#291. Filip Gustavsson is THE Minnesota Wild No. 1 Goalie (with guest Filip Gustavsson)

#291. Filip Gustavsson is THE Minnesota Wild No. 1 Goalie (with guest Filip Gustavsson)

Far down beauties with Jesse Pierce and Kirsten Croll. Two hockey minds trapped in bodies that can’t skate. They may have never lace them up, but they’ll break it all down with sharp takes and plenty of laughs. This is hockey talk the beauty’s way. What’s up, bees? Here we are. Jesse Pierce, Kirsten Croll coming in hot because it’s hockey week. It is officially hockey season. in the Minnesota Wild kicking off the 202526 year on Thursday in St. Louis followed by a home game on Saturday. Kirsten, let’s go. Let’s go. I’m excited. It’s in the words of Taylor Swift. It’s been a long time coming. Um, is this new Taylor Swift? Is this off her new album? Cuz I don’t I don’t know. Okay. It’s not. It’s old. It’s okay. It was her opening line for Era’s tour. And I’m going to stop talking about it now because I’m gonna make us lose our viewership. So, I digress. I’m very excited. It’s back. Hi back. Uh, lucky for us, we actually have a special guest this week, Philip Gusson, who we spoke to two days prior to him signing a 5-year, 6.8 million AAV extension with your Minnesota Wild. I joked with him today when we finally got to speak with him following the signing. And I said, “You didn’t feel like dropping this uh news on the bees.” He goes, “No, I had to keep some secrets. You know, I had to keep a little bit of fun.” So, without further ado, let’s chat with Philip Gustoson. And then first, actually, Kirsten, I want to get your thoughts. Good signing. I’m good with the signing. 5 years, 6.8. I’m good with it. Yeah, I’m very good with it. I think, you know, I loved that the graphic. It seems like it’s it’s a theme now with the Wild. First with Krill was Krill here to stay. Now, Philip Gustoson. Philip Gustoson here to stay. Love it. Love the theme, love all of it. Love that these players want to stick around. I think it was great. Um, and also too, just the rise that we’ve seen from him these last couple of seasons. I’m happy with the trajectory, happy with the signing. It solidifies a little bit more and allows them to to figure out more how to strengthen this core group here in Minnesota. Yeah, as Bill Garren had mentioned today, too, that these guys wanting to stay here says a lot about the culture that they’ve created, right? And we’ve talked about that before. Um, I think signing him now. Personally, I would have liked to maybe wait just a month, like just a smidge, I don’t know that had to happen, but getting him for under 7 million, which is something he would have at least gotten as a free agent this off seasonason, if not more, I think is great. Um, he’s played well in the preseason, I think it just reunifies like, yep, this is our number one. This is our guy. That’s what we’re locking into. And also, I want to reiterate, it doesn’t say anything about Yasperad. It does not say that they don’t have faith in him, that they’re locking Gus in to be this number one. Because here’s a fun fact. You can have two good goalies on your team. You are allowed to have a goalending tandem of two players performing well and that’s the hope of what this will be in attendees and we know here in Minnesota we love a good goalending tandem. So more power to it. I welcome it. Let’s let’s bring it this season. Let’s bring it. Let’s bring in Philip Gustoson without further ado. Now actually um our chat with Gusbus joining us now. Philip Gustoson your Minnesota Wild goalender. What’s up, Gus? How we doing? Doing very well. How are you guys doing? I’m I’m doing great. We got a new Taylor Swift album that is now out as we are recording. So, super excited about that. Honestly, nothing can ruin my day. Now we’re talking to you. Excellent. Excellent time to be alive. I mean, now we have to get it out of the way. Are you a Swifty, Gus? No. I like I I listen to a few of her songs, but I wouldn’t say I’m I would stay on her album or checking out her album today. Well, we have to change that. Are there any guys in the locker room that are Swifties? Uh Brodine is a known Swifty, I think. See, Jesse, I have told you I have told you this information blows my mind. Is she big in Sweden in general? Yeah, I would say she’s pretty big. Yeah. Well, that’s well good. That’s going to be the interview. Thank you so much for joining us. We’re really happy that we got time to sit down. Well, you know, let’s dive in. Let’s talk a little bit about the season before we do get to some more fun. Um, for you, Gus, coming off of last year and just kind of the outstanding way you made your mark. How are you carrying that forward into this year and now you’re you’re the guy? You were the guy last year, but you’re for sure the guy this year. How is that going to impact you this season? No, I I think it’s I think it’s going to be the same. I guess I’m going to have the same mindset coming into this year, too. You know, I u still have to win the games as I did last year. So, that doesn’t change. So, um just out there give the team a chance to win every game and and uh play as much as I can. And we have some fan questions too we’re going to get into, but this was one that not only we had, but one that was also fans submitted, too. Uh, what was the biggest lesson just being in a goalie tandem with Mark Andre Flurry? What’s the biggest lesson that you learned from him that you’ve taken away? I I think it’s it um my hockey started becoming more of a job and and I kind of looked it more at a job and then I started being there with Flurry and he kind of brought the fun out more again and making it taking it for more what it is, you know, just we’re playing hockey. It’s the best sport ever. Just having fun out there and and then we’ll see where it goes and and less looking at it as a job. Um, and I think that helped me helped me a lot from him. I never considered that. That is probably a hard balance. I mean, even from our perspective a little bit, right? Like at the end of the day, we get to cover the greatest game in the world and it’s a job, but it’s also pretty fun. How do you balance that? What is your fun then? What do you What What do you do to keep it fun and light-hearted out there? You’re not pranking people. Are you now the new prank prankster? No, I I’m well, it’s I I I try and just not take it too serious. Like it it’s very serious and and a very high pressure situation, but you know, I go out there and and just try to have fun, make the saves and and just enjoy it. you know, seeing fans enjoying the game out there and and um practicing, you know, challenging with the with Baldi or or Eric and and just those types of stuff is it’s making it so much more fun than just out there saving the pucks and and just see it as a as a practice. And you talked too just now about being able to take the pressure off. What is a way that like you’re able to do that? Or even too in a game, it happens to everybody. If you if a bad goal goes in, bad bounce, what’s a way you’re able to find a reset? It’s it it depends. You know, sometimes it’s easier to to be there and it’s easier to to let things go and sometimes it you’re more nervous or more anxious about about being there in the net. and and uh whatever it is, you know, either you find find something in the stands you can look at or think about or listen to the big fan up in the roof just spinning around, you can hear that one or or you know, you do some games or or start talking with some teammates about something weird stuff and you really have to think about it so you don’t think about the game too much and you get something off your mind a little bit. There you go. How are you kind of imparting some of that wisdom onto Yesper? You know, now that you guys are both pushing each other and you are the goalie tandem, what is that relationship like? It it has to help you guys can chat in Swedish, right? A little bit. There’s got to it’s a little bit easier than trying to talk French Canadian with Mark Andre. Yeah. Yeah. I know it’s easier to have those small short jokes kind of more personal yolks and and personality around around the rink. Um, and also like for him, you know, he wants to be be the number one guy and and it’s it’s makes it more pressure on me, you know, he’s pushing me a lot more now and and makes it more more competitive out there. Absolutely. You know, I I always find a way to bring things back to a very unserious note. So, I have a quick question for you, too. And you know what? This this would even help you out. You’re helping us giving us an entertaining interview, but if you you know, I work in game press. So, if there’s a song you want to hear during a game, I can relay that. What’s a good song that you always hear in warm-ups or during a game that you’re like, “Oh, yeah. This is great.” Oh, I can I can switch. is the one I I dislike hearing every game is that Sweet Carolina can’t standing to it every third period and everyone’s just singing it in the stands. It’s It must be the worst song ever almost. That’s Wow. I’ve never heard someone so passionate like in an opposite way about that song. That’s you know you hear it start going you know everyone’s just can’t stand it. Oh man, that’s a classic too. Yeah. Like that’s Americans are going to be so bummed. What do you not like about it? Is it like the just the slow kind of pace to it or what’s what is it that just kind of like rubs you the wrong way? It might just be that it’s playing too often and you know I don’t know. It’s something I It’s something with it that just annoys me so much. I’m not I’m not sure what it is though. Well, I will relay that message. I’m not sure if it will be received, but I will pass it along. What about Nickelback? What if Nickelback comes on? Is that something that’s like, “Oh, yeah.” Mhm. Yeah. I like Nickelback. That’s a good band. Okay. Same. See, Kirst and I are on the same track. We’re like, we don’t get the hate that they get. Like, I enjoy them. I listen on the way back from the rink almost every game. I just something about them. It’s weird. It’s my little quirk, Phil. It’s my little thing. What are some of your little quirks that you do? You talked about kind of how you reset, but what else? We all know that goalies are superstitious. We all know that. Do you have those? I feel like you’ve mentioned to me you don’t really, right? Or do you? I I try not to have them. You know, I I I I used to eat the same food every game. I always had 13 meatballs with mashed potatoes before before the games. I I switched that out last year. And um did you say 13? Like a specific number of meatballs, too, just so I can be clear on that. We always buy IKEA meatballs. You know, they’re already like pre-cooked and you just heat them up and always 13 of them. 14 is too many. I was gonna say, what if you get 14? Like, are we just leaving that one to the side or or giving it to the dog? Yeah, the dog gets it. Make his day. We love that. Um, another question that I want to know from you, Gus. Are you a big sports fan outside of hockey? Are there any other sports that you follow along with when you’re not at the rink or watching other games? I only watch motorsports. I watch Moto GP or Formula 1 a lot. Righcross. Um, a little NASCAR, Indie Car, stuff like that. Okay. Going to do a quick followup. Favorite F1 driver or tandem? Uh, well, I’m rooting for Ferrari and u I always liked and now Hamilton has been pretty fun to follow. Have you ever been in one of those vehicles or like gone around the racetrack as a passenger? No, I’ve never been in one of those cars. Would you? I got to go. Yeah. Would you? Yeah. 100%. Yeah. A little bit of adrenaline junkie kind of. Yep. Yeah. There we go. Uh, biggest question. What’s better? And you can at least relate to one. I don’t believe the other. What is better, a goalie goal or a goalie fight? Goalie goal. What are you just saying that because you you’ve achieved such No, I I I’m not a good fighter. I think I think I would get beaten if I tried to fight someone. So if Jordan Bington’s coming down the ice on the other side from the other side, what are you doing? You just skating away. No, I have No, I I would drop my gloves and and try and beat him, but we’ll see. I probably wouldn’t win it, though. That’s what I want to see. I we were robbed of seeing Flurry and Bennington fight. That’s what I want to see is just a goalie fight. Could be anybody. Throwing that out there. Throwing that out there right now. And Gus, to follow up again to another question. Schedules released. You guys are almost underway with the regular season. What’s your favorite road trip on the calendar this season for you? Uh usually I usually like going down to Florida or and Tampa Bay there, you know, just getting some sun in in the middle of the winter. I don’t know. I haven’t looked at our schedule and see when we’re going there, but usually it’s nice when you go there January or late December and it’s very cold here in Mini. It’s nice get there, get some sun for a couple of days. Yeah, I think most people, most snowboards would agree with you on that. Uh, how about shootout? Are you more of a patient goalie when it comes to the shootout or you playing aggressive or you just going based off the skater? I I would say I’m more patient. You know, it it’s U you kind of want make the shooter make the first move and and then go from there and hopefully second guesses himself and and and start thinking too much and then they just loses the puck or make a make a bad move or and you’re just right there. Yeah. Follow Yeah. the same idea. My turn. I was just going to say follow up on that on the shootout. Who’s the teammate that you least like going against in practice on a shootout? Or who would you never want to see in a shootout? That’s your teammate. Um, well, Suki, you know what he’s doing, but he still scores. That’s the problem. He always has unstoppable. Yeah. Always the disconnected stick and he, you know, he’s either shooting high glove or he’s or he’s deing on it and you know, the two moves, but he’s still letting in. Okay. Brilliant. All right. Well, going to continue. Just a few more rapid fire questions for you. Uh, what is the best tip another goalie gave you? Best tip? Um, it’s a good question. I think I think not just one tip, it’s usually just bunch of them are around. Like as I said, like Flurry really helped me just get back to to having fun there out there playing hockey and and um from me being a very like positioning and and more more patient goalie, seeing him like doing some more desperate saves or cooler saves can also get me out out of my comfort zone and and practice on on that stuff a little bit. What What’s your favorite save style? Are you glove pad blocker? What’s like your favorite style of saves? I like the one the one pad glove save kind of nice. Very nice. Well, yeah, I would agree too. What do What do we say we get into some more of the fan questions that we had submitted? Okay, perfect. I think we had some good ones. What if we What if he was like, “No, I don’t want to answer any questions.” I don’t know. There was a little hesitancy. He seemed a little nervous for a sec. No, I think they’re very good. I think they’re good questions and people are very excited. So, that’s got to make you feel a little good, too. Um, so I’ll lead us off with this first question coming in from Derek M. NHL Network has you ranked as number 10 leaguewide currently. I believe after this season you’ll be in the top five. Thoughts? Let’s go, Gus. No, it’s it’s I think it’s possible. Well, you know, if you have a good year and and and can keep going on the same track, you know, it’s it’s a lot of good goalies, especially the the Russian the Russian goalies right now is is very good and um it’s tough. It’s tough to get up there because so many of them are playing so many games are so consistent the whole the whole time. So, it’s a big challenge. Yeah. That being said, I mean, obviously you you’re eligible for a contract extension. And I I’d be remiss to not ask, is Minnesota a place that you would love to stay and and be part of since you’ve started started to stake your claim? And as uh Derek M just said, you’re a fan favorite right now. Yeah. No, it’s it’s ever since I ever since I got here, you know, they’ve been treating me well very well. The staff, the teammates, and um my family’s liked it like to live here in Minnesota, too. So yeah, if if if they came up with a contract and and we’re both happy with it, it’s I would like to stay here. I mean, Billy’s been two for two on contract extension so far. So, I’m just saying, right, like we’re we’ve got some some names locked in. Well, I I think we have time for one more fan question. This one’s a fun one, and I think it’s one everyone wants to know. Um it’s from Tyler S. Do you or any of the Swedes shop at IKEA? Yeah, as I said, we always go there and buy the meatballs there because it’s so easy easy to do. And and usually they have some um other like caviar they used to have there or some special cookies or some Swedish pancakes that’s easy to buy and make. And um we usually buy some a lot of food there. One-stop shop. Get your Swedish meatballs and your IKEA furniture. Yep. I was going to say, I’ll be fully honest. I didn’t know IKEA had food. I just thought they had furniture. Like that’s a mindb blow to me. I had no idea. It’s Is it just like on the side like a Costco? Yeah. Uh yeah, kind of. or they have where you can go and buy it. So, it’s heated up like after the checkout, but they also have a a small little room before the checkout where you can buy different type of meatballs, a few frozen stuff, and um cookies, candy, stuff like that. And brilliant. I love it. Final question, Gus. What is one Swedish word that Kirsten and I need to know heading into the season? That’s cursing. that a curse that Kirsten and I need to know. What’s one Swedish word that the two of us No, I don’t need a cur. I mean, if it’s a curse, we’re fine, but it’s not the requirement. Uh, a Swedish word you guys need to know. Um, let’s So, let’s say Minnesota. It’s like let’s go. There we go. put me on. We’re going to have to work that into a game. I’ll teach it to Juice. Y Yep. Exactly. All right, Philip Gustoson, thank you so much for joining us. You guys can catch him on the ice for your Minnesota Wild. Gus, we really appreciate you taking the time here. Yeah, thank you. Thank you for letting me be here. That was fun. It was more It would have been more fun had I known how my audio and internet was, actually. Yeah, I’m just saying it drove me nuts. I mean, it wasn’t great, but we made do and it’s better now. So you live and you learn and you fix your internet in the process. We fix and it’s it wasn’t even an internet thing. It was just like I refuse to clear my cash ever because I hate ret, right? Like it’s easy just to be like, “Oh yeah, they already knows the websites I need to be on or the passwords and so I had to finally bite the bullet and do that.” Um it also made Gus gave me some crap for it as well today. He’s like, “Yeah, it was it’s a lot easier to talk to you now than it was on Thursday.” And I’m like, “Yeah, thank you. Thank you very I think he and I both were trying to pick up on cues and timing and fully understand what was being said. So, I think he and I both can relate to struggling on that end. Shout out to you guys. You navigate it. Cuz again, I had no idea it was even that poor in the situation. Like I was like, “Oh yeah, we’re having a good time. We’re having fun. We’re like, you know, jabbing back and forth. We’re talking IKEA. We’re uh we’re doing the damn thing.” And I mean, me and had a good time on our clear internet. Yeah, that’s good. That’s good. At least somebody did. So, again, thanks to Philip Gusson and the Minnesota Wild for joining us on that. Uh, want to remind you guys, SodaStick has some new Minnesota Wild collaborations happening right now. Uh, a lot of them are within ticket packs. Be sure to go to sodastick.com. Follow all their social medias for those special Minnesota Wild ticket packs. Don’t forget to slap Barard down Beauties down at checkout for all SodaStick products. You’ll get a little discount. We love to see it. Um Kirsten, with it being the start of the official regular season here, we got our first glimpse at the Minnesota Wild Lions. They have made cuts, you’re looking at your opening night roster and um my line heathens did what they tend to do every year and overreacted. They went absolutely ballistic. So, in case you guys didn’t see what the lines were at practice on Monday, which again will be the lines likely heading into Monday, you have on your top line Carell Capri off, Marco Rossi, Matt Bulby. No surprises. That seems to make sense, right? We like it. We’re digging it. We’re behind it. Your second line, Marcus Felino, Jeeel Ericson, Vladimir Terasenko. How are you feeling about this second line, Kirsten? I don’t mind it. Like, I don’t hate it. Um, my only thing and I don’t know if I should say it now or wait for it to be read later. Do you want me to give a hint at what my thoughts are? No, whatever’s whatever you’re comfortable with. We can run through the full lines or you can give the thoughts now. It’s it’s completely up to you. Run through the full lines because then I’m going to reveal too much. Deal. All right. Your third line, Yakov, Trenan, Ryan Hartman, Marcus Johansson. Your comment is coming in. Yep. Yep. Your fourth line, Denili Yurov, Nico Sturm, Liam Ogran, andor Vinnie Hinestrosa. Those are your forwards for the Minnesota Wild again. Capria, Frosty, Baldi, Felino, Ek, Terasenko, Trenan, Hartman, Johansson, Yurov, Sterm, and Ogre and Hinistrosza situation. Okay, please unveil. My immediate note first is I genuinely forgot, no disrespect to him, I genuinely forgot Hinestrosa is on our team. So when I saw that name thrown into the lineup, I was like, “Wait, we he’s still on the Minnesota Wild.” Still a thing. Yeah. So I had to just take a moment to recognize that. My next part, Marcus Johansson is on a line above Leam Mogin, which is what everyone said they did not want to see. Now granted, this better just be a practice roster, and no, just flip flip-flop that. Get rid of that, Joe. No, I I’m trying to be nice. I can’t say anything more. But also, the young guys, we’ve been granted, yes, like we said in previous episodes, Yurov needs a little bit more time to get acclimated, but there’s no reason Liam Ogen should be thrown on the fourth line. So, here’s first things first. Um, Marcus Felino on the second line surprised me. However, we have seen him do really great things with Jeel Eric’s neck. And for whatever reason, and I know we’ve discussed this before, Kirsten, I feel like this is Moose’s year. Like, I just feel like he’s going to have a really good year. We saw some bursts of speed during the preseason. Um, there’s just something vibing. Second line a little high. Um, and I think the overall distaste that people are having for it is because, as you mentioned, your young guys are down on the fourth line, which is the opposite of what we’ve been begging for. and you have the man that is being paid league minimum on your third line above the young guys. And I don’t know that he’s necessarily earned that. Now, here in lies the problem because we brought this up to John Hines today at practice and had asked him, you know, what’s the comfort level for these kids? I mean, you’ve got a bunch of young kids for the first time in your roster. Again, the Minnesota Wild, if you guys remember, the past few seasons have been the oldest team in the National Hockey League. That is no longer the case. you’ve got these young kids that are under 24 years old now and are expected to do big things. Um it didn’t seem like John Hines was very impressed with the way that they performed. And Liam Ogran, to his credit, too, also acknowledged that in the locker room scrum following practice today. He said, “I have to be better.” Like, I can’t I have to be better. Because again, he was given this opportunity, but I wasn’t overly impressed in preseason with him. I wasn’t overly impressed with Yurov. I do find it interesting that Yurov is on the wing. Like I kind of suggested maybe he would be a better fit for he doesn’t have he just doesn’t have it yet for being a centerman, but I do I’m I don’t want to say I’m concerned that the young guys are down there, but I also wonder like I don’t know that they necessarily earned a shot to be higher in the lineup either. You know what I mean? So maybe it is okay for right now. I’m concerned because also it’s practice. Why are you not practicing with these guys being on a higher line to form more chemistry? Sure. You know, I think uh Hines had said we want to make sure they’re ready, which is always the stressed mount, right? Like we need to make sure they’re ready. We need to put them, but we also have to win games. And I kind of reading between the lines, it feels like they don’t believe they can win games with where these guys are at in their development yet. I don’t understand. I’m not going to pretend like I do cuz I don’t. I know. I I I’m curious. I’m curious how it just kind of makes me concerned and almost sounding the alarm on how we’re able to develop our young players because it seems like this is becoming a more of an issue than it should be with developing our young guys. Like we’ve got guys that are ready to come in play NHL minutes that just are immediately on the roster such as your Brock Faber, such as Eve Buy. Um, but the guys that spend significant time down in Iowa, it doesn’t seem like we can bring them up and have them perform on our roster without sending them back down or playing bottom minutes. And it’s like, what is the problem? Is it Iowa? Is it what needs to change? Because it seems it shouldn’t be happening, especially when we allegedly have one of the best prospect pools in the entire NHL. 100%. And we were just, you know, singing the high praises of Hunter Hate last week, right? like less than 7 days ago, we were saying how it looks like he could make that push for the roster spot. Again, Marcus Johansson doesn’t do a heck of a whole lot for me. I don’t I don’t know that he’s earned necessarily that position based on his play or based on the merit of his play. Like I kind of feel it does in that sense feel a little bit of well he’s a vet and we know what to get. And yes, that is there is something to be said about that when you start the year because everything’s ramped up, right? It’s it’s a whole new ball game for these kids. This isn’t juniors. this isn’t college. This isn’t anything else like they’ve experienced. But again, there seems to be a lack of trust or a lack of faith in them being able to navigate and balance that. Like you want to go out and win games. You you’re not in a rebuild mode. So you’re not your team’s not stock full of all of these young players that you’re forced to play. It just it’s very interesting. I I like you kind of alluded to. I’m okay if you’re gonna start this way. If you want to like leave it this way for a game or two, but you need to eventually figure out how to work them into better pairings then because I don’t love a year of Sterm Og and not just cuz they’re on the fourth line. I just don’t like that line period. I don’t think that’s going to mesh. You’re not setting anyone up to succeed. Like granted, yeah, sure we can make the argument like they haven’t earned their spot, but when you’re having them up on the NHL roster and you throw them in an area where it’s a little bit more difficult to be performing for what your skill set is. Yeah. I just I and I think in this situation, you’re recognizing again how much you’re going to miss Matt Zucarella. like you really could use that. And I would be curious to see then what that would mean upon his return in a month or two is what does this new lineup look like? Where is Johansson falling in? Where is Ogrren falling in? Does it make sense to have these guys up here sitting in the press box versus being down in Iowa? Because yes, there’s benefits to being up in in St. Paul and learning that professional lifestyle. I just don’t know. On the back end though, you’ve got your Middleton Faber. You’ve got your Bullum and Spurgeon. You’ve got your begoian and Uraichek. And then Damon Hunt, the prodical son returns. Another left shot D. Um and Jonas Brodian who was in a yellow non-cont jersey. Although was taking minimal contact. Um also out there still TBD whether he will start on Thursday or not. They’re going to keep taking it day by day. Be cautionary, but he is bumping, shoving, pushing. Um he’s obviously not taking those four checks um hard or anything like that. So Damon Hunt, let’s start there. Kirsten, I’m excited that he’s back. Remember Damon Hunt sent away in the David Uraichek trade. In fact, um, picked up off of waiverss from Columbus. He was one of the last players cut. Columbus really liked what he had, but I think Damon Hunt is a perfect depth addition for this team because he has that left-handed shot and because he’s got a good amount of skill. I’m curious to see if he slots in there over, you know, a begoian or a year. I mean, I I really am curious as to how they utilize or if it is a purely depth signing. My gut is saying right now purely a depth signing, but yes, like even when we were a few weeks ago going down the list of what left-handed defenseman that we do have, we realized we need more. So, that alone, let’s let’s let’s add more depth. That’s all I have to say about that. Welcome back, Damon. Uh, again, we’re talking young players with Zu William and David Urachek on the back. We talked a little bit about our concerns about Euroch last week, but it seems like there’s I don’t again I don’t want to say concern because that raises an alarm, but there hasn’t been a whole lot of super high confidence coming for Zouham either. I think Zeve is another guy that’s still starting to show his his age and as far as his young stature and you know, he’s he’s getting more comfortable on the power play, but again, this is the National Hockey League, right? like that game in Chicago for them I think was a big wakeup call to where these young guys are and maybe how far off they are even guys like Zeve. It could be. I don’t know. I just it’s hard for me to say because even in the postseason right when he came from Denver straight to the Wild thrown in the Stanley Cup playoffs, he did fine. So, it’s hard for me to believe like he won’t be able to I’m blanking on the word that I’m looking for right now, but to just assimilate or adjust. And I don’t want to say compl. It’s not complacent either, but yes, like kind of adjust like I have his performance will suffice is I guess what I’m trying to say. I don’t know. You guys, please forgive me. I’ve been I’ve been back in the state of Minnesota for like an hour. I feel like a suitcase at this point. Like literally, I’m not even in my own home setup. I’m in my mom’s basement. I just got back from Kansas. I was in Kansas this morning, then Missouri, then Iowa, now I’m in Minnesota. So, Z will be fine. Z will be fine. Kirsten’s going to be fine. Um, you know, let’s wrap up this episode with our new segment of buy or sell, per usual. Kirsten, do you buy or sell that Marcus Felino plays out the rest of his career in Minnesota? I’m buying it. I think he loves it here. He’s already What is he 35? I don’t know. He’s got to be close. Let’s Marcus Felino is I mean, he’s not in the early stages of his career anymore. He doesn’t have that much longer on his contract in Minnesota. I mean, still what, two years? No, I think he’s done after this year. I believe he becomes a free agent. Correct. Because I didn’t him, Hartman, and Zuki all sign the same extension as far as terms, I think. So, you’re asking a lot of me right now. I’m president. No. So, no. I I mistake. He signed a 4-year contract uh in 2023. So, he does have another se two this season and next season. So, yeah, you were right. Yep, you were right. Oh, me. Um, no, I think he loves Minnesota. He’s got his family here. I think he stays finishes out his career. I’m buying it. Okay. Buy or sell. This is Bill Garren’s most important year as a general manager. Um, I’m selling on that one. And I’m selling because I think the one thing this season he needed to do, he has already done. And that was getting Carell Caprioff’s extension. And I think that was what this season wrote on. Um, we’d be remissed, I guess, not to talk about it. And I know you were driving, so I’m not sure you saw the news. Conor McDavid, two years, 15 million, 12 and a half per. I thought it was 15. I thought I read it was 15. That was the They projected it to be no more than 15, but 12 and a half per year for two years. Conor McDavid all in for the next three years for Edmonton Oilers, which basically says Edmonton, we’re done after this. We need to win a Stanley Cup or nothing. But how do you feel? Everybody kept talking about, oh, he’s going to reset the market after Carill. Do you feel a little pissy that he, you know, that Carill now took so much and McDavid didn’t or like what are you, what’s your take on it? My thoughts here are do I think we overpaid Carrill? I do. Not by like a ton, but I think that was we we paid we overpaid. I think granted he he deserved to get paid, but I kept saying and it would be remiss for me to go back on it. I had vague I had very openly said he shouldn’t make more than Conor McDavid and he’s making more than Conor McDavid. Granted, we also need to mention Conor McDavid did take a team friendly deal. He did take a team friendly deal because Edmonton has been so close to winning a Stanley Cup two years in a row. Now, I think if Conor McDavid did that, he knows that that organization and him are so close to getting it done that they needed some cap space to work with in order to make it happen by just adding in a few pieces. So team friendly deal was a big part of it, but I it does make us look like we overpaid. It’s not great. It’s And let me reiterate for all of the people that are going to yell at me in the comments, Krill deserved to get paid. He deserved more money. I just think with McDavid signing for what he did, it makes us look like we spent a lot. You did. I mean, it’s the knock on Carill’s contract in the initial stage anyway was like, how are they going to sign other players around you, right? Like now you’re back in purgatory again. It’s similar to this prey suitor situation. I don’t I don’t know. I don’t know. I mean, but also I don’t think any of us expected McDavid to not take as to take the amount that he did. I think everyone expected him to take more. And they’ve been there. I mean, he knows maybe maybe you’re right, they’re one piece off. They’re a goalie away. They’re a bunch of defenseman away. Like there’s a lot of help that Conor McDavid needs and he’s been doing it all on his own with Leandra Cidle for the past few seasons to get them where they did. But I don’t know, it’s 12 and a half is real friendly. Like that’s really nice of him to do. Although two years is just so teeny tiny. Three total, but still. Um that being said, then this is my next buyer sell, my final buy or sell for this week. Krill Capri off is more important to the Wild than Justin Jefferson is to the Vikings or Anthony Edwards is to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is setting me up to make people mad. Oh, I don’t know cuz I would say easily. Like I think you think Carrill is more important than those two players. Anthony to the Wild Western Conference Finals. That’s true. You’re right. And Justin Jefferson, I mean, he’s top in the league. He’s hard to compare, but I mean, Justin Jefferson is the best player on the Minnesota Vikings. And then I mean, Anthony Edwards, you’ve taken the Timberwolves deep two years in a row in the Western Conference Finals. Like, I I I’m sorry I’m going to make people mad. I think Anthony Edwards is more important to the Wolves than Carrill is to the Wild. Unless Carrill can take the Wild to a deep run in the playoffs, like Western Conference Finals, or a Stanley Cup run. I think I only say that or feel it because I feel like Ant, not a great supporting cast, but does have a little bit of a supporting cast and I just feel like Carrill has nobody really. Like Matt Baldy, we could argue, we’ve talked about that. We see Matt Baldy being that secondary. So, I just think like without Carrill, the Minnesota Wild aren’t going really anywhere. And I’m not saying that without and I agree with that as well. I agree. I think Carrill is the best player on the Minnesota Wild, but when you’re looking at what he’s been able to do as opposed to other players like Anthony Edwards like has a good team, but he’s still not working with what Timberwolves aren’t just NBA super team like we see with other ones making a deep push. But also again too, look at Conor McDavid. I mean, you’re talking about A and B. Carell Capri off Matt Baldi, Conor McDavid, Leon Dryidle. The difference being two back-to-back Stanley Cup appearances. Yeah. No, you’re right. I That’s actually a really good point. I think you’re we can sell on the idea. You’re right. You’ve convinced me to going to yell at me and be nice to me in the comments, but jokes on you because I don’t even read them. Sometimes I do. I know you do. And then you tell me about it and I’m like I don’t need my aura being I don’t need to live in negativity. Hey engage us. We love talking about it. Just be clever in like your you know your insults that are hurled. I do appreciate a cleverness one. Like that was pretty good. That’s pretty funny. Um but that’s going to do it for this week’s episode. Again, thank you to Philip Gustoson. Shout out to our friends at Score North. Don’t forget to check out Jud’s hockey show. You got flagrant howls going on. You got purple daily. All the other content over at Score. Um, yeah. And SodaStick, our friends at Sodick, as always, we will catch you. We’re going to switch up the drops. Stay tuned to our social media channels. We might be releasing same day because why not? We can do it. We can absolutely do it. So, until then, have a great rest of your week. We’ll talk soon. Bye. [Music] [Music]

The Minnesota Wild locked in Filip Gustavsson to a five-year contract extension — two days after we asked him on the pod to chat. So learn more about the Wild’s longterm starting tendy.

+Marcus Johansson taking up a valuable Minnesota Wild roster spot ahead of young guns?