET
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“I think we have so many newer players on the team and the young guys are stepping up and it just seems like it’s a new chapter, We’re moving forward with new players, a new philosophy, a new locker room, a new captain and I think everybody’s embraced it.”

“This is Billy’s (Guerin) team, his charge is to get us in the playoffs and make us competitive and eventually win a Stanley Cup. Some of the moves that were made last (summer) were hard things and it was a process to get to the decision that Billy got to with Ryan and Zach. It wasn’t just like, ‘This is what we’re gonna do.’

-CraIg Leipold, owner of the Minnesota Wild.  Michale Russo of The Athletic has more (paid).

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A Five-Year Deal For Kirill Kaprizov And The Minnesota Wild

by Paul on 09/21/21 at 07:04 PM ET
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from Dan Myers of the Minnesota Wild website,

Breathe, Wild fans. Kirill Kaprizov is locked up for the foreseeable future.

Minnesota's Calder Trophy winner, who led all NHL rookies in goals and points last season, signed a five-year, $45 million contract on Tuesday on the eve of NHL training camp, which begins Wednesday with media day and Thursday with on-ice practice.

Kaprizov won't be there for the first few days of camp, as he has a number of loose ends to tie up he'll be allowed on the ice at TRIA Rink. He's expected in the Twin Cities shortly, but he'll have quarantine and perhaps a COVID vaccination to take care of before he's able to practice.

But the bottom line is, when the Wild opens the regular season on Oct. 15 against the Anaheim Ducks, Kaprizov will be there.

Wild General Manager Bill Guerin never panicked this summer as questions about Kaprizov's status became louder and louder.

"It'll take care of itself," was Guerin's common refrain, from June and July, right on through to this past weekend, when Guerin was again asked for an update.

"I honestly have nothing new to tell you," Guerin said on Sunday. "I'd tell you, but I really don't have anything."

continued

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Kirill Kaprizov Remains Unsigned

by Paul on 09/14/21 at 04:13 AM ET
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from Michael Russo of The Athletic,

Training camp opens next Thursday, the two sides haven’t spoken in more than a week and the Wild’s leading scorer from a season ago and reigning Calder Trophy victor remains in Russia without a deal.

The consistent line from Wild general manager Bill Guerin all offseason is “these things take time,” but time is of the essence now. It’s rarely a quick, easy process to get an unsigned European player to North America in normal times, let alone in the midst of a pandemic.

“There are gonna be some obstacles,” an exasperated-sounding Guerin admitted to The Athletic on Monday night.

It’s looking more and more probable that, at a minimum, Kaprizov won’t be on the ice when the Wild open training camp on Sept. 23.

If Kaprizov were to sign this very second, he’d first need to secure a work visa to travel to the United States. He’d also need to get tested for COVID-19. Then, once he arrives in Minnesota, NHL protocols state that Kaprizov would likely need to quarantine for at least seven days before being permitted inside the team’s practice facility.

read on (paid subscription)

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Jordie Benn Signs With The Minnesota Wild

by Paul on 08/27/21 at 03:15 PM ET
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ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed defenseman Jordie Benn to a one-year, $900,000 contract.

Benn, 34, collected 10 points (1-9=10), a plus-7 rating, nine penalty minutes (PIM) and 51 blocked shots in 39 games with the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets last season. He was acquired by the Jets from the Canucks on April 12, 2021, in exchange for a sixth round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft (Connor Lockhart). The 6-foot-2, 199-pound native of Victoria, British Columbia, added one assist in three Stanley Cup Playoff contests with Winnipeg. Benn has recorded 127 points (24-103=127), a plus-19 rating, 222 PIM, 670 hits and 908 blocked shots in 556 career games during 10 NHL seasons with Dallas, Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg (2011-21). He has tallied four assists in 23 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

Benn was originally signed by Dallas as a free agent on July 10, 2011.

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Two Signings This Morning

by Paul on 08/16/21 at 11:00 AM ET
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The Wild signed Kevin Fiala to a one-year, $5.1 million deal and the Predators locked up Juuse Saros with a four-year contract, AAV is $5M.

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KHL Offer For Kirill Kaprizov Is On The Table

by Paul on 08/10/21 at 07:27 AM ET
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from Michael Russo of The Athletic,

The ugly Kirill Kaprizov contract negotiations took another turn Monday night when the Daily Faceoff reported that the Minnesota Wild’s unsigned restricted free agent has a tentative agreement in place with CSKA Moscow on a one-year deal worth at least $10 million to begin Sept. 1 should a new contract not materialize with the Wild.

The Athletic has reported since mid-June that Kaprizov’s former KHL team would welcome him back with open arms if he can’t reach a deal with Minnesota, but the report tosses a date and an “8-figure” price tag on something Kaprizov’s camp has been threatening the Wild with all offseason.

The Wild, which began contract talks with Kaprizov’s agent Paul Theofanous in March, have long had offers on the table for seven years and eight years in the $9 million range, sources continue to say. That would be by far the richest annual contract in franchise history for the 2021 Calder Trophy winner.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin has indicated for a month that he’s willing to compromise by signing Kaprizov to a mid-range deal believed to be five or six years. However, Guerin still prefers not to sign Kaprizov to three or fewer years because the star forward can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.

continued ($$$)

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The Minnesota Wild Wanted Zach Parise And Ryan Suter Gone

by Paul on 07/14/21 at 08:35 AM ET
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from Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune,

The Wild dumped Zach Parise and Ryan Suter so two other players could be protected in the expansion draft? True.

The Wild dumped the former franchise players because the team wanted to clear salary cap space for the upcoming season? Sure.

The Wild cut two players with four years remaining on their contracts because the players' performances had declined? OK.

Wild General Manager Bill Guerin wants to build a team led by the players he most values, and not those with the longest contracts? Sounds about right.

Guerin admitted or hinted at all of the above on Tuesday afternoon. He even praised Suter and Parise for their contributions. But let's not make this the State of Hokey.

For the Wild to make this move, to ditch two still-valuable players while the team's stated intention is to win as much and as soon as possible, team management really got sick of these guys.

Guerin probably offered to pack their bags, then drive them over the state line. Any state line. Even Alaska's.

continued

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Zach Parise and Ryan Suter Going On Waivers Today, Will Be Bought Out

by Paul on 07/13/21 at 11:42 AM ET
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from Michael Russo of The Athletic,

A little more than nine years after fireworks erupted in the Twin Cities with the Fourth of July tag-team signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the Parise-Suter era has come to an end.

According to sources, Wild general manager Bill Guerin called both Parise and Suter to inform each of them that the team is buying out the remaining four years of each of their contracts.

They will each be put on waivers today at 11 a.m. CT and can become free agents.

The Wild will pay each $6.7 million over the next eight years and be charged with $2.371 million, $6.371 million and $7.371 million cap hits in the next four years, respectively, for each, then $833,333 cap hits the four years after that for each.

continued

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Zach Parise Plans To Fulfill His Contract With The Minnesota Wild

by Paul on 06/03/21 at 03:49 PM ET
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from Jessi Pierce at NHL.com,

Zach Parise said he plans on attending training camp for the Minnesota Wild next season even though his role with the team remains unclear.

Parise said he will speak with Wild general manager Bill Guerin and coach Dean Evason during the offseason. The 36-year-old forward has four seasons left on a 13-year, $98 million contract ($7.54 million average annual value) he signed with Minnesota on July 4, 2012.

"You never sign a deal and not fully intend on seeing it through," Parise said Tuesday. "I understand things change, but from my standpoint, I've always enjoyed playing here.

"So no ... I don't want to play anywhere else. … I've got the term left on my deal, and I plan on being here in training camp next year. I haven't been told otherwise. That's my intention and I don't want speculate any other way."

continued

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The Minnesota Wild Proved Their Worth

by Paul on 05/29/21 at 10:51 AM ET
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from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com,

The Minnesota Wild had chips on their shoulders, and they put images of casino chips on the sleeves of gray T-shirts for their series against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup First Round.

In the middle of one chip was the Wild logo. In the middle of the other were two words:

"ALL IN"

The Wild are out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a 6-2 loss to the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Friday, and it hurts.

They were 5-1-2 against the Golden Knights in the regular season, forced a Game 7 after falling behind 3-1 in the best-of-7 series, and still failed to advance past the first round for the first time since 2015. Forward Zach Parise faces an uncertain future.

Yet this is a team on the rise that can use this experience to improve.

"I think we all felt like we could beat these guys," defenseman Ryan Suter said. "Everyone else might think one thing, but the group of guys that we had, we felt confident in ourselves. We're pretty disappointed that it's ended the way it has."

continued

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