Minnesota Wild

Good day, Wilderness! What a beautiful day it is back home here in Wisconsin. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you can smell freshly cut grass. Anywho, with that out the way, it's time to see how us staff writers here at the Wilderness graded our goalies over this shortened season. Dan Czarnecki (WIMinnesotaWildFan) Niklas Backstrom: B+ Pretty great season for Backs, but things went wrong for him at the worst possible times. During the regular season he had some great nights with some spectacular saves, but then he would have some off nights with less-than-spectacular performance. Even though he didn't get to play any of our playoff games, I'm sure he will have just as great of a season (if not better) next year. Josh Harding: B Harding started off this season with mediocre performance, but then he just exploded during the playoffs. Keeping in mind that he had MS, many were surprised by his decent play during the playoffs. Seeing him being a finalist for the Masterton, I hope he can come away winning it. Hopefully he can also rebound next season and be able to play more. Darcy Kuemper: C He was good, but not great. When the Wild first called him up during the regular season, he has a decent debut. But, come time for the playoffs when Harding also injured himself, he just flopped. Better luck next year, Kuemper. Aaron Holm (The Nooge) Niklas Backstrom: B+ The work horse in the cage this year, Backstrom saw action in 42 of 48 games going 24-15-3 with a .909 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average. A lot of complaints out of the fans saying Backstrom was over-worked this season. I'm not going to agree with this sentiment, as with the lack in offensive production this team seemed to go through it was Backs who kept this team in the games. Would it have been nice to have a healthy Harding to give Backstrom a respite from time to time? Indeed, but that should never be an excuse either. You're paid to play the game, and if you can't then what good are you? Darcy Kuemper: B- This kid looks like he's 12, literally. A 12 year old kid going against the NHL's elite is simply amazing. I find it tough to fault the kid who started out the year 4th on many of our goalie depth charts. With Kuemper having a great year in Houston, and Hackett being traded in the deal that brought us Jason Pominville, Kuemper found himself thrust into the NHL when Harding was placed on IR and again in the playoffs when Backstrom was hurt. He performed about as well as any of us could have expected in those situations, and given more time to develop he should start challenging for a spot on the NHL roster real soon. Josh Harding: B- How can you not love this guy? A southpaw goalie in the NHL, diagnosed with MS before the season was only able to suit up for 5 regular season games. His numbers in the regular season were less than stellar with a .863 save percentage and 3.24 goals against average. After missing most of the season being thrust into a playoff round when Backstrom went down during game 1 warm ups, he was nothing short of remarkable considering the situation. Despite an injury of his own in the playoffs he managed to stop 123 of 135 shots on net in the 5 game series. Eric Burton Niklas Backstrom: B Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom was a rock and played 87 percent of the Wild’s games this season. I also believe that he that he played pretty well, if you take into account who the Wild have defensively in front of him. After the top two pairing defensively (Suter/Brodin), the Wild are pretty thin on defense and give up a lot of shots. Backstrom tied for first in wins in the NHL with 24. According to Fox Sports North, Backstrom played the seventh-most minutes of any goaltender in the league. It will be interesting to see if the Minnesota Wild resign Backstron, who is a UFA and made six million last season. I believe the Minnesota Wild will make an effort to resign Backst

May 5, 2013; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Fans gather outside of Xcel Energy Center before game three of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports According to the team website, the season ticket prices for the 2013-14 NHL season have officially been released. Season ticket prices range from $23-$92 per seat per game. “We are committed to winning and to giving fans a great experience when they come to Xcel Energy Center,” said Chief Operating Officer Matt Majka. “This marks the first time we have raised season ticket prices in three years and our average season ticket price will remain in the middle of the NHL.” Current season ticket holders will be eligible for special prizes and incentives through the Wild Rewards Program if they renew their tickets by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 21st. Such rewards include food, beverage and merchandise gift cards ranging from $50-$300 per account. Prizes are based on different payment plans available. For more information, click here.

5-3-2 That's the record the Minnesota Wild have on days that an episode of Arrested Development premiered. The Wild, who essentially functions as the one son who keeps Minnesota's pro hockey family together after they lost everything, have clearly been inspired by Never-Nudes and Le Cousins Dangereux, being a well-above .500 team on nights that they could come home to (what would then be) a video cassette with that night's episode on it. This includes a blistering 3-1-1 record on nights an episode premiered AND the Wild played in their favorite banana stand. It's clear, as determined through the principles of Caged Wisdom, that were the Wild still in the playoffs, and playing Sunday, when the new season of Arrested Development premieres on a prominent website that I don't think I can directly advertise for, that victory would be all but assured. Too bad the Wild have already had their Final Countdown. Now, get back to your Maritime and Bob Loblaws.

Today is the last day of player grades Wilderness. You have the editors grades at 10, and the staff grades at 2. Next week we'll bring you grades for the brass. Enjoy! The Editors grades are a bit thin today, apparently Memorial day weekend came early for a few people :) Niklas Backstrom Bryan-Of the three goalies we will grade, Backstrom still remains the most... let's say... debated. Despite a contract that is now seen as out of whack with the rest of the league, a statistical no trade clause that would have prevented any trade, and a stated love for the state of Minnesota, the calls to "trade Backstrom" were loud right up until the end of the season. Again. The mind boggles. He has never finished below a .903 save percentage, has never played in less than half the games in a given season, and finished tied for the lead in wins this seasons. Yes, Backstrom haters, he won as many games as anyone else this season. Hate all you want, the guy can still play. This season, Backstrom showed, once again, that he is a positional goalie. Once he is out of position, it is rare that he can make the stop. That said, he had a couple of stellar saves that made highlight reels. He was improved in the shootout, and to anyone paying attention, was one of the best goalies in the league. He's going to be the lightning rod for fans too stupid or lazy to figure out the actual issues with the team. Goalies always are. He can still play. Grade: A Emilie- Anyone who thinks Backstrom earned less than an A this season needs to re-evaluate their critical thinking skills. He tied for most wins by any goalie this season, and was practically pile-driven into the ground because he didn't have a proper back-up for most of the season. Bryan threw Backstroms stats into his post, so I'm not going to repeat them. A Josh Harding Bryan- It is difficult to separate the story from the performance here. With his diagnosis, no one would have batted an eye if he had hung up the skates and faded into the background. Instead, he stood tall, took his lumps, fought back against an undefeatable enemy, and performed admirably. His regular season stats were lackluster, yes, and he isn't going to say it was the MS, no. We will never know if he was just off his game during the season, or if he physically couldn't do what he wanted to do. The playoffs, though, were a different story. Thrown into an impossible situation in game one, Harding nearly stole the show and completed the made for TV movie. It was not to be, but the point was made. Harding could still play, and would still play, and would a fine job of it. The Hawks were an opponent no one thought the Wild could beat even once, but they were closer than not in at least three of the games, mostly due to Harding's play. I'm not going to separate the story and the play. Why? Because I don't have to. Grade: B+ Emilie- What an incredible road for Harding this season. After questions about whether he would play at all, his first game was a shutout. After med complications, he was able to come back and almost steal the first game in his first ever playoff start, and eventually get a win in the series (which says a lot considering that most people expected the Wild to be swept). His game wasn't perfect, but who cares. What a story. A Darcy Kuemper Bryan-The kid is good, I'll give him that. He has the makings of a fine NHL goalie, which is good, since they traded away the competition. However, he still has a long way to go, and no one should be feeling comfortable with a Harding / Kuemper pairing next season. Kuemper has yet to master rebound control, and at times looked as though he was not quite ready for the speed of the NHL game. It happens to the best of 'em, kid. Overall, he was far from terrible, but he was also far from stellar. He'll get there, but he isn't quite there yet. Grade: C-

Wild News Wild season ticket prices go up | StarTribune.com- That's gonna happen. Minnesota Wild 2013 Season Player Grades: The Blue Liners | The Hockey Writers- Look at some other opinions! Tending the Fields First Round Bust: #NHLDraft2013: Minnesota High School Hockey Part I: The Headliners...Avery Peterson, Grand Rapids- Check out some HS hockey dudes that might get drafted. Off the Trail Rangers stave off elimination, force Game 5 with OT win over Bruins | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports Blackhawks face elimination as Red Wings take Game 4, Toews unravels | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- Wow. What's Detroit doing that the Wild couldn't? San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings - Recap - May 23, 2013 - ESPN Brad Richards is going to be a healthy scratch tonight, which seems like a poor decision | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com- Today's big playoff news, as Brad Richards looks to be an amnesty candidate. Could the Wild be interested? Brad Richards and his $60M contract healthy scratch for Rangers in elimination game vs. Bruins | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports Avalanche officially name Patrick Roy head coach, as well as VP of hockey operations | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- Roy (pronounced "Roy", as he's in America) is taking over. A crazy amount of power to give one guy in today's game. Alain Vigneault fired for GM Mike Gillis' mistakes - The Hockey News- Adam Proteau feels Vigneault was a fall-guy for his GM. This would be the first time ever that a coach would be fired in such a manner. Stanley Cup Beard Watch: The Ginger Beard Edition | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- And, finally, to what you really care about in these playoffs.

Jan 7, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andy Sutton (25) tries to clear Dallas Stars left wing Brenden Morrow (10) from in front of goalie Nikolai Khabibulin (35) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Former Minnesota Wild blue liner Andy Sutton has retired after a 15-year career that saw him play with seven different teams. Sutton played in 676 NHL games, including 88 with Minnesota, scoring 38 goals and 112 assists for 150 points, a negative-20 rating, 1,185 penalty minutes, 13 power play goals and four shorthanded goals. In those 15 seasons, the hulking 6’6” 245-pound defenseman proved himself to be one of the NHL’s most imposing defenders. His style of play wasn’t forgiving to his body, and Sutton underwent 12 surgeries for a variety of injuries and never once played a full 82-game season. The big blue liner missed all of the 2012-13 season with a knee injury. Sutton was selected from the San Jose Sharks by the Minnesota Wild in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft and scored five goals (three on the man advantage) and eight assists for 13 points, a negative-15 rating and 166 penalty minutes in a Wild sweater. In his career, Sutton would play for the Thrashers, Islanders, Senators, Ducks and most recently the Oilers in addition to the Sharks and Wild.

Good day, Wilderness! I am now done with my freshman year of college at the University of St. Thomas, and as of yesterday, I am now back at home in Wisconsin for the summer. Man, does it feel so good. As much as I'm missing Minnesota already, it feels great to be back home in America's Dairyland. With that out of the way, let's how how the staff writers here at the Wilderness graded our other set of defensemen. Dan Czarnecki (WIMinnesotaWildFan) Jonas Brodin: A+ This kid was just outstanding for his first year in the NHL. He really knew how to block shots, and he even managed to score 2 goals, which you wouldn't think a rookie defenseman on his NHL debut would do. Someone get this kid to sign a contract with the Wild! He's amazing! Tom Gilbert: C- He had a good start, but then just had a giant downward spiral for the last part of the season. Can he learn from this and stay hot all next season? We'll just have to wait and see. Nate Prosser: F Just terrible. 'Nuff said. Jared Spurgeon: B+ Spurgeon's season was pretty decent this year. He played a good physical game, despite his 5'9" stature, and has made impressive bounds on the PP. Despite the fact that he's a RFA, I still see him being in a good spot on next year's Wild roster. Aaron Holm (The Nooge) Jonas Brodin: B+ "My name is Jonas, I'm carrying the wheel" Jonas Brodin had a very impressive rookie season on the Wild's blue line. Snubbed by the writers for a Calder nomination, but who needs that anyway when Weezer released a song about you when you were just 10 months old. The kid is a stud, and if this is how he looks now, imagine what he can grow into in the coming seasons. Jared Spurgeon: B- Jared had his moments this season where you could really see a bright future ahead of him. He did seem to struggle early but turned his game around and with a little help on his line he should solidify his spot on the Wild's Defense. His 15 points (5g/10a) was 2nd for Wild blue liners, and 4 of his 5 goals in the regular season came on the power play. Tom Gilbert: F We pay 4 million a year for this? Get him out of here … Nate Prosser: C The most interchangeable part in the Wild's blue line. Prosser saw limited time this season because, he doesn't bring a whole lot to the table really. Don't get me wrong, he puts in his work. Although he put up no points in the regular season, he was also a +4 behind that. So by the numbers, he doesn't give you a lot and you don't have to worry about him too much either. Eric Burton Jonas Brodin: A Rookie defenseman Jonas Brodin was a nice surprise, a breath of fresh air this past season for the Minnesota Wild. Brodin also turned out to be a pretty good defenseman as well. Brodin should have been a Calder finalist, but was snubbed. The sky is the limit for Brodin and he should again see top four minutes for the Minnesota Wild next season. Jared Spurgeon: B+ Jared Spurgeon might not be a big guy, but he plays a big role on the back end for the Minnesota Wild. Spurgeon is an offensive defenseman that helps the Wild get the puck out of the d-zone. In my opinion, Spurgeon doesn’t make a lot of the glaring mistakes in the defensive zone. I also wouldn’t call Spurgeon a turnover factory like his fellow defensemen Tom Gilbert and Justin Falk. Spurgeon is a keeper and I believe that he will only get better with experience. Tom Gilbert: D The former Wisconsin Badger Tom Gilbert is an utter disappointment in my opinion, that Wild are being cheated, he’s not worth the money he’s being paid. Gilbert is being paid a hefty four million a year to be a turnover factory and an unimpressive top-six defenseman. If I was a general manager for a day, he would be the first Wild player out of Minnesota; Justin Falk would be number two. The Wild should consider his four million dollar contract for an Amnesty buyout this summer as well. If they Wild could trade him fo

It is hard to ignore a young player who is succeeding in a men's league. Sound familiar? Well, Mikael Granlund did something similar. But his struggles at the NHL is due to the lack of size, something Barkov has plenty of. He is 9th in scoring in the top league in Finland and he is only 17 years old. A very impressive feat. He has size, strength and skill that he uses smartly and effectively. He can take over the middle of the ice and is a hard opponent to play against. He isn't flashy but he gets the job done. Sounds very similar to our Mikko Koivu in the sense that he isn't dynamic but still is a player you build around. Some might question Barkov at #3 with exciting prospects like Jonathan Drouin still available but Barkov has proven his worth in the top men's league in Finland and against the best of junior hockey in the World Juniors and impresses every single time. Some might question his offensive upside but he is probably the safest best for a first line centerman in this years draft. The question is, just how good of a first line centerman will he be? Introducing our 2013 NHL #3 Draft Prospect - Aleksander Barkov ALEKSANDER BARKOV Center / Tappara (Finland) Height: 6-2 Weight: 205 GP G A P +/- PIM 2012/13 - Tappara 51 21 27 48 18 8 Projection: #1 two-way centerman. #1 PP and PK. 65-75 point player Strengths: Safe combination of size, strength, skill and smarts A proven player; standout against men and prospects Strong down the middle, strong around the net Versatile Weaknesses: Lack of dynamic traits; in his skating, grittiness and playing style Quotes: Future Considerations Barkov is bit of a big lumbering skater who does have decent straight line speed but lacks much in the way of lateral quickness and jump in his first few steps. He does not initiate contact in a menacing way but uses his size effectively and with the purpose of disrupting opponents defensively or protecting the puck. Despite his size, Barkov is somewhat shy using the power he has; he is not a power forward, running over defenders by any means. He is a strong two-way centre with excellent smarts and developing offensive skill. Prospect Jersey (What Would They Look Like In a Wild Jersey?): Perfect compliment to Mikael Granlund, we're just not going to get him Video Evidence: Aleksander Barkov Jr. #16 Tappara - Remember The Name l NHL Draft Prospect 2013 HD (via Theboys291) Special thanks to HFBoards, Future Considerations, The Hockey Writers, TSN, OHLProspeccts and The Scouting Report

Good morning, Wild fans! Still pretty quiet here in the Wilderness, but there's quite a bit to talk about in the few things that happened (or were discussed) yesterday. On the website, please check out Dan Chan's Mock Draft Game, where you can still sign up for teams, and participate in a Mock Draft done by the HW community. Should be fun (and the Wild have been taken), and get you fairly knowledgeable about prospects. Wild News No article yet, but Mike Russo reported on Twitter that Josh Harding will be launching a charity for MS very shortly. Follow @HardingsHope on Twitter for details. Off the Trail Penguins rebound with 7-3 win, take 3-1 series lead over Senators | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- Well, nice knowing you Senators. What a hockey dressing room is like post-playoff elimination | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com- Justin Bourne breaks down the aftermath of a playoff elimination. Alain Vigneault fired by Canucks; who takes over the coaching gig in Vancouver? | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- No tired Fire Yeo joke from me here, I promise. I was a lot more interested in who might replace him in Vancouver before I remembered that realignment was happening. Duh. Anyway, we hear a lot about the coaches that were signed in the summer that Yeo was hired. With Vigneault, Ruff, and potentially Tippett available this offseason, might we hear some similar stories this year? Are the Wild missing an opportunity in order to keep Yeo? Smarter guys than I would know, but those are some big names floating around. The Quiet Room: And the Masterton goes to… | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com- It's clearly Crosby's, especially after it came to light that he bravely overcame almost choking on a mozzarella stick. Also, I just set myself up for a humiliatingly ironic death of mozz stick asphyxiation. So there you go. Brad Richards, postseason disaster for the New York Rangers | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- Would the rangers REALLY amnesty Richards, with that contract being on the books for another 12 years? Rumor Roundup: Any room for Miller? - The Hockey News- I don't think this will happen. If not because of cap space, because of the assets they'd have to give up. If they make another trade with Buffalo, it's going to be for Vanek. Not that that's mega-super likely, either. 2013 NHL Playoffs - Why Pittsburgh Penguins should punt Marc-Andre Fleury - ESPN- INsider piece, but another potential goaltending option. Though the next-level stat they showed in a sidebar showed that Niklas Backstrom has been 8th in the NHL- ahead of Miller and Fluery- in even-strength SV% since 08-09. Something to consider when FA picks up.

Another day, another set of grades Wilderness. Enjoy! Jonas Brodin Bryan- Best defenseman on the team. Yep, I said it. Brodin is the best defenseman on the team. May be the best player on the team. But not good enough to be a Calder nominee. That makes sense. Grade: A+ Emilie- I would be a-ok with another 13 year contract handed out if it went to this kid. He's unbelievable. He will be a first pairing, leading Norris candidate every season, and a multiple Stanley Cup winner throughout his career. Unbelievable. A+ JS- Well, all you need to do here is take a look at the multiple infographics and stat charts about Brodin's play if you somehow haven't seen him play. If you were treated to some live Brodin magic, you know that he has had an extremely rare kind of season for a 19 year old NHL defenseman. We can bitch and moan all day about him being snubbed for the Calder (he really should have at least been considered, if only because the kind of season he had is way more uncommon than Huberdeau-type seasons), but at the end of the day, we should just be happy the Wild have found someone to replace Brent Burns as a Minnesota-drafted star defenseman. In terms of pure defense, Brodin was perhaps the best on the team, or at the very least gave Suter a run for his money, and if he can grow into a more offensive role without sacrificing defense, than NHL forwards are going to fear the Wild's top pairing for a very long time. Brodin is just so much fun to watch play, not necessarily because of flash, but it's the simple, subtle things that he does so brilliantly, it's nearly art. It's also pretty damn amazing to see an NHL rookie get out of some of the jams he'd be put into with such poise and intelligence. It may be safe to say that Brodin probably made the fewest mistakes of all Wild defensemen this year and he is a huge part of the reason Ryan Suter had a Norris-candidate year and the Wild had a playoff year. Now, PLEASE, don't let there be a sophomore slump. Although, with his safe, smart and consistent type of play, there isn't that big of a chance for a slump. Mind you, a slightly worse season is possible, but so is a better one. So much to look forward to with this kid. To not give him an A+ after the amazing and, I must repeat, uncommon season he had as a 19 year old defenseman would mean someone would have to re-invent hockey to get a perfect grade, so...GRADE: A+ Jared Spurgeon Bryan- A ho-hum year for Spurgeon, he has certainly been passed on the depth chart, and has at least one more guy hot on his heels. He plays bigger than he is, makes few mistakes, and is still a great free agent signing, but he is on the wrong side of a slide that will, eventually, leave him outside looking in. His offense is not as impressive as it could have been, and teams are starting to figure out that they can just go straight through him. Not a great year, not a terrible year. Grade: C Emilie- Spurgy had a bit of a rough year. Expected to make Suter fit in on his new teams defense right away, and took the blame when Suter didn't. He then went through a string of partners that made him have to over-play and make mistakes. Not a great season, but not a horrible, good for nothing season either. B JS- Something we found out about this kid this season: He's a playoff performer. The guy blocked shots like the Zuperman of old. He also had a solid season overall as the clear-cut #3 defenseman on the Wild. He reached new highs in goals scored (despite shortened season) and points per game (0.38) and was a plus-player for the first time in his young NHL career. If Marco Scandella builds off his strong playoff performance and can become Spurgeon's partner, I think the Wild's defensive core will suddenly not look all that bad. Granted, Spurgeon had his share of rough games, didn't seem to play with his body quite as much as we were accustomed to and never really found the right fit with any of his partners, although the Spurgeon-Stoner experim