WILD WEDNESDAY - Who’s Coming / Who’s Going?
Fleury Wants to Stay
Marc-André Fleury announced earlier this week that he is not interested in being traded to a different team this season, especially with the Wild still in the hunt for a playoff spot. With the trade deadline approaching quickly on Mar. 8, playoff contenders like Edmonton and Colorado who need help with goaltending will likely show interest in Fleury. General Manager Bill Guerin made it clear that Fleury will be able to “call the shots” heading into the deadline – something the veteran and future Hall of Famer deserves, especially with his contract having a no-move clause.
“If we were last in the conference, maybe it’d be a little bit different,” Fleury told The Athletic on Saturday night. “But this is my team. We’ve been battling together, right? I take pride in winning with this team. I want us to make the playoffs. That’s my first priority. I think being in the hunt, it’s fun, it’s challenging. And I want to be here and see this team make the playoffs.”
Fleury has been solid this season for the Wild with a save percentage of .889 and a 2.92 GAA. He has 12 wins in 28 games played. With all the playoff experience Fleury has, it is the best option to have him stay and help this team secure that last playoff spot.
Will Dewy 1 Survive the Deadline?
The Wild may be considering trading Brandon Duhaime heading into the deadline as they do not seem to have any interest in re-signing him next season, according to Michael Russo. Duhaime could also have decent trade value and be an interest to Stanely Cup contending teams as he is young, physical and a solid bottom-six player.
The Wild have multiple forward prospects almost ready to go, meaning they do not see a place for Duhaime on the team after this season. Mason Shaw is ready to play and 2020 second round draft pick, Marat Khusnutdinov, was just signed to his entry-level contract after his Russian deal was terminated earlier today. Danila Yurov who has not yet re-signed with the KHL, and 20-year-old Liam Ohgren could also potentially make the team next season. 18-year-old Riley Heidt who continues to dominate in the WHL with 101 points in 56 games could also very well see some playing time with the Wild next season.
So, if the Wild are offered someone who could either help the team now or in the future, we may be seeing the last of Duhaime on the Wild.
Freddy’s Nine Lives Nearing an End?
It seems the recent line change before last night’s game against Carolina may be the last attempt to spark Freddy Gaudreau – and it should be. He was moved to the second line to center for the first time in 18 games, moving Hartman down to the fourth line. Gaudreau played alongside Johansson and Zuccarello, and let’s just say, it did not work.
There was nothing impressive about the line and Gaudreau continued to be nonexistent, until he made the mistake of icing the puck two feet in front of the red line with 2:06 left down by a goal. That mistake alone deserves to get him benched.
In the last ten games, Gaudreau has nine shots on goal, one assist and a -3 rating. What boggles my mind is that before the game against Carolina, coach Hynes said that he thinks Gaudreau has played well the last few games. If that is considered playing “well,” I am concerned.
The whole idea of placing Johansson and Gaudreau with Zuccarello did not make a lot of sense either. Zuccarello is a playmaker, and they place him on a line with two guys that cannot score and rarely shoot the puck. I understand it as an effort to trigger these guys, but that did not happen, and I think Gaudreau is playing on borrowed time.
No Puck Luck
The Wild’s latest loss against Carolina is a tough one to swallow. The Wild led the game 2-1 late in the second period until Chisholm made the mistake of not shooting the puck into the corner to end the period. Instead, he shot the puck across the ice, it hit Boldy, resulting in an odd man rush for Carolina and the tying goal. Andrei Svechnikov’s shot was going well wide, but it caught the inside of Gustavsson’s pad and found the back of the net.
The game winning goal came after Rossi was called for a phantom tripping and seconds after a blatant missed crosscheck against Middleton in the back of the net. Jack Drury’s shot was also heading well wide, but was deflected off the nose of Stefan Noesen, making the final 3-2. I know his last name is pronounced NAY-sen, but c’mon, off his nose and in for Noesen. Go figure.
This loss is a backbreaker for the Wild as the Predators have won six games in a row, placing the Wild six points behind them for the last playoff spot. The Wild face the Predators next in Nashville tomorrow night, so expect it to be an intense game as a lot is on the line. The Wild have a fairly easy schedule the rest of the season giving them a chance to still make the playoffs. They face the Blues, Ducks, Coyotes, Blackhawks and Sharks in 11 of their remaining 23 games.
With the Wild’s top players on fire and the favorable scheduling, it is going to come down to the wire for this year’s playoff battle.
Injury Update
Pat Maroon- After being injured in the game against Anaheim on Jan. 27, Maroon underwent back surgery on Feb. 6 and was expected to miss four to six weeks. According to the team, he is progressing quickly but is still one to two weeks out from returning to the lineup.
Marcus Foligno- There is no update on Foligno’s status. He was injured in the game against Chicago on Feb. 7. Hynes announced yesterday that he should have more of an update on Foligno after this weekend, but his timeline is still unclear.
Zach Bogosian- He was injured in the game against Winnipeg on Feb. 20. He practiced with the team for the first time yesterday. He is considered day-to-day, and he will travel with the team for the next two games against Nashville and St. Louis.
Quick Cameo to Matt Rempe
After only being in the league for a little over a week and playing in five games for the New York Rangers, 21-year-old Matt Rempe has already been in three fights against Matt Martin, Nicolas Deslauriers and Mathieu Olivier. At 6-foot-8 ½ on skates and 241 pounds, Rempe has put on some of the best old-school hockey fights where the only thing that seems to be missing is tinfoil on the knuckles. Hockey fans are loving every minute of it, but I think Rempe will have to take a little break from fighting after seeing his face at practice yesterday... and I thought Deslaurier’s face looked bad after the fight.
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