Minnesota Wild Top 20 Prospects: 16-20 | Will Haight & Lambos ever get a chance? | Judd’z Budz Ep178
Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] All All right, we’re back. Juds Buds episode uh 178 Gretzky Plus prospect showcase Adam Bino minus one retired for Wild fans. Uh that was that was one way to do it. That was a three-way trade uh that the NHL apparently wants to get rid of. Um, anyways, as always, your host Z joined by my good buddy, Mr. State of Hoppy. Hoppy, how you doing? I didn’t even like follow half of what you just said. I’m still catching up. Uh, we’re good today. Today is just a lot going on. We had the uh 36 week uh check-in or whatever for little guy number two. And it’s really funny because now going through it twice, I can confidently say that whenever you go in and like they do the ultrasounds and you can like legitimately see the kid’s face like with the [ __ ] they use and every time it’s like literally like he’s like and all I’m getting the vibes of is step brother’s like I don’t want my pictures right now. Oh hell yeah. that Ross. Very fun. He’s just in there buzzing, dude. Um Well, to say the least. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we got a lot going on today. We got a lot to unpack. It’s going to be It’s going to be a uh this going to be a good one in theory. Uh fingers crossed. Uh great one in theory. We got We got plenty of NHL things to talk about now that there’s actually NHL things happening. We’ll probably do that and ramble on until 9:00 Central when we’ll welcome in a handful of friends that helped us come up with the latest iteration of the Minnesota Wild Prospect Pool rankings. We condensed it a little bit this year. We did top 20 instead of top 25. And we’ll talk through some of the honorable mentions, but tonight we will have on a collection of people from the Soda Pod, Soda Media Network. We have the band formerly known as Selling the Fogghorn. Several representatives there and of course the crew that puts together the Minnesota Wild Prospects page on Twitter X whatever and Facebook. Um, and then plenty of Minnesota Wild stuff to unpack after that. But, uh, 16 to 20 is what we’re hitting on today. Z already joked and there will be people that join in after this that don’t hear what we’re saying that will freak out because we’re not talking about certain prospects and they deserve to be on our list and well we’re waiting for it. It’ll be funny but we are only talking about the honorable mentions 21 up through 31. We won’t probably spend that much time on them. Who am I kidding? We’ll probably end up spending way too much time on them. And then 16 to 20 in the infamous list. Um, but Z’s we can talk about any number of things NHLwide. There’s three in particular that I definitely want to hit on. So, let me know which of those do you want to start with or is there something off the radar that we want to get into because we got 25 minutes here to kill until our friends jump in. Yeah, I mean just because I think it’ll be fair the the first two on the list there would be fairly quick that the barov the first one we can spend some time on. Yeah, I guess. Um the Panthers are obviously going to be in one here. I mean this is now what three seasons going to the Stanley Cup final. obviously back-to-back champs and now you’ve got what was it Kachchuck’s getting or either is getting or has had some kind of surgery’s going to be out till December I think I saw we I mean we knew that was coming we just didn’t know exactly what the time frame was going to be and of course you knew that if it was a delayed thing he was going to make sure he was back in time for the Olympics right that’s true uh but like the Barov one is obviously massive like I mean he legitimately does everything for that I mean, uh, real question before we get into it. Is it a bigger blow to the Panthers or to Finland? Uh, I don’t know. My vote’s Finland. Yes. It’s like, uh, yes. Like, I don’t know. I mean, he is obviously incredibly important to the to the Florida Panthers. Legitimately one of the best, uh, you know, two-way centers in this league. one of the most skilled, obviously puts up tons and tons of points, also brings up Selki trophies now. Um, but like I mean just the fact that it was it looked bad just because I mean it was pretty much no contact. And I mean I think everyone once it was like he couldn’t put any weight on his leg uh and really obviously needed a ton of help getting off the ice was like I would be shocked that’s not an ACL. I believe that’s what they ended up saying it was. So he’s like at what six, seven, eight months. Is that what they was that like the final timeline or whatever? Uh no. I thought it was like it it could be as much as nine. Yeah. Okay. Maybe it was like eight to nine because usually the ACL I guess is like Let’s be real though. Whenever we hear those come out across all sports now, it always feels like we’re just conditioned now to believe that like that is them overshooting the number. Mhm. I mean, you of all people know this because Boston’s famous for it. Like, yeah, they’re going to be out for four months. Oh, two and a half months. Here he is. Oh, sorry. I thought you said four days. Uh, four hours, actually. Uh, and they’re like, boom, they’re back. Um, but I mean, it just sucks. Like, listen, I obviously despise the [ __ ] Florida Panthers other than like a handful of guys. But it is obviously just also impossible to [ __ ] dislike Barov. He [ __ ] rules. everything he does is sick. He’s like just an unbelievably talented player, plays the right way. Uh but I mean that’s obviously a massive blow to the Panthers, but again all of these dudes have been playing deep. I mean they’ve made three Stanley Cup runs in a row coming off two wins. So like I mean that being said, they didn’t exactly have like the hottest start last year either and then they had no problem. Um, so we’ll see what they look like out of the gates here, but I mean obviously they’re going to be down. Barkov be down. Kachchuck and you know, who knows how the rest shakes out here, but um it’s obviously just a brutal injury and it sucks um to not have like to not be able to watch Alexander Parkov play hockey blows. Well, and and injuries are bad. Even the players that I despise most in this league, I don’t wish an injury upon them. Like I might wish like justice on them like a player beating the [ __ ] out of them. That’s different than a player just like getting injured in the course of a game or in this one. Like just that the no contact injury is always scary. Now I said injuries suck. So that that’s off the table, right? Injuries are bad. Doesn’t it kind of feel like Barov is the only guy that the league holistically is like, “Man, I’m really bummed that he’s out for the Panthers. There’s anyone else?” They’re like, “Yeah, [ __ ] you guys.” Yeah. Like, really? Well, I mean, that’s like that’s like the the combination of them now just being an unbelievably successful hockey team. Um, and the way that they play is like, yeah, that’s just like the reaction I was going to have. But, uh, but yeah, Barov is like he’s a different. He’s also like a [ __ ] physical specimen. So, I do have a funny feeling that whenever you know, they throw that the nine months out there for the ACL. wouldn’t be shocked if he’s one of the guys that cuts that timeline down. But either way, that’s a ton of hockey miss. So, do you feel like some like like United Nations official was like just up at the top of the rank and like sniped his ACL and MCL because they’re like, “Your name just sounds too Russian. We can’t have you participating in the Olympics.” Going to leave that one there. So, couple I guess more serious questions though on that one. First, we’ve already said it, so we don’t even have to ask this one, but like the Panthers absolutely can make the playoffs even without Bararkov and Kachchuck. It’s obviously more of a grind and a battle to get there, but they can do it. Is there a world even if they like decide they’re going to completely shelf him and put him on LTIR and say he’s not even playing in the postseason, they get the full 10 million relief. Is there anything they could do to actually win the cup or is it a ironclad requirement that they have Barov to win? I mean, they’re they still have insane amounts of talent throughout that roster. I mean, I have no way. I’m not talking about winning a round or contending like I’m talking winning the whole thing on a three pete. I mean, just because we’re talking about a three, obviously they still can like they’re just still that good. I mean I mean realistically he’s probably the the most important player in that team. But um just to just to keep that keep it alive, I’ll say yeah, of course. Like they still can. It’s [ __ ] the playoffs. Nothing makes Cosgrove to clarify it. if they want him to come back for the playoffs, they only get the league average contact contract as their um like benefit on the cap. I think it’s like 4 million something. If they shut him down for the year and say he’s not coming back for the playoffs, they do get the full 10 million, but he cannot play as soon as they designate him for that. So, that’s the the contingency there. Um so, I figured you’d be less of a believer, but I I get it. I’m still going with my follow-up question of if they do go on and win at all through this, and I’m even going to say it’s got to be without Barov for this to truly stand. But if they win a third in a row without Barov, regardless of what they do, how fast can you build a statue for Bill Zto? I mean, I don’t know if they haven’t already got one started. I don’t know. This guy almost This guy should have been the Pittsburgh GM, and it makes me a little sad, but yeah, he like what he’s done, like we talked about this with uh well, actually, you know, the difference between Zitto and like when Breeze came in after like Eiserman built so much of what the Lightning already had there when Breeze came in and took over. Zto just came in and it was like almost a full overhaul like and it starts obviously I mean the big moves were obviously the Kachchuck bringing him in and moving on from Ubero and all and weaguer and all them but like that’s it though man it’s the way he did it he went in and made the trade that everyone said you’re a [ __ ] and he just sat back he’s like okay we’ll see we will see we will see yeah I I will say the deal like and this isn’t Zto. I just I just cuz I was trying to remember cuz I remember looking at like the on ice met or the metrics for like when Barov was on the ice at even strength for the Florida Thornton Panthers. It’s [ __ ] insane. Like he played it was like uh at even strength he was on the ice with Verhagi and Reinhardt for 400 minutes and pretty much every single Metro was like goals for right around 60%, the shots 62%. Like it’s un like the expected goal 63% like they were legitimately dominant and so much of that is just obviously how good he is playmaking all that they have the puck the whole [ __ ] time but I mean so responsible obviously to his own end with selfie all that stuff but like what a [ __ ] hockey player now I can say objectively like he he is the best like two-way player in the game. Do we have to though, and I I really don’t care because NHL awards I think are kind of just dumb in the nature of like how they’re voted. But do you almost have to say that he’s not eligible for the Souki because he freaking plays with Sam Reinhardt who’s also a perennial Sulki nominee? Like like at what point do you say like, well, they’re playing together and that’s part of it? I mean, I don’t know. He’s been like this good at both ends of the ice his whole career. He has. He has. I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s the same way that people said, “Oh, Crosby can’t win the heart because he plays a Mulan.” Always. And then somehow it doesn’t stop McDavid. But we can move past that. Um, all right. Let’s move on then. Next piece here. We’ve got Mark Andre Flurry just continuing to do his thing. is I want him to go on a tour now where like next year he plays in a preseason game for Vegas, the next year he plays in one for Chicago, then he comes back here and plays in one. But he could just have an endless like media circus and just go out and do whatever he wants and people will probably never get sick of it just because of the personality. Yeah. I mean, it’s been cool just seeing like didn’t get to be around in preseason again, getting the ovation he deserves and stuff, but um I mean, it was it was like it was weird to see him back in the Pittsburgh jersey again. Um super weird, but I mean I’m sure for you it was it was real nice though. No, it’s still weird. Yeah. Like I for him, dude, he deserves pun intended. He deserves all the flowers he’s getting now. No, he well he deserves most of them. We’ve we’ve talked about this before. I will always I love Mark Andre Flurry. I love him. Always have. I still think that the collective hockey fan base chooses to forget the negatives of Mark Andre Flurry’s career just because of who he is. like the personality, like him being the prankster, the the biggest like most winning smile out there, like everyone just loves him. So, they just like tuck away a pretty dark stretch of playing in Pittsburgh because he had wins. I still love him. I still love him. I just like there were times where I was very very frustrated with him. Yeah, that’s part of the Penguins fandom and no one remembers. Yeah, we choose to not remember. Cro nailed it. Yes, I love him. I’m just not in love with him. That’s not true. I honestly if he walked up to me and said hi, I would probably melt. But you’re the best goalie ever. Best hockey player of all time. Fastest kid alive. Um but yeah, just very cool to see him out there doing the thing and that fun to see him doing it. It really is the end of that era where we all assume that this is Mulan’s last season and there’s been speculation that maybe he even gets traded this year. Latang at the back end. Crosby, he could probably play another six years if he chooses, as long as no one touches his head. But we’ll wait and see where that all lands and whether he stays or goes because I know that’s going to be everyone’s favorite topic this year, especially once the Capriav and McDavid sagas get locked down. Um, but anyways, kudos to Flurry. I just hope that this doesn’t like lure him over there to like chill out in Pittsburgh rather than come back and be here with the Wild. Mhm. But I guess for us it really doesn’t matter. Yeah. No. But all right. Um the last one that I had that we need to talk about just because we spent a lot of time on it before Mason McTavish. And I’m going to really simplify this one. He ends up signing a 6 by7 sixyear $7 million a year contract. It took that long to get there. That’s what I was going to say. What the [ __ ] is Rique doing? This is the easiest contract offer ever. And you have Freriedman saying like basically like, yeah, you knew as soon as it hit 7 million that that McTavish was going to say yes. Like how did it take you that long to get to 7 million? Literally. Yeah, that was my first reaction was like it took us until September was it was it yesterday 28th that we had we got this done. So I can’t even remember whatever doesn’t matter September 20 anything to get to that contract when they’ve been working on it all summer is batshit to me. Well what’s crazy too is like literally we on this we were doing this seven days ago and I’m pretty sure that’s when we read that tweet was like they’re not even in the same ballpark and I was like wait what are we even talking about right now? player, you know, the same ballpark and then they end up with a $7 million long-term deal. Like that’s crazy to me. Um, obviously I’m a huge fan of the player. I’m a big fan of this contract for the Ducks. Um, especially with the Cab going up, how like you just look at his point per game totals last three seasons going up and up. Um, I think it’s a no-brainer. He is going to be a very, very good player in this league. plays like the ideal center style that you want. Like he he’s a big boy, plays hard, moves pretty well, could score, has a ton of skill. Um he’s just a beast. So love this. I think it’s going to age very very well. Obviously, I think it’s a solid contract right now. [ __ ] Like it could it could be very much the next Matt Baldy contract. Yeah. Like it’s Yeah. Right. I was just going to say it’s all the better too if you’re a Ducks fan because I’m not comparing it on the full scale by any means. I don’t want people to like take this and run with it, but like you almost have the Crosby Malcolin dynamic there where you have two guys that are like poised to potentially be bonafide number one centers and you’re going to be able to roll them one two. Mhm. That’s fun. And I I wonder I it doesn’t make sense to me, but the only way I can wrap my head around the the weirdness of what Verbique was doing here in these negotiations, they got a lot of pups that are all like in the next year or two coming up on contracts. Is he just like weirdly trying to flex and show them like, “Yeah, if I’m going to be a [ __ ] and mess around with Mason McTavish, you better show up and be ready to take a deal. I’m not giving in.” Even though I I this is just very confusing to me that this was the struggle to reach. Like this should have been such an easy no-brainer contract for both sides. And I don’t know why the Ducks were holding out for a lower ter like they wanted the longer term. Their biggest thing was they said we are not doing a bridge. No way. So they what were they offering him? A five by like a sixyear 5 million deal. Like what do you He’s He’s taller than Marco Rossi and you don’t hate him. Like Bill Garren hates Rossi. So how did we do this? And yeah, I mean the Rossi contract looks sick until that’s used to be why he’s traded so easily. Yeah. Yeah. We have three years to worry about that anyways. We have to we don’t have to do that yet. He’ll be traded this year. Yeah. Brings all the leaves. Yeah. Great. We’re just gonna keep we’re gonna keep stressing ourselves out. Love it. Um we’ll get one of them. Yeah, it sure will be fun. Uh yeah, again, long story short though, like very weird that it took this long to get this contract done. That being said, if you’re a duck friend like, “All right, fine. Perfect D, great contract, phenomenal player. Like time to time to just get going here and see what he can do this season.” Um again, I expect a pretty good year from him. I think it was what 50 something points maybe last year in 70 games. Um so I think he’s going to be he’s going to be poised for a for a huge year obviously. Um, and you just look at the some of the young guys that are coming up to like have a young established center in your roster. Um, that is looking to be like a a really, you know, elite NHL player yet, but on the tractors being one of the one of the better centers in the league and then you don’t have to worry about uh as many of the young prospects coming in making a difference right away. Like they just have a really really solid group of young players. to see how see like who ends up like making it in Anaheim because they have so many at this point. Um we’ll see what they do. But and it’s going be interesting to see like we’ve seen the power dynamic before where you bring in a guy like Q, Coach Quinnville, he’s going to have a lot of freaking say in what happens. and the players that get along and fit into the way he likes to coach and how he runs [ __ ] they’re going to be the ones that get propelled up and the other ones, watch for him to be waved, traded, sent down, or just shot down the depth chart. Like, I feel like he’s going to come in and he’s going to put a stamp on early. Especially, I don’t know. I feel like for this market and for the history of a team like this that’s kind of just been a skid mark for a little bit, he’s going to come in and he’s going to try and big dog people. No, maybe. I mean, I don’t know. I feel like pretty much Yeah. I mean, obviously they’re going to with Q, there’s going to have to be some level of buy in. That being said, when he comes in, I don’t think it’s going to be super hard for him to get a whole lot of that. Anyways, plus you look at the some of the guys that they brought in like a Chris Crider or say you want about like just the the the level that he played at last year. Um that being said, like that’s a really solid pro for a lot of those young kids to be around too. So um that’ll be a nice nice piece for a guy like for a coach like Quenville to have uh to mentor the young guys. But um is I just it is just crazy looking at like all of the different prospects that they’ve drafted over the last few years I think I talked about this with Anaheim but like when we first started doing this show we really hammering away on the prospects like the wild three years ago once Jud Brad came in they really started acquiring a very diverse pool of prospects where you had like tons of skill you had guys that were scorers you had really solid two-weight players you look at the back end they had a little bit of everything there Like that’s kind of what Anaheim’s got going on right now. Um obviously as we’ve seen in Minnesota eventually like the you thin the herd after a while, but that’s like the luxury of having such a big solid prospect pool is like now all these guys still have time to develop and kind of see who can crack the NHL. um they really have a unbelievably solid group of young players coming in um that should be able to turn the to write the ship at least somewhat near term but we’ll see. Yeah. And I just thought about like you talked about Krider there’s obviously the uh Trouba piece too. This is the last year of his contract. the the embrace chaos side of my brain can’t remove the idea of him going and signing with the Islanders in the offseason. There you go. Wants to get back to New York. Big middle finger to the Rangers and keep your head up everybody. Just has a monster coming. No monster season, dude. He has to go to Buffalo. He has to think about all the endorsement deals for the chicken wing. Oh, there you go. That would be that’s good. We like that. Uh you know, he’s just gonna come in this year. Also, the fact that he plays the same hockey team as Rako Gudas is very funny to me. Like just two of them running around murdering people is incredible. Uh but you know, like contract year, he’s going to score like [ __ ] 22 goals, 300 penalty minutes, million hits. Like he’s just going to be a psycho the whole year. Not going to score the goals. The those are all for Lome. But yeah, true. God, what a player. It’s just another one for them and just another solid young defenseman for a prospect. I mean, he’s not a prospect anymore obviously, but like when you just look at how many young defense they have ready to like play now, but like he gives you a little bit of everything. We were 14 last year. Um, and somehow on that Anaheim Ducks team, he like his metrics were like the fact that he had I think he was a plus plus minus. Uh but like his his like five on five metrics with him on the ice are incredible for uh such a young defenseman on a struggling team. But um yeah, I think we talked about this a couple weeks ago. Like the Ducks second half of the year like we’re pretty good. Like that’s the other thing too. They start banking they start banking wins. I don’t know. I mean you’re banging wins at the end of the year like whatever it is what it is. But same time like they just played over 500 hockey from like January on. So, no, it it’s positive and it’s good for like their it’s good for the team mentality, right? But there are a lot of people who like take that at face value and say like, oh, second half the year they were trending to be a playoff team if they did that all season. It’s like, yeah, it’s like very different hockey cuz every team you’re playing against like a third are coasting because they know they’re in, a third know they’re out and don’t give a [ __ ] and then there’s a third that are real games cuz they’re in the same mix as you. But like it it’s not the same hockey necessarily, but it is it’s it’s good because they’ve got a bunch of kids that don’t know what winning is. So at least they got a little taste of it. It for them the success is all going to hinge on whether or not Dostall is who they believe he is. And I mean he all the signs are there but again goalies are voodoo. I’ll say it every episode. if if he can be that guy, they’ll be frisky. But if not, it all crumbles. So yeah, I still look Yeah. I mean, like again, like I just look at the team that they have right now coming to the year versus what they had coming into the year last year. It’s like still I think it’s better on paper than they were plus another year experience for guys like Lome, McTavish, Carlson. So I think they’re again they’re trending in the right direction. If you’re an Anaheim fan, you would have wanted to have been a little bit faster than this, but like they’re closer to where they want to be than they were a year ago. So, again, turning the right direction, more positives than negatives, but I mean, still going to be a challenging year obviously, especially with like a group of like a couple veterans and then a lot of young players. But, um, again, I think the Do piece is huge. A guy like Lome’s huge, McTavish, Carlson. Um, I mean, even someone like Frankie Machano putting up like 30 goals. You’re like, “All right.” Like, that’s another like that’s another like vet at this. I mean, he’s been in the league for a while now, so I guess he’s a vet. Um, and he can play. Troy Terry is still there, like obviously. So, I love Troy Terry, but I I opposite of love their main offseason acquisition, and we’ve talked about this plenty. I just I don’t like him for that money when like they could have done different things. I don’t know. Yeah, I think for them to like I remember I was listening to um my buddy Cam Robinson and Chris Peters talk about like they were talking about like guys who was like are they posed for a break you’re a bit of a sophomore slump the one the one question I’m going to have because I mean I think he played a lot with Mason McTavish cutter goce what can how can he take another step forward I think he scored 20 last year obviously pretty solid um I mean again just the situation might dictate how much of a step forward he can take but if he can like add a couple more goals, get a couple more points. That’s obviously another young player that’s got a lot going for him, turning in the right direction. So, that be another piece, too, obviously moving forward for the future. So, we’ll see what he can do with uh with McTavish. I think I think the line that they played the most on was McTavish, Gochce, and I think it was Fabry, which obviously that’s not happening, but we’ll see. I’ve always liked Fabrey, though. I I would love [ __ ] poor kid, right? No, I I would love to see what his what he could have done with just a clean bill of health throughout. That would have been very fun. But yeah, no, the Ducks, there’s a lot to be optimistic about if you’re a fan. And the guy you mentioned there, Cutter Goce, regardless of what anyone thinks about the whole situation with him leaving Philadelphia, what he did in the Frozen 4, like whatever, I will forever be a Cutter Goce supporter for two reasons. One, he literally got drafted by the Flyers and in his interview immediately after being drafted went on to say that his idol is Sydney Crosby. [ __ ] rocks. He is also the reason that we have Zeb Buham. So Minnesota Wild fans should support him forever. Oh yeah, there you go. It’s that simple. We keep it simple here. We keep I mean sometimes too simple. We do oversimplify many many things. Um, all right. With that, uh, we are just past the 9:00 mark and I know we’ve had a couple of casualties who said they were going to join us next week, but we do have one esteemed member of the ranking committee joining us here. Let me just jump in and do my best interpretation of changing our graphics up. This is going to be ugly, so just shut up and deal with it, people. Um, we’re gonna go there, there, and we’re gonna throw Brett in. Boom. Welcome, Brett Marshall. We’re here and we are ready to talk prospects. And I don’t know, Brett, give me your opinion. Maybe you liked it before. People don’t know, but behind the curtains, the way we used to handle the prospect rankings, we would throw all the prospect rankings into a spreadsheet and then we get a group of six of us together on one night and literally spend three and a half hours recording the entire rankings and then release it over a couple of weeks. In the summer, that works, but we’re breaking it up. We’re doing five per week and letting people join as they wish. I I’m thrilled to go that route rather than what we’ve done traditionally. Yeah, you know, I think part of it is I think, you know, between the show we, you know, we used to have and then obviously the really awesome network that you guys have built now where we can now have graphics live on screen where we have so many people that want to tune in live. I think it’s really cool that, you know, we’ve been able to transition to this where we have enough people, enough content, um, and all that to be able to jump on and do it chunks at a time. So, I’m pretty excited. I think that, you know, it was it was always a really fun show. Like, like you said, really gr you know, would grind it out, but I think this is a great way to kind of head into the season. You know, it’s easy to be excited about what’s happening in Minnesota, but I think it’s a good way to uh kick off what we’re excited about as far as the uh you know, the prospects go as well and what we can look forward to in Iowa, juniors, NCA, all that stuff as well. Nice. Z, we’ll let you kick it off. this is your show, but we got a bunch of names just kind of thrown across the screen here for the ones that did not make our top 20 list. Um, anyone in particular that you want to come in here and defend or vouch for that you’re like, I feel like this is a name that should be in the top 20. Yeah, I think for me the biggest deviation between like someone I had in the top 20 and then ends up in our like cumulative honorable mention here is the Lamare Emodasi drafted this year. Um especially just for what he did second half of his OHL season, how he looked to the few games of playoff experience he had. Uh but I just like I just love the way that he plays hair on fire like nonstop uh high motor and he’s got sneaky skill. Um he can score goals, he can make plays, super physical, plays a really solid two-way game. I just think his game is going to translate really well to the NHL uh when he finally makes it again long-term like kind of a project prospect here. But like you just love a lot of the foundational tools, the skills that he has. Um and I just think the way that he approaches the game, I think it translates well to the NHL down the line. So um I think I ended up putting him 16th. Uh, no. Yeah, I think there was 16. Um, obviously ends up outside of our top 20, but I’m a big Liam Amidowski fan. I said this right after the draft. I went back and just like watched a ton of his shifts from last year. And he is a very fun play a very fun brand of hockey. Very likable. Going to be if he makes it to the Minnesota, I think he’s going to be a fan favorite for sure. Yeah, I’m I’m a little bummed that we couldn’t have Zeke jump on because I think I have the spreadsheet up in front of me. If you take out his ranking, um, he goes he I I think he would be inside the top 20. So, it’s a pretty big outlier. I think he had him like 30 out of 30 out of 31. Um, Justin and I both had him up at 14. Matteo had him at 18. You’re at 21. Spokesy at 16. So, I think I I’d be interested maybe maybe when Zeke jumps on next week, you can ask him. Just, you know, it could just be he’s a newer prospect. Doesn’t know enough about him. Totally fine. Hey, you piece of [ __ ] Why do you [ __ ] hate this kid? And and everyone’s going to rank these differently, right? Like, are you talking about how good they are today? Are you talking about like, oh, here’s what I see as their trajectory? And like, admittedly, for me, I have a bunch of different tiers where there’s guys that I could absolutely move up or down like three or four spots. Yes, he was a guy that I just I don’t have enough track record on. Like, I didn’t watch him all year. Like Z said, he had a good end of the season in playoffs. He’s kind of my wait andsee guy where it’s like he could be a big mover this year, but I wasn’t ready based on like I just am more familiar with some of the other guys and I like them for specific reasons. That’s why he ended up being 21 for me, but like I it having him, you know, 15 to 20 wouldn’t have bothered me at all. I’m like just outside of it. I just personally don’t have enough there. Um, and I should have led with this, but anyone that’s new either to the show or hasn’t paid attention to our prospect rankings before, this is a list of 31 players that fit the bill of being under the age of 23 today and being eligible for the Calder Trophy. And I don’t think we do we have anyone that like crosses those lines where they’re not called or or they Yeah, they’re not called or eligible, but they are under 23. We’ve had it in the past, but I don’t think we have anyone this year, do we? Or am I blanking? Uh, no. I think that’s right. Yeah, cuz who’s who are the I don’t even know who the oldest ones would be. It’s probably like the pure Mily class, and they’re like what 21? Yeah, I put all I I changed the sheet this year and I put all of the like draft years on there so we at least have an idea. But it’s right in front of my face. I Yeah, 2020 tough Yeah. 2021 is the oldest that we have. So that’s Lambo, Spankier, Pure Masters, that class. And they and for me looking at this list like there’s no one that I’m like shocked or bothered by. The two that I wasn’t sure where the consensus was going to come in were Kyle Masters and Ryan Healey. And I feel like Healey is just kind of being omitted and forgotten because everyone assumes he’s just going to go UFA when he’s done with college, right? It’s good chance. Yeah. And then Masters, there’s been the injuries and stuff, but I know like that’s the one that you have just swooned about since the beginning of this show. [Music] Do you think this is a guy that still has a chance to be an NHL player or is he more likely destined to be a bubble at best? Yeah, I mean I think he still projects like a bubble bottom pair type player again. Is it going to be a Minnesota? Not even like when you just look at the amount of players are already here looking like they could potentially be ready to play now than the guys that are coming in that have like more probably more upside probably long shot than be in Minnesota. But um I just still look how good he look at how good he is in transition, how hard he plays. Um again, how well he moves um and just what he can do with with and without the puck. I think he’s a smart player. Plays um plays another kid that just plays a really fun style of hockey, but again like spent majority of his last year two the ECHL. Um, and I mean we talked about this when he first got drafted. Like this is a kid that’s like a five, sixyear path before like he even sniffs like NHL hockey anyways and that’s like without a whole lot of interruptions if and like if development goes the right way and obviously like two years ago has a pretty bad injury, misses a good chunk of time. Um, but yeah, I mean he’s just given the amount of players that they have here now ready to play. bring in another guy like Kchek. Who knows what other moves they’re gonna make. He’s like lower on the PCOR. But um I still love the way that he plays. I thought he looked really good at the uh the showcase again. Um in a few of those games, but yeah, I mean again it’s I think he just predicts the bottom six, maybe even a bubble guy, but whether or not it’s me Minnesota, it’s a whole other question. Um but I just love the good. Yeah. And again, I I got no one else. I I don’t see anyone on here that I even flinch at. Brett, do you have anyone that you like look at and you’re like pissed or just surprised landed here or are we good? We’re rolling into the 16 to 20. Yeah, I mean I like nothing like issue ranking wise. I think it is disheartening kind of see the fall of Jack Pier a little bit. Um he was a player I think that for a while I think at one point I think he might have been inside our top 10. Um, you know, there was a lot of optimism even in like the scouting spaces that he would have a chance to to crack a top six and NHL lineup and it feels like as the case with, you know, a good chunk of Wild prospects has like kind of hit that like solid AHLER stage and just hasn’t been able to take that next step. I think we’ve seen some of that from we’ve seen some players I think kind of take that next step through training camp this year, but Pier was a guy I was really excited about. I think there was a lot to like there with his with his skating, with his kind of two-way play. you know, we saw some really good seasons at St. Cloud. I believe he played for the World Junior team for one year for a year or two. So, I was a little bit like bummed to see that, but um you know, that’s that’s the way it goes and you can’t hit at every prospect, but uh he’s kind of one I was just bummed to kind of see see fall and and maybe that, you know, may not hit the NHL at any point. Yeah. Early 2023, he was ranked number 10 for our list and you were the highest on him. Yeah. Don’t believe everything I say, I guess. Oh, I’m starting. Oh, dude. I am the I’m getting random [ __ ] like I’ll tweet about something else and someone will just bring up like, “Oh, remember when you [ __ ] loved Kyle Max?” Like, oh my god. When they decided not to [ __ ] give uh Oor a contract? I had like three different people being like, “You [ __ ] idiot.” That was like I don’t know if I hate you or love the fact that this has been like on your mind for that you care this much about me for four or five years. Someone had it saved in their drafts. I was like I’mma get this piece of [ __ ] I was like a damn it. Tell you what though, if there was a way for you to know whether or not a post was scheduled and you saw that someone scheduled that post, like bravo. Good for you, dude. Good for you that you called your shot. Yeah. Um that’s good. All right. Well, let’s transition then. We’ll get into again the group. There are eight of us that contributed, which uh in the past it’s just been six, but we got Brett, Zeke, and Baky, the band formerly known as Sound the Fogghorn. And Baky as well contributing to the Minnesota Wild Prospects page. Uh his partner in crime, Pavle, jumped in this year. Producer Matteo jumped in for the first time, too. And if we dislike any of his rankings for these guys, maybe we’ll abuse him and make him jump in and defend himself. Um, and then Issha, myself, Z rounding it out. Um, so we took everyone’s rankings, averaged them out across all of us, came up with our top 20. Let’s jump in. And I’m I’m assuming Isa made this graph graphic given that Stevie Leavar is bold front and center. No, I made it because I was hoping he’d be here and it would just grab his attention and he would run and foam at the mouth. It’s weird because if everyone had shown up, the other faces would have popped in where you see empty space. Yeah. So, I overly planned ahead because I didn’t expect three people to message like last minute and be like, “Yeah, next week.” Okay, sounds good. Um, but all right, so let’s jump into it. the first guy in our top 20 list ringing in at number 20. All right, back to producing. Here we go. We got Jimmy Clark. And for all of these, we’re going to expose everyone’s rankings. Um, and [ __ ] this might be one that we have to pull Matteo in to talk a little bit. I thought I was gonna be the high guy on Jimmy. And here we have Matteo at 13. Uh lowest ranking. We actually had uh four people ranking him at 23. Brett, yourself included. And again, that’s just outside of 20. It’s not like you’re [ __ ] on the guy, but do you think that this is a guy that warrants being top 20? Yeah, I have no issue with think you kind of as we were talking a little bit um about Emmedowski like you have kind of that tier where you see a lot of guys the same. I think Jimmy Clark’s kind of in that tier like I think from for me like from 17 probably to I would say 20 let’s see where’s my who’s my 23 24 I would say like my he’s like the in my tier of like 17 to 23 I could have probably put in any order. So, I have no issue with him. I think um especially you look at where he was taken in the draft and what he looks that you know the fact that even has potential I think is is really exciting and looks like it could be even if he turned into a good AHL. Was he a sixth or seventh round pick? I believe right seventh. Yeah. Like I think you know if he can even turn a seventh round pick into a good AHL I still think that’s that’s a good pick. Um all things considered. So yeah, we had him on the show on Fellowship of the Rink and he flat out said like, “Oh yeah, I I did not think or expect that being drafted was a thing.” So I was actually out just skating and like hanging out with the boys and all of a sudden someone texted me. I was like, “Hey, you know, you got drafted, right?” He’s like, “Oh, okay, cool.” To the to the war. What war? When did we start that again? Um, Z, I’m curious from you because you’ve generally been higher on Jimmy Clark than me when we just talk about him. Are you just like that excited about some of the other guys or is there any reason that you’ve got like hesitation with Jimmy? No, I mean I think just given some of the players they drafted the last couple years too, like along like was he last year, two years ago? Um, but some of them like the more recent draft picks. U, but you just look at like the overall profile. He’s like average size center. Um he’s a decent not great skater but really hard worker, solid um he’s a hardworking defensive center. Uh he’s really fun to watch like off the cycle against the rush. Plays really well under pressure, makes really good passes, like really [ __ ] good pass for the buck. Um so like again I put 20 I think in this where they’re with the wild with where they’re at with the prospects now. he could like put for me like 10 to 20 almost in any order and I’m like yeah probably I don’t know. Um but like you just like look at the physical profile um a lot of that like it kind of stacks up against him. That being said he works super hard. He’s really smart [ __ ] player, really solid defender. Um and again just watching him play off the rush and off the cycle how well he passed the puck. Um his ability to kind of like play with a handful of linemates, play any position. We saw him at the beginning of the year last year where like he was playing um on that top we called it the what was it they like on the roster or the they tweeted out the lines like the third fourth line whatever but like he’s playing with what like Matthew um and I mean he was putting up over a point per game at that point then all the injuries happened guys went to world juniors and obviously like really mixed up the lines and that’s where the produ production started falling off that being said like when you watch the gophers play like he was noticeable almost every shift um and you can kind like give you a little bit of everything. But I think, you know, just looking looking at like the physical profile, the type of player he is, again, like just the way the NHL is going, like what exactly does he look like in an NHL lineup, like where does he slot in? Still a bit of a question mark, but I just still think he ends up making it somewhere into the NHL. Um, just given how hard he how hard he works, how smart he is, um, some of the tools that he does have going for him. But um yeah, know it’s just it’s a it’s a tough projection to like really get an idea of exactly where he slots in the NHL lineup, but I just have a funny feeling that he does end up doing it. But you hit it to a te. Like if you asked me at the beginning of last season if I’d have Jimmy Clark in my top 20 for prospects this year, especially if you told me like who we drafted, whatever. I like I never would have thought that. It’s the versatility piece. Like I we always knew that he was a super versatile player, but we hadn’t seen him play with the guys that he did this year to start the season, right? He fit in so perfectly and he’s such a good complimentary player. He just thinks the game the right way. He’s adaptable. I’m not going to compare like the skill necessarily, but he’s a guy that gives me all of the like Ryan Hartman and Brian Rust vibes where he’s never going to really have a defined role, but you can put him on your first, second, third, fourth line in any given game and you’re going to be comfortable doing it. and it a different comp I guess like a Kyle Ralph kind of guy where he can be a perennial AHL stud and like be a guy you’re comfortable calling up in a pinch if someone gets hurt or you need a filler. I just see so many paths for him that that’s why I have to have him ranked the way I do now. This season’s going to tell a lot because he’s going to be playing with different guys and he’s going to have a different load to carry. that could thrust him up the list more or maybe I pump the brakes a little bit and I don’t think that he’s got the same trajectory. But I just having that many paths in is why I can’t overlook just how he compares to some of the other guys that have a lot more question marks I guess. Yeah. And I think if you look at kind of like I mean this isn’t been just a specific like Garen regime thing too. The Wild historically have loved the type of players who are kind of that Swiss Army knife that can play kind of anywhere in the lineup. Like if if you can if they ask you to do something and you can do it, they want to get you into the lineup. And I think to your point, like he has some of those attributes where he can, you know, kind of do multiple things, which if you’re able to do that, you’re not kind of a one-trick pony. Uh it does, I think, improve your chances of finding your way into NHL lineup if you can fill a role that a team is missing. Now, since Garen was brought up, we do have to point out he’s not 6’4, so he probably has no chance. But that um all right, uh that is number 20. Kicking off the list, Jimmy Clark of your Minnesota Gophers. Let’s pump over then to number 19, Aaron Pian. And somewhere Justin Baky is doing cartwheels that a bulldog got in just ahead of a gopher. The highest rank on this again, Matteo. Matteo loves our Minnesota college guys. He had him at 14. Pavle for uh Minnesota Wild prospects at 17. Most of us hovering right around 20. Z actually the lowest technically. Z, why do you hate Aaron Pian? Just bad guy, you know. He wants to be his brother and he’s not. Oh my god, that’s so so uh I mean, okay, I’ll just jump in here real quick. Um for me like with Aaron Pong really obviously like you look at the another hike in production last season with Duth. Um, and I mean like Doo’s in a weird spot where they lost a bunch of guys and I mean they are playing a lot of really good teams but like I don’t know he just he played well pretty much whichever game but like you look at the the jump up in production again. I think it was like 25 26 points in 30 something games last year. Uh 26 and 36. Yeah 26 and 36. you look at it like a lot of the points came from like quick transitions and like just moving the puck up to some of those um skilled forwards, a lot of off the rush, a lot of power play points. Um so maybe the offense wasn’t necessarily dynamic, but I mean he made it work. Again, he’s a decent enough mover. Um he’s got good skill when there’s not a whole lot of pressure on him. Like don’t worry about the play his own end. That being said, he’s been a defenseman for like 10 minutes. like we forget like he got drafted as an overaganger and he switched to like from forward to D like after his draft his first draft eligible season which is nuts. Um so I think there’s a lot to like obviously again like he played really well last season. Um but I just struggled to see like where it where it ends up translating all the way into the NHL. Um because it’s not going to be like the defending that really like pushes him over. But that being said, again, like what he’s doing against really solid competition after just being a defenseman for like two years, impressive. So, um, definitely has a chance, but I just struggle to see like where exactly like what kind of NHL defenseman is going to be, I don’t really know. Yeah, I think that’s kind of where I’m at, too. Um, I think I had him right at 20, so like a lot of us did. Um, yeah, I think, you know, you like to see the offensive production to Z’s point. um in a in a tough division like your conference, they’re going to call the NCHC. Um but I think my concerns would be just kind of is there a lot of runway left to reach a ceiling at already 22 years old. Um so drafted as an overager, but again I think you know another guy that was taken pretty late in the draft where if he turns out to be a a solid AHL player, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Like this Iowa team needs as much help as it can get to start to start getting these higherend prospects in winning environments. Um, I’m excited to see what Greg Cronin can do, you know, when some of these, you know, these young guys continue to come in to see if they can mix that that blend of veteran youth and build quality teams. And to have a good AHL team, you still need to have good AHL players. That’s still really important to professional development and getting players to the NHL because I think that’s been a big problem. I think a lot of the current higherend prospects is these Iowa teams have been so bad. I think in a way it can stunt their growth a little bit because you’re playing so much defense. you don’t get a chance to build as much of those offensive skills. So, um even to me like if he, you know, projects out as a top four AHL defenseman, um I think it’s a it’s a solid pick and you know, hoping that he can be more than that. But, um you know, pleasantly surprised with again what we’ve seen so far from a from a later round draft pick. It kills me that as I typed out the font for this graphic, I thought the exact same thing that Cosg Grove wrote here. A Aon um god damn it, he’s broken me. Uh, for me, I I’m going to keep it simple, and I kind of alluded to this with Jimmy Clark, but I have a bucket that I’m just officially going to brand moving forward as my Charlie Streo bucket. Last year, I think I was like the highest on Streaml, and I put him at like 13 in the list, and I was like, “This year is going to tell me whether he drops to the 20s or he gets up into the top 10.” Pian, Clark, and there’s like a group of maybe like five or six total in my top 20 that I’m like, “This is the year that I want you to show me whether you bump up or you’re just out of my mind entirely.” And Pian, like he’s played on a not super exciting or inspiring team. I want to see what he can do this year when the team’s going to have a little bit more expectations and I want to see him take a step and carry a little bit more of the load. I’m either gonna bump him up mid low teens or he’s gonna kind of be an afterthought for me. That’s number 19, Aaron Peon of the UMD Bulldogs. Next up, let’s see, math number 18. Here we go. the flying tomato. Mikey Melon. Let’s see across the group. Isa the highest. Not here to discuss it. 14. Um Matteo the lowest at 24. Everyone else kind of falls in the range of 15 to 19. Um I don’t know who wants to start. What are our thoughts on Mikey Mill? Yeah, I think you know in a lot of ways where Jimmy Clark can be a little bit of that utility knife um and or sorry that whatever the thing whatever he can be kind of a lot of wear a lot of hats and I think we saw it a little bit he got a very brief taste of the NHL last year um and just because he’s a hard worker like I don’t think this is going to be a guy that’s going to come into the like ever play for the while and score a boatload of points or play up in your lineup but I think you know if you have he’s going to probably be more of that career tweener but if you need an energy guy that can come up in a pinch, give you some solid games without, you know, trying to be too fancy or, you know, you know, make stupid mistakes. You know, I think he’s a he’s a pretty smart player. Um, works really hard, got a good motor. Um, but I think the fact to me that he’s already played NHL games. I had to kind of just bump him up in my rankings because he’s already proven he can get there where some of the guys ranked below him, you know, there’s still questions if they can get there. Um, but to me, I just I don’t really see much more of a ceiling. I think he’s maybe more or less reached it. But again, I think a guy that whether he’s playing, you know, filling in for injuries in the NHL level or being a really important player, probably in your top six, top nine Iowa, I just think that’s a that’s a valuable piece to have uh in your organization. Yeah. And I’m bottom half of the group, but I still threaded the needle and hit 18. We should get bonus points for actually ranking the guy where their consensus comes in. But like you said, Brett, it’s a big thing about like he’s just he gives a lot of shits, right? Like he is a worker and he’s a guy that I look at and say like this is a future AHL captain who there’s an injury late in the year and he gets called up and plays in your bottom six and he ends up being an impact guy throughout the playoffs. I don’t think that he I I won’t say that he won’t, but I’m not necessarily convinced that he ever carves out a fulltime NHL spot, but he’s certainly not lacking the ability to do so. Like, he could get there, but I think he’s a guy that you want to have in your organization because he serves an important role down in Iowa where we’ve seen it the last couple years, like shit’s been bad. And I think he could be a long-term culture guy for that if he is willing to stick around rather than go look elsewhere and try and push his way in for a lesser team. Yeah, I actually like it’s funny you say that because I I do think he’s pretty close to actually being able to again probably not Minnesota just given the players we have here already, but like I think he’s being an NHL guy as is. I should have caveed with our team. Yeah, because I mean he’s like somewhat different player, but as far as like the like how you kind of look at them in your lineup, he’s similar to like a doer type where it’s just like listen, is he going to put up tons and tons of points? No. Like no, he’s not going to. But like fourth line, like really solid two-way play. He’s got sneaky like skill. Actually, not it’s not that sneaky. Like he ripped apart the WHO on that [ __ ] Winnipeg team that was filthy. Um but like can do a little bit of everything. We talked about Swiss Army knife type players. That’s Viky Mil. Um I mean that’s why he got a couple games last year. So he’s got a few games in under his belt already. U he can kind of give you a little bit of everything. But like is he like does he have that one trait that’s going to put him into like your middle top six? No. But like I mean he plays just really smart hockey, moves well. Uh he’s a prick to play against too. Great culture guy like you said. Um but I think he’s pretty close to just being like in your bottom six across the league. It might it just might not be in Minnesota. Um but I mean he’s another guy I would imagine gets a few games here this season too. Um I mean he already again got some last year but I just I love the player. Really good guy to have in your organization. Gives you a little bit of everything. Um but I think he is pretty close to just being if he were to be in a situation where there’s like an opening up in your fourth line he probably is able to play right now. I think in previous renditions of this ranking, I think I compared him once to like Connor Der. I think I still kind of stand by that a little. Matteo in the private chat said he’s Mason Shaw, injuries included. Yeah, like a Shaw Der just like that Gertie kind of heart and soul guy that fills in on your fourth line that you’re not you’re not upset that you have to put him in there, but he’s probably not going to do anything remarkable. Yeah, he he like he played a lot with Hunter Hate in Iowa last year. They were [ __ ] awesome together. Um, again, those two were like two of the very, they have been they may have been like two, five or six guys that were pretty much there all year that like played solid throughout the whole season. Other than that, it was like like essentially a complete [ __ ] [ __ ] show start to finish down there. Um, but he was one guy that like I mean he looked like he was up for it pretty much every game. He he played in Iowa last season. So, um, again I I just like I you just love everything he brings. He just does have that one the one like stand out thing that’s going to like elevate him in your lineup. But like as far as a guy that you can throw in. Um you’re never going to be worried about having him on the ice. Yeah. Great dude too. And like anyone that missed it, anyone listening on YouTube, go check out the full interview we did on Fellowship of the Rink. Awesome guy. Z, do you I’m going to put you on the spot. Do you remember what we were laughing about right after that interview? Was he the best dress guy up to Damon Hunt? So, we asked him about that, too. But no, we when we we ask everybody on Fellowship of the Rank like what their nerd itch is, like something that they’re into, he had one of the like funnier but also like weirder answers. He said he’s really into coloring. He loves coloring. Coloring is great. I know, but it it was it was so unexpected and off the wall of like, do you have TV shows? Do you have any like nerdy book series? Like, do you collect something? He’s like, I like to draw. Like, what? [ __ ] yeah. What did I ask you? So, I held it up to And then it like ended with him saying he’s going to like draw some logos and stuff. We haven’t followed back up on it. I’ll have to have Joe ask him when he goes down to Iowa this year. But, it it wasn’t It’s not even that it’s like a bad answer. It’s a good answer. just like unexpected and very off the path of the answers that we typically get. I was like caught off guard. I’m like, I have so many follow-up questions. What are we drawing? Are you a crayon or colored pencil guy? Like what what are we into? Super bad situation. Big Z. You hit you hit Becca with your dick. Yeah, man. All right, I think that is the perfect place to end on number 18 in our top 20 rankings, Mikey Mil. All right, now we’re going to move on to number 17 in the Minnesota Wild prospect pool rankings. Michael Russo’s favorite adopted son, David [ __ ] coming in at number 17. The highest rating 14, the lowest 21. How do we feel about the man they call David Spotrick? He was probably for me one of the hardest players to rank. because he’s one of those players that like he looks good in Iowa. He looks great at, you know, or looks good at times in Iowa, has looked great at international tournaments, including against pros, but it’s it just seems like there’s this next level that like you I feel like I’m waiting for him to get to and it just doesn’t happen. Um I think he had a pretty solid training camp. Um but it seems like the wild of you know I think there might have was it um there was a report I think toward the end of last year I think maybe even Yaroslav’s spot check came out and basically said like he has no future with the Wild and basically wants him to get traded um which is unfortunate but I mean hard to blame him when you look in front of the players that are in front of him like yeah there probably isn’t a path for him you know I think in a similar vein to kind of Damon Hunt like you probably should be in the NHL at some point but it’s probably not going to be here. So, I think for like that specific reason is why, you know, I think when I was ranking him around some of these other guys I have in this range, that’s why I think I had him a hair lower is I just I don’t think he plays games with the Wild um the Minnesota Wild ever. But, um like he just like it’s just it’s just such a confusing like it seems like he should be an NHL player, but there’s just something missing where he can’t quite get there. Don’t you hate that we have to caveat that he’ll never play with the Wild? [ __ ] Minnesota Wild. Um he’s already playing with the Iowa Wild. Mhm. Um you and Z both get bonus points cuz you threaded the needle with 17 for each of you. Uh for me I wanted so badly like at at several points I had him in my 20s because of what you said Brett that like it it feels like he’s just not even in it anymore. Like he doesn’t see a path here and he’s just kind of like giving up. But I also just I feel like in Iowa I haven’t really been and I don’t watch every single game, but I haven’t liked what I’ve seen in Iowa, but I’ve loved what’s happened internationally. And I’m like, what will he be if he plays in the NHL? Like, is it different? Is the AHL just not right? I don’t know. But he was just the the weirdest one for me to fit. Plus, just all of the uh Russo propaganda I had to I wanted to put him lower. I just 19 is as far as I could go down given who else is in the pool. Yeah. I mean, he’s an interesting one where it’s like I mean gets drafted as an overager, decent skater. The thing was like he might not have like super high-end like actual skills, but like as far as like a high motor player and like effort player, he’s up there as like some of the like one of the best motors in the wild pool. That’s like really taken a jump this past like two years. that notice. Um I remember at the time when he got drafted was like there’s like very confusing skating situation going on, but like I think he does end up cracking an NHL lineup again. Is it Minnesota? I’ll sign point to no, but um and I I saw a lot of good a lot of questionable play in Iowa. Like a bit of a mixed bag. Like you can say that again about the whole [ __ ] roster down there. But um he’s got he’s obviously got like that absolute bomb. Um, and you know, in front of like he’s a beast net front as far as defensive how how he defends like plays super hard, super physical. Um, so like another guy that’s got super high motor, super high effort. Um, okay skating. Um, not like high end, but it’s it’s always interesting like there remember there have been plenty just like shifts in Iowa where it’s like he might get beat first time like just like wide, but like we’ll somehow always end up catching up to whoever beat him or like whoever beat him. White somehow ends up like making work and like catching uh catching them on the back end. Uh so it’s again like like you guys were saying bit of a confusing like path but he might be a guy that like with that motor how hard he plays in his own end especially net front like how much of a prick he is to play against um in front of like right in and around the crease and like you combine that with the fact that he does have that absolute bomb of a shot. He’s got a little bit of offensive upside. There might be a path somewhere but um again probably a bottom pair projection if he ends up making as a full-time guy. Is it in Minnesota? I’ll get all signs point to no, but there’s plenty to like. Um, but you still have like too many questions to comfortably say like, yeah, I think he is absolutely a full-time NHL player down the line. Well, I think the biggest question we have to ask ourselves, how many check Davids can you have on one roster, specifically one blue line? Many, many are asking. Uh, also, by the way, when uh last night against or was it last, was that game against Chicago last night? I’m like kind of a flat circle. though. [ __ ] uh I don’t know why it was throwing me off so hard that that Le Panic kept saying spatch checkic and I was like I can’t tell if you’re doing this on purpose. It pissed me off but I don’t I don’t I don’t know what’s going on. Um it was a real mind torpedo for him. I don’t really like blacking out. Which is funny because like generally speaking Leant on the broadcast is fine. I just can’t listen to him on the podcast. That that is a a a special exception. We can’t help me. You mean it’s a private forum to pump the tires of Marcus Johansson? I support that. Yeah. I mean, I think I think I feel like if you want kind of like the the bright side or like what like what gets you excited about spa uh I almost said I almost just said it now. Spiced in my head. uh about spot check like like obviously right now he’s still under contract with the Wild like we haven’t heard of any you know inklings that they want to trade him like he still was a very important piece in Iowa’s team last year I think he was like top five or six on the team in scoring as a defenseman on a pretty bad team like so if you know if Greg Cronin can make that team better and he can be a valuable piece you know I think it’s twofold like one like hey now you have another guy that can push for your spot um in the NHL And if not, like if there isn’t a clear path, then you have a good trade asset that you can use, you know, we we’ve talked, you know, Garren has talked about, you know, if a player, you know, that a good player becomes available trademark and you need pieces to include in that deal. Um, you know, I think he could potentially become one of those really good tradable assets uh somewhere down the line. So, I think like the best case scenario here for him is he has a really good year in Iowa and that either helps him, you know, move further up the Wild’s defensive depth chart or it creates a really good trade piece that they can move somewhere down the line. Yeah, I think he was like just under half point per game I want to say down there. I think like 30 something points in 70 something games maybe 31 in 72. There you go. Um, which again down there was that’s like [ __ ] eight points per game, you know? So, let’s uh decent enough production, especially in the back end. Again, like Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Like, he has plenty of like tools that you like and like he has the motor and the effort that like he could probably will his way into an NHL lineup full-time. Um, it’s just like there are still those limitations with like the actual like just like hard skill. Um, and eventually it’s not just going to be effort that makes like makes everything work, but like he’s got the offensive toolkit. Like we see how good like hopp you were saying earlier how good he’s been internationally like you see the there it’s there. So he’s one of those players he might just need like he might just need an opportunity again maybe just like a different situation where it’s like hey you have runway to like make mistakes and play but he needs the while to start in Sweden again and he needs to play in those games and that’s when he clicks. There you go. He can’t play in the US. It I don’t know what it is. Pretend this is World Juniors. Pretend you’re playing against 17 year olds. Um, all right. That is David Spa Check. And moving on to the last player we’re going to cover in tonight’s rendition of the Minnesota Wild Top 10 or top 20. Damn it. Ah, damn it. Delete. Isa, leave it in. Top 20 prospects. Number 16 is our boy Reager Loren who I’m going to keep on shamelessly promoting Fellowship of the Rink. He’s one of my favorite interviews. He was so fun. He’s just a cool guy. And if anyone will talk South Park with me and talk about how the Denver diving team performs at Kaso Bonita, I’m in. I’m all [ __ ] in. But I I’ll just lead off and keep it simple. Like Reer Loren is similar to some of the other guys we’ve talked about. Not necessarily that like it’s not as much that this year is the make or break for me vaultting him or dropping him. It’s just this is an interesting year where Denver lost guys. This is the first year they’re not going to be looked at as like a strong contender for the Frozen 4. We’re never going to rule him out because David Carl, but he’s going to have hopefully a more prominent role. We’ve seen him play well in a depth role and we’ve seen the skill in spots. Maybe he gets more opportunity this year to showcase some of that offensive upside. I want to see what he can do. Um, but also I just feel like he’s a guy that has the right skill set. he can play more of a complete game and there’s a spot for him in professional hockey. I just don’t know exactly what the upside or downside looks like for him just yet. But so I I ranked him 17. The consensus comes in at 16 as we said. Uh the highest on him 12 and the lowest on him 19. So we got a pretty good consensus cluster here. you guys weigh in like why do you feel strongly for or against or uncertain with Regal Lorenz’s future with the Wild? I think you could even go back to our last show if you look at where we had him last year. I believe he came in at looks like he came in at 10. I had him at seven, Zeke at 8, Justin at nine, Issha at 10, uh Hoppy at 10, you had him at My memory is so bad I did not even realize he was at 10. Yeah. So we had him at 10 last year. like this feels like a far fall, but I think I don’t think it’s necessarily unfair. Like you look at like he came off a really big performance um during the national championship and the and the playoffs throughout college hockey. See, right in front of us that goal was [ __ ] stupid. And so, you know, maybe there’s a little bit of a recency bias with like, you know, that was I think we recorded that shortly, you know, so there might have been some recency bias there. But you look at that season, too. 16 goals, 14 assists, 30 points in 44 games. that regresses this last season down to six goals, 14 points, 20 points in 44 games. So like, you know, I I wouldn’t necessarily say maybe he took a step back, but it doesn’t feel like he took a step forward. And so I think this is to your point, I think this is a really big year for him if he does get more opportunity. Can he get back to more of that, you know, that dual threat passer shooter that we saw in 23 24 where he can be, you know, push for a spot maybe as a I think, you know, I think at last year we were talking about as potential kind of middle six to like third lineish type scoring winger. Um, but also a guy that plays a little bit of an edge. Um, you know, he’s 6’2, 194 pounds. So, he’s got some size to play kind of in that checking line role, too. So, I just think it’s a huge season for him if he can get back to more of that that dual threat type of player that we saw two years ago versus maybe the one that more took maybe a slight step backwards last year. Dude, I I don’t know why, but the the middle six thing is giving me light PTSD now. I don’t know if either of you listened to uh Corey Prodman coming on Fellowship of the Rink, but he basically carved me when I asked him about like everyone’s been saying Strel is like definitely a bottom six forward and you recently said that you view him as a middle six forward in the NHL. Like is is that what you’re going to fall on? He’s like, well, it’s very interesting. There is an overlap between those two things and that’s probably where he falls. I’m like, all right, [ __ ] you. They just say he’s a third They just say he’s a third line center. Like they just say he’s a third line center. Like what? Yeah. I’m like I thought that was a reasonable question. I feel like a middle six versus bottom six like there is a distinction on where you see the potential upside. But yeah, he he came right back at me and I I kind of appreciate it though. He was like a very nobullshit guy. Yeah. Yeah, I’ve always thought like and I was talking to someone about this the other day like I think Wheeler gets a lot of flack from fans because I think he tends to rate skilled prospects that people are like the consensus a lot higher on a lot lower. But I think it’s I think he looks a lot more at floor. Like he looks at a guy’s likelihood to make it to the NHL. He doesn’t really care what that ceiling looks like once he’s there, but he’s like if that guy will play NHL games, I’m going to put him higher. Well, he doesn’t use an Excel spreadsheet and sort descending by height. That’s He factors it in. He doesn’t live by it. Fair. Um, no. Back on back with Lurance, he’s such an interesting player, too. Like I remember going back uh before his first season at Denver. Like it’s always tough to try to like gauge the AJHL because it was always there like there mean there’s two teams really that like compete that league and I mean he was eviscerating the AJ like some of the goals he was scoring was just silly. Um but I mean he’s a kid. He’s got the size that like he’s he can play physical. He’s got an absolute bomb of a shot that like just playing at Denver he doesn’t really get a whole lot of like opportunities to use that. But what’s been interesting for me is like we saw him get a ton of opportunity his sophomore season, 30 points in 44 games. Um, and then this past like this last season with Denver, too, especially at the beginning of the year, he’s playing a whole lot of like hockey at his own end, a lot of defensive shifts. So, it’s been interesting to see how they’ve used him in these in his three seasons at Denver. Um, he’s kind of got taste like all over the ice. And it was really interesting learning after um his sophomore year like listening to him talk to like Russo, Joe Smith, and everyone else or like um anyone involved with the Wild how often he was like talking to their player development group like pretty much after there was like a few times a week that they were on the phone discussing stuff. So it’s like we know that they do like him a ton um and they look at him as a future player in this organization. And it’s just going to be interesting for me to see what role he can really carve out because I do think he’s got the upside as far as like the offense goes with the shot with some of the skill he has. Again, definitely more of like a goalc scoring threat than like an allout playmaker, but he can link plays. He is capable of making really nice passes. Um, and I think he’s scored like five or six short-handed goals with over the last couple years. Um, so it’s just interesting to see how often he’s getting used in the PK um, in like the roles that they’re using him in. Um, so I think he’s got a little bit of everything going. But just I hope this season specifically with Denver, like you were saying before with some of the guys that they’ve moved out, there’s going to be more opportunity higher up in that lineup. Um, and if they choose to use him in like a more offense, more go-to guy as far at least with the offensive roles, scoring, all that stuff. But he does have the tools. Again, like the shot that he’s he can like pull off is impressive. Um, and again, like he’s shown a lot of good stuff at Denver. Um, and obviously a really nice place to develop, too. So, we’ll see what role he has this year. Um, but I really like the player. Again, like there’s some guys that have just taken huge steps and then some of the guys they drafted the last couple years that like I’ve just ended up like putting it putting them higher than Loren. But, uh, I think this could be a year where if he gets that top six role um, and he’s a go-to guy potentially in the power play, like we might see a player jump in production. So, we’ll see. But, it is interesting just to know that like the Wild do view him as a future player in this on this team. uh just given the fact that they were communicating with him like several times a week throughout the season two years ago. U I mean obviously last year too. Yeah. And I it’s funny because like I I put Jimmy Clark one spot ahead of in my rankings like you could easily convince me to go the other way. I think like the physical tools Loren has a way better path for me. It was finicky though. Like, and maybe you guys think this is a stupid like nitpicky thing, but for me, like I said, Jimmy Clark is a top 12 player, right? He can literally play one through four in a pinch. Not all season. Like, he’s not a first line guy, but like you can put him there and he’s going to do what he needs to do. And for me, Ria Loren is a quote unquote bottom nine guy. Like, I can see him being effective second, third, fourth line. I I just haven’t seen enough to say I could see him like being a suitable fill-in guy on a first line. That’s like really where I picked Jimmy over him by one spot and that’s just like a weird I needed a tiebreaker. Fair enough. And I think too to your guys’ point like just for the roster turnover in Denver, he is one of two senior forwards on that team this year. Um and I think one of three seniors on the entire roster. So, a young team like I would imagine given that he’s a senior, he’s been around, he’s been a successful player for them, I wouldn’t be s I don’t think they’ve announced captains yet this year, but maybe another potential guy that could be a leader in that locker room too and someone they lean on and that aspect too. And, you know, being kind of one of those type of guys that needs to set the tone, be a voice in the locker room. I think that can do a lot for kind of your personal psyche, too. So, I think to our point that we kind of making this is going to be a huge year for him and I’m I’m really excited to kind of see what he could do. Like I know he’s further down in my rankings, but I don’t I wouldn’t say I’m like necessarily less optimistic on him than I was last year. I’m just I’m wondering if the floor is now maybe a little bit lower than what we originally thought. And there’s I think he falls in like 12 to 20. He falls that 12 to 20 thing for me where I’m like again like realistically pretty close to any order. But we see it happen every year, right? Like we we’ve got a couple years of history here. Like the guys that have a lower floor but a higher ceiling and it’s the shiny new toy. Like they tend to get slotted slightly ahead of some of these guys. And again, it’s going to be the thing where this season is going to tell us, okay, is Regal Loren’s uh guy in the 20s or okay, maybe he’s flirting closer to low teens 10, right? Um but that’s a wrap. And I omission on my part. Probably should have had one more graphic that just showed the final uh 16 through 20, but I’ll run it down for all of you. We’ll start back at 20. We got Jimmy Clark of the Gophers. 19 Aaron Pian of the UMD Bulldogs, Mikey Mil of the Minnesota Wild. Now, we don’t have to go back any further for him at this point, I guess. Um, David [ __ ] who I guess I want to say Czecha because that’s the best version of him and 16 Regal Loren’s going back for a senior year at Denver which I hate that it’s it’s University of Denver but everyone calls them DU. Explain that to me. Can’t explain. As long as we’re on the same page, we’re good. Keep it simple. Cool. That’s a wrap for this week. Again, next week, uh, same time, 9:00 central, we will run down prospects 11 through 15 of the heralded Minnesota Wild prospect pool. Um, there are a lot of guys in that range that I’m kind of excited to talk about because I think, yeah, this is where it really starts to get interesting where I think there’s a lot of unknown, exciting ceilings with some of these guys that I think we’ll definitely be hitting on with. I think there’s specifically two players that I’m I’m kind of pumped to talk about here uh next week. I mean, from here on out that it is going to be a lot more like these are guys that we’re trying to talk ourselves into. Like, are we too high? Are we too low? We don’t know. From here on out, it’s mostly guys that we’re excited about. And then we’re all just arguing about who we should be more excited about. And thankfully, I wasn’t here this week when we put Stevie Lecoar on the screen. Yeah, for [ __ ] sake. I was actually proud of him. Hang on. Hang on. I need to give Isha his flowers because he ranked Stevie Levar 10. I expected him to be top five. I expect him to rank first off again. Yeah. I uh before Isaiah went in and put in his rankings, I just put a one next to Lecoar before he even started ranking. I was like, “And my work here is done.” Yeah. [ __ ] it. And Isa accomplished nothing the rest of the day. Yeah. He’s like, “I’m good. My work here is done. I’m good.” Oh man. Um, so that’s it for this week for the prospect piece. Uh, Brett, you’re the only one here with us. So, if you want to hang out and talk Minnesota Wild, you are welcome to hang out. But we are going to jump back into that. Let’s see. Tail. I don’t even know where we left off on graphics. I’m going to find it. We’ll just do that. Yeah, we’re going to figure this out. It’s my pig. It shows that I just haven’t done production in too long. Um, cool. But, uh, I guess let let’s just start and see Z, I’ll kick it over to you first. We got the latest cuts yesterday and today. There’s one in particular for me that’s bothersome, but I want to hear from you. Like, how many guys do you look at and say you’re either bothered or surprised by versus like, “Yeah, I knew that was going to happen. Um, I mean, I think the one for me that like I have a lot of questions just like moving forward short term with the player, but Carson Lambos is the one for me that I was pretty disappointed they sent down. Um, like a lot of lot of good shifts, couple bad ones, but even then I’m like not really that many like super agree mistakes or anything. Um, again, he’s another player for me that like I don’t know how much more development runway with the Iowa Wild necessarily there is for him. He kind of strikes as a player that like just needs to like get a look amongst NHL competition to kind of like work ups like the speed of the game. So how like how much fast he has to make decisions, stuff like that. But um I don’t know that was the one for me that stuck out or stuck out um especially like there’s plenty of questions in here like what the opening night decor is going to look like. Um so that was the one for me specifically that was pretty disappointing. Um, again, I thought he had a lot of good moments in the preseason. Uh, at least the the games that he was playing in. Uh, plenty of good moments in the the showcase as well. So, that was the most disappointing one for me. That’s the only really disappointing one to me if I’m being honest. So, yeah, nailed it. Any Brett for you that you feel differently about? No, I think I was I’m in lock step with you guys there in Lambos. Um, I will say there was an interesting little nugget um in Russ’s article today about that. Um, and that was um that it’s possible that Jonas Broaddin might be ahead of schedule um in terms of his injury recovery and that he could be back for night one. And if that’s the case, I think the sending Lambos down makes a lot of sense or that he was the number seven even without Brodian being factored in. It’s like I don’t want him to be the seven. So, I agree then. It’s still exactly I thought he did enough to warrant sticking around for one more game to see if he could push for an opening night thing. That That’s my thing. I’m not disappointed that he’s going to Iowa. I’m disappointed they didn’t give him one more game to see and and I’m not certain that even that that’s what that means. I think you look at like, you know, you might be keeping some of these last minute waiver guys up on your roster if if you plan to sign them to two ways. I have no idea what their plan is with Jack Johnson. I hope it’s to cut him and never bring him back in this organization ever again. Um, I’d rather bring back John Merrill personally than have to watch Jack Johnson on my screen. But Jack Johnson’s here, so we have a 5% chance of getting Sydney Crosby. That’s the only reason I can even convince myself it makes any sense because Brett, you you’re dealing with Jack Johnson after winning a cup on a PTO. I got Jack Johnson on a uh 3×5, give or take, when he had no [ __ ] business getting one. Oh, no. I I agree. Like, I’ve never liked him. Like, he’s analytically been one of like the worst defenseman in the NHL for several years. I think he was in his couple stints last year, I think he was slightly better, but that bar was basically on the floor. Yeah. Um, so we’ll see what happens with that. I’m hoping that this report that Brody may be healthier and that if he responds well to camp um I’d be pretty pumped about that um to get him back sooner rather than later. Um the other player I wouldn’t necessarily bum that he got sent down but um Kirst had kind of an out of nowhere surprising camp. Like I think he came in on a try out and I thought there were some moments like when I was watching preseason games like oh who was that making that good play and it was like several times it was Kirststead. um some bigger a bigger size like I think a guy that could really really help um you know if he’s if he’s with your spot checkek um or someone like that down in Iowa I think that’s a really good player to have down there and if it gets to a point I think where last year where you have all these injuries a guy that I would feel a little bit better about coming into the lineup and being able to at least be serviceable. So, I thought he had a really good preseason and I liked that they were able to kind of find him, bring him in and and that he looked uh impressive through his his couple preseason games and throughout camp. And I I’ll I’ll go hand up too because I’m I’m talking a lot of [ __ ] about Jack Johnson. When he was in LA, I thought he was so [ __ ] sick. I thought he was so good and then he left. Zack Fosian was good at one point, too. Like Things change, man. That’s a little bit different with age. Like the second that Jack Johnson left, it was like, “Oh, nope. Okay, LA knew. That’s why they traded him.” Got it. Like he wasn’t good in Columbus and he was despicable in Pittsburgh. I I Yeah, we don’t talk the second that fiveyear I was like five year five year three. It was like 3.25 over five years. I’m like, “What? What are you doing, Rutherford?” That that that goes back to everyone talks about first off, he is the GM in Vancouver. Isaiah, shut the hell up. He He wins almost every trade and he loses almost every free agent signing that there’s just like let him have his lane. He should be general manager, president of hockey trades and not allowed to sign anyone. Yeah. I mean, so like and like when I look at what this Decor could look like on opening night, not just like the six on the Harris, but like in total guys on the roster. I can handle like the Wild having one of Begoian and Jack Johnson. One I like I on this [ __ ] NHL roster. Like I can’t I can’t [ __ ] do it. And if they’re both in the lineup on the same night, I’m going to lose my [ __ ] That would suck my [ __ ] mind. Especially if they’re playing together. Oh my god. Yeah. Well, and and for listeners and for listeners of of Wildly Informed, I know I talk about how much I hate plus minus as a stat, but it has its merits in certain situations. Jack Johnson has been a minus player in every single season he’s played in since 2007 outside of two seasons, one of which was the 23 24 Avalanche that were basically a super team. And it would be like nearly impossible to be a minus on that team. Like this is a guy who just bleeds goals at five on five. He’s just not good. I wouldn’t even say like I’m not arguing cuz I think we’re saying similar things, but I wouldn’t even say that it has merit at times. I think you ignore it except for the outliers. If you’re plus 50 minus 50, like I’m paying attention. Correct. But if you’re like like if you’re plus 10 minus 10, like I don’t [ __ ] care. Show me what else is happening. Like give me the deeper analytics or just show me what you’re doing on the ice. But like, yeah, if you’re regularly a minus and it’s like a notable minus, I’m paying attention for sure. Like, let’s uh I’m going to see if I can find his on ice expected goals for over his career. Give me a minute. Has he not played a preseason game? Why isn’t he coming up on here? There you are. my browser. I think I have too many windows open. What if we just started a podcast called Plus Minus? The the hate comments alone would probably just get us all the views we need. That’s preseason, regular season, five on five on ice. There we go. Bradley, we love you. Sorry you came late, but it’s okay. It’ll be there for you to watch and I’m going to clip it after the fact and post it out a couple of times. So, it’ll be there for you. And and as Brett said, this week he didn’t even care. Like the this this wasn’t the fun week. Starting next week, he’s going to get really excited. 5 6 9 10 11 20 seasons in the NHL. Not a single one where he’s had a above 50% courtesy share. That’ll fit right in on the Wild. Um, how’s he on faceoffs? [Laughter] I like the faceoff talk. I’m gonna like die. Like I like it was it was also a joke because it’s Jack Johnson that we’re talking about. No, I know. But the word face off and wild like I just I like lose my mind now. It comes up so often. I like it’s been egregiously bad. It gave us one of the greatest clips that we’ve had covering the Wild, did it not? It’s true. two two faceoffs. Also, this guy is a This guy’s a PDL merchant, too, by the way. His goalenders outside of two years have had above a 90% safe percentage at five on five with him on the ice. Like, this guy bleeds chances, but his goal is consistently bail him out. Like, he truly will fit right in on the Wild’s third pair. Hell yeah, dude. As long as it’s not him and Begoian like correct, we can figure it out. If spot check or not, sorry, not spot. If Jereck is in the press box game one, I will be incredibly angry. We’re just going to coin it David Czech moving forward. There you go. It’s the end of both their names and it’s their nationality. David, then you’re never wrong. Exactly. Um, okay. So, let let’s flip then. We we talked about some of the negatives. Like, what are the positives so far? What are we excited about? And I’ll I’ll start with a positive that’s also a negative for me. How pissed are we all going to be when Hunter Hate doesn’t get a shot opening night? It’s one where I think we’re all going to be sitting there like Yeah. understanding that being said, like he has just been so good. Like I can understand it and be pissed. Yeah. I was surprised how good how well he played at center all season in Iowa in the AHL last year. Like I thought it was like a big jump. He had like a really kind of like weird OHL couple years where it was like he was really used in like that middle six like kind of like a secondary offensive guy but he’s got a ton of skill. He can score, can make plays, but he also is a responsible two-way players obviously moves really well. Like there’s a lot to like. Um and when you just look at like again like the skating, the skill um and the play making like you just see all the upside. Um just given like the slight frame. He’s not like overly physical. Um there was always just going to be questions. Can he like be play middle of the ice? Um even in like the AHL, is he a struggle? And he kind of just stepped right in and did not look out of place whatsoever. Um again, we said it before like with him and Millie like those are two of the guys in Iowa who are pretty consistently playing well throughout that season. Um which again on that roster was impressive. Um so I just think he’s just been really good. I mean he he looked like he looked good last year in the preseason as well. Um, so I’ve just been impressed with the jump that he’s made from the OHL to pro hockey playing in the middle of the ice. Um, makes a lot of flashy plays. Again, scores again uh last night that front. Um, so I I just I love Hunter Hate. Love the play. I love the way he plays. He makes a lot of flashy plays, but again, just his like ability to play the middle middle of the ice at the pro level has been really impressive. Another one where I love the person too cuz maybe you don’t remember Z because I know you’ve had a couple concussions of late but like who are the two players that I pointed out to you that we’ve done interviews with on Fellowship of the Rank that I’m like these are the most confident people ever but in completely different ways. It’s the hate height. Hate height. Hate I honestly I think he alphaed me. Like it doesn’t show up in the interview but like I came out of that being like yeah that guy’s better than me in every way. I don’t know why. And then you got Riley Height, who is like the most reserved, humble, but like I know how [ __ ] good I am. It’s okay. Like those two I’m so excited for. And I I am higher on height. Like Height is probably like he’s not my number one guy in the pool as we’ll find out as we go through all this, but like he’s my number one guy. Like he’s my guy. He needs to be in Iowa. Like him being sent back down doesn’t shock me at all. Like I’m excited to see what he can do a full season down there. Hate though, like I just I think the kid’s [ __ ] ready. That doesn’t mean that he’s like stapled in as a full-time NHLer and I know he probably won’t be on the opening night roster, but like the kid is ready. He can handle it. I want them to give him some tastes. Yeah. And I will say I think I did my rankings before that last preseason game. And honestly, that last preseason game might have even had me bump him up a couple spots. I did as well. I I didn’t go back and change it cuz integrity. So, exactly same. Um, but just like some numbers under the hood and you know it’s preseason, it’s a mix of who they’re playing against, but you look at his last preseason in two games he had a 30.01 expected goal share at five on five. This preseason that is up to 69.2% right now. So, controlling nearly, you know, over twothirds of the offense. Um, playing really good on both ends of the ice. um he’s got almost a one individual expected goal in all situations. Like I think he’s done everything to prove that if they need him this year, he can be a reliable player they can call up. Um I think he’s a guy that you probably can move a little bit up and down your lineup. Could he be on the top line? No. But you know, in a pinch if there’s injuries down the middle again and you want to keep Hartman and Felino get together and you know, if Danil off isn’t working out at center right away or whatever, like P is a guy I think that could fill it on your second line in a pinch. Um, as for like my feelings where if he’s playing opening night, I just I think right now it’s the question of is there a spot? Like I think they like him at center. So I don’t think they want to necessarily move him to the wing. So if Nico Sturm is out, I think that 4C is his spot for the taking if Sturm is out. Um, otherwise I think, you know, I think he’s more or less earned probably that I would assume probably the top line center spot um in Iowa start the year, which I think is honestly just, you know, it’s a great spot to be if that team’s going to be better and he can kind of be an engine that sort of drives their offense. So, um, and I think whether it’s been development camp or the preseason, I know the numbers maybe in previous preseasons for him haven’t popped off the page, but he’s always a player that seems to me like he’s noticeable for the right reasons. Like he can make some flashy plays. the goal he scored the other night, you know, going to the net, getting his stick in position, finishing the chances, like all that stuff goes a really long way. And he kind of stands out to me all the time, doing the right things, making the flashy plays and and succeeding at them, too, without, you know, being a total dumbass in in the defensive zone. Well, and I mean, you got guys like Marcus Felino coming out and saying right away like, “No, the guy I I notice is Hunter Hate.” Um, and very funny, I’m looking right now because we talked about it. We won’t throw out any numbers, but Brett, you and I are tied for the lowest on Hunter hate. Shocking. Um, but on the flip side of that, so you say if if Nico Sturm’s out, uh, a guy that I mean, none of the three of us really care about, right, Nico Sturm? Yeah. No, no one could possibly Um, I am heavily debating the 25th anniversary Sturm jersey. I am I’m thinking about it. Yeah, I’m going to get a lot of hate for this, but I I’ve never liked those jerseys. I don’t love them. Like, I think they’re fine. I like If you’re in it for just the nostalgia, then fine. I respect it. Whatever. Like, the only thing that’s positive about that jersey is it’s the jersey that the greatest wild player of all time wore. His name’s Peter Newan. Um, shoulder shoulder shimmy. Shoulder shimmy, baby. Uh but my question for both of you then is if we’re saying hey that forces spot is Hunter hates opening night where is Danil you’re press box 13th forward okay that’s that’s all I needed to hear and and I don’t and I’m not like oh that was the answer then I give my thoughts yeah I mean he said an interesting kip or like I think he he came in in the showcase in the beginning of the preseason. There were some question marks. I thought he’s got better as time’s got on. Um I think let’s say he is in that 12man unit to start the year in like if he is on that opening night roster he’s lineup I think it probably serves him best to be honest to start at the wing. Again you just like look at the spots that are going to be available. That’s where the question are. Um and I think it’s fine like we talked about this before. It would not shock me if he starts his NHL career in the wing. like I wouldn’t surprise him whatsoever. Um cuz I mean it’s it’s realistically been like he’s shifted to the middle of the ice in the KHL and it was actually like realistically it was like crazy how it kind of popped off that that first full year met with Metallerg how well he played on that championship team. Um so I mean yeah I I haven’t seen enough of the middle of the ice make me feel super comfortable that he can like be an NHL center right away. I think like that line will be um but I I think I’ve just seen more from Hate like I’d be more comfortable with him there like at that 4C spot if that’s open. Um the thing with the thing that’s interesting too that I was going to mention with with Hate specifically and it’ll be it’ll be interesting to see if the trend continues if they actually stick to this. They are putting a lot more skilled players on like that first PK unit even if it’s just like the first 10 15 20 seconds. Um like Hunter H was out there like taking face off PK1 and I was like holy [ __ ] did not see that coming. That was not on my bingo card. Um so we’ll see if they go I mean anything they want to [ __ ] try in the PK. I’m down like try whatever. Like I don’t care. Like this is this cannot be nothing’s off the table besides doing the same thing. Put Flurry in the middle of the ice on the PK. I don’t [ __ ] care. Um just try whatever you want. But it was interesting to see him out there on that first PKU to take face offs. Um and just like seeing them throw more skilled guys out there on the PK. It’ll be interesting to see if that continues to start the year. I think that’s something about six minutes of PK time, only three shots and zero and zero goals against in those minutes. So, and he’s like he’s done it. He’s done it decently well. Sorry, I’m on the wrong player. That’s Yurov, who’s also actually been good on the PK apparently. Uh I thought I went to hate. Yeah, he’s Well, that’s the thing with Yurov too. Like there’s especially last couple years. I mean definitely in his draft year which was tough because he like played such little hockey just because the KHL that’s how they roll. Uh but obviously like the big flashy plays that people who haven’t like watched year off for years and years sees like the highlight reel plays. That’s what you’re gonna notice. That’s what that like gets those clips get tweeted out. But he is just like a really solid two-way forward. Like he has the skill can score goals, can make plays, but like he is an advanced defensive um player as well. So um that’s one thing with Europe too he’s got going for him. But I hate to boil it down to this. I I guess my question Z cuz I know Brett’s going to expand on this cuz he yielded to you to continue talking but like if it’s just cut and dry one of them is in the lineup and it is as the 4C you lean Hunter hate over Denurov right right now just like what we’ve seen um and I mean again like you’re obvious still adjusting to North America nice anyways and North American like style of game so um I think I’ve just seen like at the center position I’ve seen more like pro qualities, pro tendencies from hate the last like couple years. So, um I think right now he just looks like he’s more poised for that spot. Like he’s going to be able to step in and kind of succeed in that role anyway. So, um yeah, I probably lean hate right now just given what we’ve seen. Yeah, I think that’s kind of where I’m at too. Um like and it’s this is not a slight on Eurov like I don’t think he’s necessarily come in done anything wrong or I feel like nope he doesn’t look ready and like because of XYZ. I just think the Wild are still kind of trying to figure out where he best fits. Like obviously it’s a little bit harder. You’re not probably not watching as many games in person over in the KHL. Um so you’re probably getting a lot of kind of your firsthand looks at maybe where some of those strengths are. You haven’t, you know, I think he’s he’s showed you he’s played a couple different roles. just talking about he’s looked pretty solid on the PK, he’s got to play with some skilled players. Um kind of I’m very curious to see how he’s kind of maybe used these upcoming preseason games where if he continues to get a look with, you know, the Terasenko, Erikson X kind of maybe is he with those two, you know, does he get a look on the left side if Nico Stern plays or, you know, do they throw him alongside a Yakov Trenion who sounds like has been a very good mentor for him early on here in his time? And I think just figuring out like, okay, do we can he be a center? do we want to make him a center or do we want to start him off on the wing and kind of figuring out where he fits and I think that’s why he maybe starts as a 13th forward but I you know I think if he’s open to it I don’t think like I think he’s a guy that would benefit from time in the AHL just to kind of learn the North American game kind of figure out where your strengths are get comfortable and then he’s a guy I think you you know uh to Matteo’s point in chat you know may maybe it’s not a 19 game s to start but it’s you know maybe it’s a boldy path where you’re going to go be really successful in the AHL you’re going to figure things out and then when we need kind of an an ace in the hole kind of down the stretch of the season. We’re going to call you up and you’re going to be a boost to our team. Kind of a a free trade acquisition deadline in a way is, hey, we’re going to we’re going to get this guy. He’s going to inject some offense into our team because he’s figured out the game. So, that’s kind of where I see him. But, I think like there’s been a lot to like. I think it’s now just getting him more comfortable and figuring out where that fit is to get the most out of him for this season. I think going forward he’s a guy I think have the utmost confidence he’s going to be a top six center on this team or forward I shouldn’t say center for sure but forward yeah for I guess for me if I knew for a fact like if Denilov came out and said that he’s amenable to playing in Iowa I lean that way too the only reason I’m hesitant is cuz like I feel like the Russia factor the European for sure he he wins any remote perception of a tie between him and hate. I think hate has looked better even though I’ve really liked some of the things I’ve seen from Yurov, but it’s like if they’re even close, they’re picking Yurov over hate because of that factor. Unless there’s something we’re not hearing behind the scenes where he’s like, “No, I understand like you’ve done this with other players. They played a couple months down there. You see Baldi and Rossi, they play down there, they come up, they never go back.” Like great. Maybe you talk them into that. But the Russia factor always makes me nervous, especially when we’re worried about an even bigger Russia factor, which uh I mean Z and I have pretty much exhausted this topic, but we’ll give it to you Brett because people haven’t heard from you. Like what is your take on the man they call Carell Capri off? Yeah. Uh we we talked to that school. We talked about it a lot on wildly informed. I think about a week after kind of all that went down and we were finally able to kind of get on and chat about it. Or it might have been No, I think it was immediately after. Um time’s a flat circle since co it it literally is. I’ve the days blend together so quickly it’s it’s unbelievable. But um I said on there and I maintain I think him turning down an 8-year extension is not necessarily a bad thing for the Wild. I think you look at a guy that’s going to be 29 when the contract kicks in. You know, a guy, you know, potentially no fault to his own, but has been hurt, you know, a fair amount in his time a little bit, especially last year. I love that caveat. I want to get out ahead of it. I’m not blaming Capria for being injured. No, it’s not his fault that Logan Yeah. and Logan Stanley crawled on his back and it [ __ ] him up. Like, it is what it is. But um so like I still maintain that I think the best solution is if you have to bump up that AEV a million million and a half and you can cut that deal down to a three or four year deal. I think that’s the best case because now you’re getting probably the rest of the true prime years of Capri off. I still think he’ll be a good player into his mid30s but he’s not going to be a MVP caliber like 90 point player. He’s probably more of, you know, he’s maybe a 70 to 80 point player at that point where he’s more of like a a good top six forward or a or a topline wing, but maybe no longer that MVP level. At the same time, I think that’s going to put pressure on Bill Garrett that like, hey, I have four years of the best player I’ve ever had in my franchise. I have to do whatever it takes. I have a window to go all in. And I think as fans, like we’ve kind of been waiting for that like that green light of like do everything. like you’ve built the prospect pool. You have the star player. You have the four-year window. Now you’re like this is your time. Go do whatever it takes to bring a cup and to get out of the first round of the playoffs. So that’s kind of where I see it. Um it, you know, the more and more you hear it, you know, I think initially it was really blown out of proportion like I always want to be here. It sounds like that’s not really the case unless I get it though. I do. Yeah. Oh, for sure. But I think it sounds like both sides have kind of shot that down and it just sounds like there’s just some more negotiating needs to go on and you know he’s got a full year left, you know. So, am I a little worried? Yes. How can you be? But am I like hitting the panic alarm? I don’t think I’m nearly as close to it as I was a couple weeks ago. I it it’s funny though because like I’m I’m with like the general sentiment of what you said, but it’s funny because like there was one conflicting part there where it’s like I agree that the pressure is on Garren to win in that four-year window, but only because like this is your chance, not because like you need to convince Capri off to stay. It’s like I want him for four or five years and then he can go do whatever the [ __ ] he wants. I don’t care at that point. Like that is your window though to win. But it’s like everyone likes to frame it though like other shows. I’m not saying that’s what you said, but like a lot of people like to say, “Oh, you’ve got to show Capri off that it’s worth staying after that four years.” It’s like, I don’t care if he stays at that point. He’s probably going to want too much money for what he’s worth at that point. I want to milk him for all he’s worth over those four years. No, scenario. No, I think that’s that’s where I’m at, too. Like, I think that that’s what I was getting at. You summed it perfectly. I’m I’m completely with you on that. So ask both of you because Z kind of changes every week for us, but Brett, you first. When do you panic if a contract has not been reached? Christmas. Oh [ __ ] All right. You’re way more relaxed than me. Yeah. Z, where are you at? Uh, probably like Thanksgiving. I’m October. If he’s not signed in the month of October, I’m like, “All right, get off the end of the week, I’d say.” Yeah. If if I don’t get off of this show and see a post from Russo saying that a deal is close, I’m out. Yeah. We need to get Maul in here. They’re clearly friends cuz they did one workout video together. And also, I I would selfishly I would be so happy. Oh my god. I’d go from I’d go from attending zero games live this season to attending all of them live. Well, and I will say like the the for the wild angle and like I know this quote’s gotten some heat, but when Leopold said like no one can pay Capri off more money than we can, he’s not lying. Like right, but that’s also that’s why I side with Capri off in this. I would turn down the first offer you give me no matter what it is. Yeah. Like oh you’ll pay me whatever. Hey, eight by6. He didn’t even hear the numbers. You said pass. What do you got? What what’s the next offer? But what I want to get at though is like, and you can argue like, oh, well, there could be a team out there that wants to pay him 20 million over four years. But if Carrerel Capri off gets injured, there ain’t no team that’s going to be lining up to pay him more than what the Wild just offered. The Wild may not even go back and offer that much. So, it’s a bet on himself to potentially get more, but I it’s also a bet on himself to get a lot less. And so I think if you’re looking for the optimism side from a Wild fan perspective is I there has to be I think for me some motivation for him to at least choose the path forward like for he’s going to give Wild the clarity either I’m going to stay here or I am not like I don’t think it’s something he’s just going to let drag on and where it’ll be kind of this like nothing like you know where it was for Ross it’s like nothing is happening they’re not talking like I do think it’s going to go one way or the other and I think either way that’s good for the Wild because if you can trade Krill Capri off as much as that would suck for the franchise, you are going to get some very good players back in that trade. Um, unless he says, “I’ll go to this one team and this one team only,” which has been the trend. Yeah. I mean, and he has that control, but you know, I I still think like you look at kind of that Matthew Kachchuck, Jonathan Uber, like I think that’s the type of trade you’d be looking at. Like a star player will have to come back or Bill Garren is not entertaining it. I just I don’t I don’t see that happening. He’s not going to take four first round picks for Capri off. He just won’t. I don’t I don’t I don’t want Jonathan Hubered though. I’ll take first round picks instead. No, no, I obviously that didn’t work out. I know. I know. I’m Yeah. All right. General sentiment though. Totally get it. Agree. Um we’ll end it on this then for the Wild because we do have to real quick touch on our uh our new adoptive team. And we’re really just going to use a segment to get Brett’s opinion on them since Z and I weren’t 100% sure what we were going to talk about. But, uh, Z, I’ll go to you first, but basically, give me one thing that you both want to see. Like, what are you watching most closely for the rest of the preseason with the Wild as Matteo throws up the mammoth? Yeah, that rock. Sleep. Sleep at the wheel. What What are you watching for? Like, what do you care about to round out the preseason before we start actual hockey? Yeah, I mean still the the two that I’m going to be watching the closest are going to be like what does Yurov continue looking like and then Yurichek specifically like I’ve loved Yurichek the preseason like again I I want players like Yurichek to experiment make mistakes like and like utilize some of the tools that they have like cuz they’re obviously not be playing mistake free hockey their whole [ __ ] career. So, I want to see him like go out and do it. Then again, I want to see see him get the opportunity to like just play more and more minutes cuz we talked about this last year when like the whole [ __ ] team was injured and Yurichek got called up and played five, six games. He looked like he fit in already and then obviously goes back down to Iowa, has that really bad injury and now we’re here. But, um, I thought it was crazy just how much people have even brought up like a potential like Gerichek trade. I was like, we just did like what are you what are we doing? Did the trade? What do you mean? This was the trade. This happened. there was a thing that just happened. He’s here. Um, so like again, I want to see him in this lineup. I think he’s I think he’s ready to play. Um, and I just think he might just be able to just benefit from playing in the NHL and like just adjusting the speed of the game um that way as well. And again, like not being afraid of making mistakes, like utilizing the tools that he has. Um, but I just like a ton of what he brings to the table on the back end. So hopefully he just continues to get more leash. I I got to say, man, that my ADHD brain and the way that you know that we always think TV and movie quotes on here, the way that you delivered experiment when you were talking about and Cosgro is probably the only person that’ll laugh at this with me, but all I could go to was the first ever episode of Always Sunny in Philadelphia when Mac is sitting there. He’s like, “Yeah, yeah, you had an experiment. You didn’t like the experiment. Now you want to go back to before the experiment and he’s like why do you keep saying experiment? What? That’s what I was going for. It’s so good. But uh all right, we can move fast. But yes, I’m I’m all on the check train as well. I want to see him get out and just try things. Uh Brett, what are you watching besides hate and not Lambos? Yeah, I think I I have one comment kind of on the uh Z’s like trade the prospect who hasn’t worked out yet. Like the Wild have like deranged Brock Faber syndrome where there’s this expectation of like, oh hey, we have very good highly drafted rookie. He looks like [ __ ] in year one. He is a bust. And it’s like because he’s not like Brock Faber who was not [ __ ] in year one. And it’s just like this robot are actually historically immediately good. Yeah. Like and it’s it’s just like all this stuff is like oh had a bad game he’s now a bust. I’m like the kid is like 21 years old. Like same with Yesper Valsa. Like people forget how young the kid like goalies don’t aren’t usually good till they’re 25 like 26 years old before they start to be like true everyday starters. Like there are some except exceptions but it’s very rare. So like temp like temper the expectations around young players. Like there is going to be growing pains. And I’ve seen this with Bloomer. Like the guy is 20 years old. Like he is going to make mistakes. Like he he is going to have to learn that he can’t walk the blue line in the NHL like he could in college. Like the players are better. But there is still a lot of upside there and a lot to be excited about and like don’t get too hung up on the bad because the guy probably has a 15-year career ahead of him and we’re in like day 15 right now. So that’s my thoughts on that. Um, as far as what I’m watching for, like I want to see Liam Ogrren like seize the second line left wing spot. Like I think he’s had a solid camp. I think there’s been some really good moments, but um I’m especially like doing one of these now over because I think uh Russo today either insinuated either on his podcast or in the article about camp cuts that if like nothing happens with Ogrren like that if they don’t think he’s fit for the second line that’ll be Marcus Johansson again and I cannot do another season of Marcus Johansson top six forward. So, I want So, I really want Liam Oakrin to step up um and be the guy on that line. Um we haven’t got to see him with Eric yet and I think that’s going to be a big help because I think they have like I wouldn’t even call like a complimentary skill set, but I think like they do a lot of things similarly and like a if Vlad Terasenko can be dishing to Ogrren with Ek in front of the net and you know Ogrren and E can be the ones on the forche like there is a lot to be afraid of there in terms of what they can do. Like I think he could be almost like a baby Baldi in the way that we’ve seen Ek and Baldi be really successful. So I think that’s what I’m excited for is to finally see what Ogran looks like next to Ek because we haven’t got a good look at that yet. Well, I I feel like you talked to yourself basically there. But pop quiz because pretty much anytime you’ve been on with us for either NHL draft coverage or talking about prospects, this has come up. What is Z’s wet dream line? Oh, it’s the same one as mine. It’s Baldy Eking Yogin. Did Did that just turn into Yogan? It might have. Yeah, I don’t know why. Okay, I’m in for it. I’m in for it. But yeah, no, I’m Oh, I need I need him to at least get a fair shake on that second line cuz he’s looked the part, man. He fits. And it’s funny, random like side tangent that I don’t know how I’m I’m I’ve been trying to find a way to tie this in for hockey because you brought up like the growing pains. There was a guy that I worked with at a a tech sale company where he literally closed like one of the bigger deals at the company because someone came on and talked about how they weren’t going to buy from us because, oh, your company’s going through growing pains and like that’s like what everyone like everyone’s really worried about that and like the competitor is like the cheap option. He’s like, “Sure, dude. Do you want to sign with the company that has growing pains or dying pains?” And just didn’t talk for the next 10 seconds. And the guy like was like, “All right, send over the agreement.” So, I want to come up with a way that dying pains can be like tied in talking about players and prospects, but I I don’t know. But that that was like the best mic drop moment ever. like he he came out of that and it was like Wolf of Wall Street just like a hell yeah. Um, no, those are good things to watch. I I curious and it’s not even as much preseason as it is going into the regular season, but we’ve seen like I won’t say like hardcore struggles, but there’s been ups and downs for Zoom so far. I’m curious to see how much leash he has given the stock and just everything like both internally and with the fan base like how much rope does this kid get when they gave him absolutely zero in the postseason and it different I know but I am really curious to see where that goes and how long he’s just the de facto you’re going to be on the first or second pair and you’re going to be the first power play guy. Do they let him experiment kind of like Z’s talking about with Uric like let him [ __ ] around and find out versus oh you made a couple mistakes. [ __ ] you. Yeah. And like I don’t want to say that Bu’s going to have like a Lane Hudson type of season, but like that’s in the range of outcomes. And I was talking about with someone yesterday is like the M he’s made some pretty big errors in preseason with turning pucks over in the offensive zone, some poor defensive positioning, like a lot of things on the defensive side of the puck where he’s definitely looked like a 20-year-old who’s historically spent his entire time in the offensive zone where he excels. Um, but what I said in that comment is like we’ve seen in the past like players like Connor Bard and Lane Hudson still be a very valuable asset to their team in terms of getting offensive going while having pretty much a non-existent game defensively. And also in that and to Matteo’s point in the chat here like we have not seen him yet next to Jared Spurgeon. And there may not be a better defenseman in the league maybe outside of Jacob Slavven who can you you can pretty much slap any bum on his left on his left knee and he can make that guy look like a very very good player. I love Spurgeon as much as the next guy, but aligning him with Slavven is kind of crazy to me. But I I I get what you’re saying there. And for me it it’s I don’t know when you’re Bu and you know the pedigree and you know that you’ve got some leash. I want to see him [ __ ] up in the preseason. I want to see him take those chances cuz this isn’t like his try out to make the team. He knows he’s on the team. So, go out there and [ __ ] around. If he’s doing that [ __ ] for the first five games of the season regularly and not like learning from these things, then I’m concerned. But like seeing him [ __ ] up a couple times here and there in the early games. As long as he’s not repeating these mistakes over and over, I want to see him test the boundaries cuz he can play defense. Everyone’s like, “Oh, he’s all offense.” It’s like, no, the dude can play defense, but I want to see him push the limits and especially if he’s going to play with a Spurgeon or maybe someday a Faber or Broaddine. Like, let him push the boundaries offensively knowing he’s got support and he will fit in and figure out the defensive part of the game. That takes longer for 99% of the defenseman. If you’re not Brock Faber and you’re not Kale Mar like Yeah. It’s gonna take a second for you to understand playing defense in the NHL, right? Yeah. And I think like an aspect I think not a lot of people are truly thinking about um for the Wild is like we’ve had some good defenseman before like but we’ve never had like a truly offensively dynamic defenseman. We had Ryan Sudter two seasons with 51 points and then Dumba a season with 50. We had Brent Burns’s cousin who had no facial hair, right? But like I mean they’ve had like guys that could chip in offense but never that have really been able to drive offense in a way that you see a lot of like these Norris caliber know Carlson um Chris Latang Kale Mar Quinn Hughes like hey no that disrespect you named all of these players just naming their names prime Eric Carlson. You could have just said Eric Carlson. Everyone knows you’re not talking about this year that that Well to be fair Eric Carlson still people come in and say they say no offense. You should have just led in with offense. Yeah. I mean, prime Eric Carlson, he he still can do a lot defensively or offensively even at this point. But like the Wild never had that guy. So, I’m like I think it’ll be interesting to like I you would assume that in certain situations where it makes sense like getting him out there for offensive zone faceoffs. Um getting him out there with Capri off and just seeing like basically adding a fourth forward in your offensive zone. the Wild. I think I can always kind of tell some nights when the offense is on because they really like to they did it a lot under Dean Neon. Haven’t done it as much under Hines, but they kind of utilize almost this high cycle using the defenseman where they’ll run like a typical cycle that you run behind the net where you’re kind of cycling down in the corner. They’ll run that up at the blue line. And I think Buham’s ability is going to make those types of plays in the offensive zone in those for checks more fun because he’s now a guy that, you know, maybe he can sneak down a wing and dangle through guys or find a find a soft spot that maybe a guy like a Faber or a Middleton or a Spurgeon who maybe are a little bit more on the defensive side are being more cautious. He’s going to take some of those chances, but I think his offensive IQ is going to help maybe convert some of those chances and and add an element to the forward group that the Wild haven’t really ever had in their history. This is fair. Okay. Well, with that, I know uh it’s getting late. Z’s getting tired. Uh we’re going to wrap it here talking about the adoptive central division team. We have the Utah Mammoth. What do you think about this team? Is this a team that you think is being overhyped? Is this a team that you think is a surefire playoff team? Are they bubble? Like, how do you feel outside looking in? Are you worried about the Utah Mammoth? No, I wouldn’t say I’m worried. Like, I I like a lot of what like I think they had one of the best off seasons of any team this year. I liked a lot of the moves they make. Obviously adding JJ Purka to their forward group is a is a huge get. Um I just like some of the depth signings. Like I think this is a team that do they scare me this year? No. But I think they have a lot of really good pieces in place. Like I see them as a team that could kind of overtake Winnipeg here in the next couple years. Um you know I think they’re really going to they’re going to be neck and neck with the Wild. Like I think even this year I think um I think I have them fifth in my NHL or in my central division standings, but I would not be surprised if they, you know, if they squeaked into the playoffs and had a really good year. I I would not be surprised. I think my real only concern with them is is how far can their goalending take them because I think they have, you know, I don’t think they have bad starters, but I think they have very average starters in that. Um, and in a division where there is some high-powered offense pretty much throughout the division, you know, even down to the bottom teams. I mean, Connor Baddard is still the a real threat to score every night in Chicago. How far can your goalenders take you? Can they be good enough where the group up front can can help you win some games? But, uh, I think they’ll be good. I think this will be the best we’ve seen an Arizona team in in quite some time. Arizona slash Okay, I guess that’s really all we have there because I don’t know, everyone knows how we feel. Like this is a team like Brett said long term terrifying. They are a team they’re the only team that is like a top five prospect pool that’s already like pushing for playoffs. Mhm. It’s going to be a quick turn and some of the pieces there we just love. You’re not wrong on the goending. There’s just so much on the forward. And speaking a little bit blue line of Utah goalending, I know he went through the player assistance program, but I was a little surprised to see that Connor Ingram cleared waiverss. It’s so I can’t remember if it was Merrick or Freriedman, which it pisses me off that I have to decipher between the two because Sportsnet sucks. Uh but one of them said it’s because of the term. Like you usually claim a goalie like that because they’ve got like one year left and I think he has two or three and that scared some people off given some of his like off ice side commentary. like they kind of want to wait and see more or less. That’s fair cuz there’s other guys that have come up where it’s like holy [ __ ] Like a guy like DPro out in Washington like people are salivating and waiting for him to hit waiverss because they have no choice. Or no, sorry, Boston. Sorry. And then who’s the You’re right. Boston DPRO, which will probably maybe likely happen. But then who’s the there’s also a Washington guy that was in the same conversation because it was DPro and one other guy. And you’re right. Sorry Z. Boston meth bear and then who why can’t I think of who the Washington guy is matter he’s not DPro which is a if you’re a goalie and your last name’s DPRO like do you automatically get signed to like a 10year deal yeah he should get residuals that you get bought out of and get 1.5 million for 30 years hell yeah what a great life does Cal Al Peterson make it through? Depends on the waiverss. I think he does. Y I think it depends on when it happens and if there’s a team that like randomly has like their goalie go down or something like current state he gets through but I could see him being interesting just because of the experience. like he’s more interesting than some if you are in a panic because a guy just goes down you all on their route. But probably the one the one wild player who has to clear waiverss that I would have a little bit of like a slight worry about would be Nicholas Abe Cubell. Um I know he had to clear waivers. [ __ ] Yes. And like he’s not a guy that a team is going to add because he’s going to score a bunch of points at either level, the AHL or the NHL, but he’s very he’s been kind of analytic an underlying analytical darling in a bottom six role. So if there are teams all of a sudden with camp injuries where there’s a spot up in their bottom six. Um I think he’s like I think he plays the right side, but I think he can play both right or left wing. I I think he’s killed penalties in the past. Like I think there could be some appeal there if a team is kind of needy in that sense. Um, but we’ll see. I I think and you know the while there’s some strategy around waiting later to kind of cut some of those guys because if a team does you know look to acquire that guy they still have to have the cap space in the roster spot for him which at this time starts to get a little bit tight for a lot of teams. But with the cap up, maybe there’s a little bit more than than previous. Fair. I think we find out tomorrow at like 1:00, I think. Yeah. Central time. If you’re What is there one more preseason game? Two. Two. Yeah. Tomorrow against Chicago and then I believe Thursday against St. Louis. No. Uh, yeah. Wait. tomorrow against Winnipeg, Friday against Chicago, and they open the season against St. Louis on the ninth. This is a fun one to end it on. I’m going to point blank. Rank these three players. Oh boy. We’ll start with Brett because I already know Z is going to be pissed that I’m even asking this because I think I’ve asked him a couple of times now, but at very different points in these players trajectories. Rank the three players. Denelli, Liam Ogrren, Brett, can you guess who the third player is? No, but you’re spoiling the end of our prospect rankings here. Jimmy Snugrude. Oh, okay. Because that was like the question in the draft like Yeah. Yeah. For the Wild. rank those three right now like we’re doing trajectory five years from now who’s the best out of that group that’s how we’re going to base this you’re off Snugaroogrren I think is where I’d go okay but see I if if Snugarude is one I would not be surprised I I don’t think it’s Oakrin at least in terms of at least in terms a point production. I think Ogrren has the highest floor but the lowest ceiling of the three. Yes. Mhm. Yes. Like I’m I’m pretty confident in saying that Liam Ogrren is a top or as a middle six forward for a long time. Yeah. I’m there’s but I think for both your off and Snugrun I’m like is there there could be topline potential there. Reasonable. Yeah that’s where I was going. I could probably see just given the fact that like Snugaroo has a pretty definitive path like what he is in the NHL. Like he already just looks like a guy that like you throw on your throw in the top six at the wing, go to guy in the power play, he’s probably going to be able to give you 30 35 goals year in year out. Um and then Yurov, you know, he could be a 2C. Probably not like a point per game type player, but I think maybe Snugger has more upside in that sense. might go snugger a year of Ogrren. Uh but again, like you said too, Ogrren with the super high floor, uh has a lot of pro traits can can give you a little bit of everything from the wing. Um but as far as ceiling goes, I probably lean Snug, Yurov, Ogrren, but Eurovv and Snug are pretty close. See, I I feel like Snugroot is the one that we know like we have a pretty good idea who he is. I guess Ogrren, too, but it’s like Ogrren such a sturdy floor. Eurovv, I think, has the highest ceiling, but he has just like the most unknowns. Like, is he a center? Is he a wing? Like, how does he transition from the KHL where we’ve already kind of seen glimpses of it from the other two? It’s like Yurov has the biggest range of outcomes. The other two are more narrow, but yeah, I I’m obviously super biased. I’m just sad that we got two of the three and neither is Snugroot. But awesome players. I love Irov and Ogrren as will be uncovered at some point in our rankings. Tune in every Monday 9:00 as we go through those 8:30 if you want to hear me and Z be idiots and just talk about random hockey stuff. Yeah, if you want. I know there’s at least 10 of you out there that just absolutely need it. I mean, it’s most of the people in the chat probably. So, yeah. [ __ ] All right, we did it. We did the thing. Uh, I’m told I don’t know. I I’ll never trust people, but I’m told that there’s going to be way more of us for the prospect segment in the upcoming weeks. But until it happens, I will just sit here and say maybe. Unless I should be here every week. So, hell yeah, dude. Well, thanks, Brett. And uh yeah, know we’ll see you again next week. And hopefully we’re back next week. We have to [ __ ] throw up a good question mark. Hope he doesn’t get hit by another car. Yeah, that would suck. Yeah. And for those if you’re in the chat and you never checked out Wildly Informed, I will be live Wednesday night this week at 8:30. Uh not sure what we’ll be talking about yet, but uh we’ll figure it out and I hope to see you there. It’ll it will be for sure. Wild. don’t know because I’m I’m fairly handsoff. But everyone should check out Wildly Informed whether it’s audio or video every week. But Brent, is that like a consistent time for you guys or is it kind of shooting from the hip each week as far as like what time you’ll be going live? Yeah, it’s we 8:30 every Wednesday if there’s not a wild game on a Wednesday. If it is on a Wednesday, we usually go to Thursday versus Tuesday because it just gives usually more time or more games in between. You got one more game to talk about. Yeah. Well, a lot of times when you go like Wednesday to Tuesday, you might get like sometimes one, two, maybe three, but you like going to Wednesday to Thursday, sometimes you get three. So, uh, yeah, that’s that’s our goal. Um, there could be a couple breaks in between there. I I know I have a I’ll be traveling uh for work in early December, so there could be a time right around there. And then our puppy needs to be spayed uh I think early late November, early December. So, there could be some maybe around there, too, depending on how that goes as well. Bob Barker just applauded you from the grave. Awesome. Well, you heard it. 8:30 most weeks. Check it out live on YouTube or the Sodapod audio feed at your convenience. Peace out. Later. Heat. [Music] Hey, Heat. Heat. Hey, Heat.
Judd’z Budz Podcast Episode 178🌲
Spoked Z & Hoppy answer your burning questions in the YouTube live chat as well as providing their analysis and reaction to all the happenings for the Minnesota Wild, the Wild Prospect Pool, NHL, NCAA, CHL, you name it!
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Website: link.chtbl.com/thesotapod
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Minnesota Wild Top 20 Prospects: 16-20 | Will Haight & Lambos ever get a chance? | Judd’z Budz Ep178
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