Minnesota Wild

To continue our prospect articles, we continue with our #8 ranked prospect with Nikita Zadorov. Soon after, we'll skip the rest and go straight to our top 100 prospects for this years draft since I know many of you already know the top 10 and just want to know who we have in the rest of the draft class. This is the point where the rankings start to get hard to decide. Prospects have either have a bit more risk to them or their upside is slightly lower. At #7, we have Darnell Nurse, who is a defenseman with huge upside but has a lot of room to fill out. Nurse started the season with an "eh" type of performance in the Ivan Hlinka but quickly erased doubts by starting off strong in the OHL and never stopping. A 6-4 defenseman that plays with grit, has impressive mobility and who can run the powerplay is a prospect that is highly valued. He brings ability in all zones of the ice. He finished the year with 12 goals, 29 assists and 116 penalty minutes in 68 games. He also won the OHL Academic Player of the Year award, showing scouts he is not only a factor on the ice but also off it. But here is my question: at 6-4 and 185lbs, Nurse looks very lanky and skinny. He plays with punch but he will need to work on his frame in order to survive the NHL and this requires careful offseason training, more than some other NHL draft prospects. But still, a big defenseman that brings everything to the table is a rare player to have. He will just need to make sure he adds those pounds to bring all his tools together. Introducing our 2013 NHL #8 Draft Prospect - Nikita Zadorov NIKITA ZADOROV Defense / London Knights (OHL) Height: 6-4 Weight: 200 GP G A P +/- PIM 2012/13 - London 63 6 19 25 33 54 Projection: #2 defenseman; #1 man on the PK and #2 man on the first PP unit Strengths: Huge size and reach Strong mobility Strong defensive and physical game but also unafraid to rush the puck up the ice Good playmaking skills Weaknesses: Requires tons of muscle to his frame Quotes: OHL Prospects When you're 6'5, 230lbs, you can hit like a truck, and you have no issues with mobility, you're going to get consideration inside the lottery. That's the case for Zadorov. The size he possesses is obviously awesome, but when you combine it with a slick, effortless, skating stride it becomes even better. He's incredibly difficult to beat off the rush because he can skate with you, but also has that long stick and aggressive nature which makes him hard to get around. That aggressive nature is also very appealing. He's definitely become one of the most physical players in the OHL. His hits hurt and he strikes a lot of fear into opposing forwards. He'll plant you on your butt in the neutral zone, he'll rub you out in the corners, and he'll stick you in the back in front of the net. He's simply a physical beast. I do feel at times that he becomes too physically focused though. He can be prone to taking himself out of position in order to go for a big hit and at times, he'll get caught scrambling in the defensive end after engaging too long in the corners. He needs to learn that he can be effective sometimes by just using his reach and positioning and that occasionally that big hit just doesn't need to happen. In order to become a truly terrific defensive player, he'll also need to tighten up his coverage reads. Sometimes he can get caught standing around watching the play. In terms of his offensive game, I think he can be a fairly effective player at the next level. I don't see a future 40-50 point guy. But, if he continues to work on his breakout, gains confidence in his ability to skate with the puck, and improves the accuracy of his shot, he could be a second powerplay guy and possible 30 point dman. He has enough skill with the puck to make things happen off the rush, but he's not incredibly aggressive and doesn't usually break the

We are talking about rule 27.8 of course which restricts the movement of a goalie who might be playing the puck. Commonly referred to as the "Goalie Trapezoid", it prevents a well meaning goalie from playing the puck behind his net unless he is in an oddly shaped trapezoid-like area the NHL has somehow deemed magical. The rule starts out innocently enough with just some measurements: 1.8 Goalkeeper's Restricted Area - A restricted trapezoid-shaped area behind the goal will be laid out as follows: Five feet (5') outside of each goal crease (six feet (6') from each goal post), a two-inch (2") red line shall be painted extending from the goal line to a point on the end of the rink ten feet (10') from the goal crease (eleven feet (11') from the goal post) and continuing vertically up the kick plate. Now that part is just fine by itself, and in fact could be considered a great thing for the guy getting paid by the hour to paint lines on a sheet of ice. I'm all for jobs and job creation folks. A job I'm not a big fan of however is people whose job it is to make rules. They would seemingly be out of a job if they weren't able to come up with a monstrosity like this: 27.8 Restricted Area - A goalkeeper shall not play the puck outside of the designated area behind the net. This area shall be defined by lines that begin six feet (6') from either goal post and extend diagonally to points twenty-eight feet (28') apart at the end boards. Should the goalkeeper play the puck outside of the designated area behind the goal line, a minor penalty for delay of game shall be imposed. The determining factor shall be the position of the puck. The minor penalty will not be assessed when a goalkeeper plays the puck while maintaining skate contact with his goal crease. I do especially enjoy how they give the goalie an out, like a tiny flicker of hope at the end. 'No no good sir, you can play the puck in the restricted area all you want, just stay in your crease to do it!' The rule, seemingly put in place to punish a goalie who can actually handle the puck, also eliminates another very important and unpredictable part of the game. It is a part I miss very much, and that is the goalie who struggles with handling the puck. Gone in an instant is Chris Osgood of the Red Wings attempting to play the puck in the corner during the 1994 Western Conference Quarter Finals against the Sharks. It's game 7, Osgood screws the pooch pretty bad giving up the game/series winner because of gambling and losing. Love it! Fortunately that moment lives on forever on YouTube. Sorry Detroit, that hurts! That is what I truly miss folks. I know a lot of goalies out there are plenty peeved they are restricted in where they are allowed to help their team, when all I really want to see myself is a goalie frustrating the fan base to no end. That is not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things if you ask me. Now the reasoning behind the rule is something which I have heard a lot of hockey fans complain about. It creates a buffer zone in the corners for your prototypical dump and chase offense. With a goalie not allowed to clear out the corners, it give the opposition's offense an opportunity to get in on the fore-check and create puck battles in the corners. Wilderness, you cannot tell me with a straight face you have not explicitly complained about the Wild's (or anyone else's) dump and chase, ad nauseam. Another argument for the trapezoid was that it would create more opportunities to score goals. So obviously with more opportunities you will see more goals right? Not so much, sorry folks. Here is how those numbers breakdown. The '00-01 seasons saw a goals per game average of 5.51. This number spiked to 6.17g/g in the '05-'06 season when the trapezoid was instituted but has steadily declined since, down to 5.64g/g in the NHL's last full season ('11-'12), and 5.44g/g this lockout-shortened season. Over the past 13 seasons those numbers fluctuate

As we get closer to the end of the postseason, we can see that things are starting to heat up for the Wild. In recent days, it's been revealed to the media that it's looking very unlikely the Wild are going to be able to free up Dany Heatley's 7.5 million dollar cap hit via an amnesty buyout. It's also getting to be about that time for RFA's, as Marco Scandella was re-signed to a no-brainer 2 year, 2.05 million dollar deal. Let's continue on to the Walk. Wild News You play Wild GM: Trades, free agency, buyouts, depth chart info | StarTribune.com- Check out this mess Heatley's shoulder creates. You deal with it. Minnesota Wild Re-Sign Defenseman Marco Scandella - Gone Puck Wild - A Minnesota Wild Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More- Again, a no-brainer. Under team control, on a defense-needy team, a guy with his talent and two-way ability has a place on the team. Especially if he can bring what he brought in the playoffs. First Round Bust: 2013 Stanley Cup TV Ratings: Twins Outdraw Blackhawks-Bruins Game 2- Well, if you have a chance to watch a below-.500 team, you're stupid for passing that up, right? Tending the Fields 2013 NHL Entry Draft Speculation for the Minnesota Wild: Forwards- A good look at what second-round-or-later types might meet the Wild's needs. Minnesota Wild prospects at every level gained valuable experience in playoffs - Hockey's Future- An overview of the WIld's prospects playoff performances. Why Avalanche shouldn’t pass on Seth Jones, unless Joe Sakic’s trolling everyone | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- Missing out on their Joe Mauer moment. Are Sabres targeting top five pick? - The Hockey News- With a little help from the Wild. Hockey's Future 2013 Staff Mock Draft - Hockey's Future- Again, be bummed that the Wild don't have a first round pick. Off the Trail Bourne’s 10 takeaways from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com- Bourne breaking down Game 3. We should talk about Joel Quenneville’s use of Jonathan Toews last night | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com- Bourne was not having the way Jonathan Toews was used in Game 3. How the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks spent their money [Infographic] | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com- A look at their respective team building. Conn Smythe Watch: Tuukka time for playoff MVP race | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- Breaking down the Conn Smythe race. Gregory Campbell and hockey’s unending need for symbolic inspiration | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- He put tha team on his back, dude! Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings agree to 3-year, $23 million extension | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks agree to 5-year, $30 million contract extension (Report) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports Slava Voynov, LA Kings agree on six-year contract extension | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports- Contract extensions, in order of importance.

On the board: HDZx. You have until 1:11PM CDT to make your pick! DAY 18 RECAP After a late start (whoops... sorry!), only 2 picks were made (and solid picks nevertheless). The third round is now coming to a close, as only 2 picks now remain. Day 18 begins with the Pittsburgh Penguins! DAY 18 SELECTIONS 90TH OVERALL - The Pittsburgh Penguins select two-way defenseman Wilhelm Westlund from Farjestad. GM Hooks Orpik: We like that he’s been compared favorably to Johnny Oduya or Paul Martin- a smart, defensive-first player that is a good skater. Has a little but not much offensive ability, but if he focuses on gaining strength and playing a “quiet” positional game in his own end and can make passes up to the forwards, he’ll be a prospect that fits into Pittsburgh’s system very easily! 91ST OVERALL - The Winnipeg Jets select goaltender Eamon McAdam from Waterloo of the USHL HW Danccchan's Take: The Jets are having one heck of a draft and still with another 3rd, decide to just add insurance to other areas like adding another talented in McAdam. Having both Comrie and McAdam in their organization is a great thing to have! 92ND OVERALL - The Florida Panthers select defenseman Eric Roy from the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) HW Danccchan's Take: A big mobile player that isn’t exactly physical but has some impressive puck moving skills. More offensive than defensive, Roy is a raw 6-2 project that if put together well, could produce a big mobile puck moving defenseman. DRAFT BOARD ROUND 1 # Drafting Name Pos Team 1 COL JONES, SETH D PORTLAND (WHL) 2 FLA MACKINNON, NATHAN C HALIFAX (QMJHL) 3 TBL NICHUSHKIN, VALERI RW DYNAMO (RUSSIA) 4 NSH LINDHOLM, ELIAS C BRYNAS (SWEDEN) 5 CAR DROUIN, JONATHAN LW HALIFAX (QMJHL) 6 CGY BARKOV, ALEKSANDER C TAPPARA (FINLAND) 7 EDM RISTOLAINEN, RASMUS D TPS (FINLAND) 8 BUF ZADOROV, NIKITA D LONDON (OHL) 9 NYI (via NJD) MONAHAN, SEAN C OTTAWA (OHL) 10 DAL SHINKARUK, HUNTER C/LW MEDICINE HAT (WHL) 11 PHI NURSE, DARNELL D SAULT STE MARIE (OHL) 12 PHX WENNBERG, ALEXANDER C DJURGARDEN (SWE-2) 13 WPG DOMI, MAX C LONDON (OHL) 14 CBJ FREDERIK GAUTHIER C RIMOUSKI (QMJHL) 15 NJD (via NYI) ZYKOV, VALENTIN LW BAIE-COMEAU (QMJHL) 16 BUF (via MIN) MANTHA, ANTHONY RW VAL-D'OR (QMJHL) 17 OTT THEODORE, SHEA D SEATTLE (WHL) 18 DET DE LA ROSE, JACOB C LEKSAND (SWE-2) 19 CBJ (via NYR) ERNE, ADAM LW QUEBEC (QMJHL) 20 SJS PULOCK, RYAN D BRANDON (WHL) 21 TOR HORVAT, BO C LONDON (OHL) 22 CGY (via STL) MORRISSEY, JOSH D PRINCE ALBERT (WHL) 23 WSH HAGG, ROBERT D MODO JR (SWE-JR) 24 VAN MORIN, SAMUEL D RIMOUSKI (QMJHL) 25 MTL LAZAR, CURTIS RW/C EDMONTON (WHL) 26 ANA MCCOSHEN, IAN D WATERLOO (USHL) 27 CBJ (via LAK) BURAKOWSKY, ANDRE C MALMO (SWE-D1) 28 DAL (via BOS) RYCHEL, KERBY LW WINDSOR (OHL) 29 MIN (via CGY) FUCALE, ZACH G HALIFAX (QMJHL) 30 CHI BIGRAS, CHRIS D OTTAWA (OHL) ROUND 2 # Drafting Name Pos Team 31 FLA VANNELLI, TOMMY D MINNETONKA (HIGH-MN) 32 COL KLIMCHUK, MORGAN LW REGINA (WHL) 33 TBL BOWEY, MADISON D KELOWNA (WHL) 34 MTL (via NSH) HARTMAN, RYAN RW PLYMOUTH (OHL) 35 CAR BUCHNEVICH, PAVEL LW SEVERSTAL (RUSSIA) 36 MTL (via CGY) MUELLER, MIRCO D EVERETT (WHL) 37 EDM MCCARRON, MICHAEL RW USNTDP 38 BUF SANTINI, STEVEN D USNTDP 39 NJD JARRY, TRISTAN G EDMONTON (WHL) 40 DAL COMPHER, J.T. C USNTDP 41 PHI KLAVINS, EDGARS LW/RW EIK (ELITSERIEN) 42 PHX PETAN, NICOLAS C PORTLAND (WHL) 43 WPG COMRIE, ERIC G TRI-CITY (WHL) 44

In March of 2013, the American Academy of Neurology released their updated concussion guidelines. This is an update on the 1997 guidelines. One thing that differed in the creation of these guidelines from the 1997 guidelines is that they were created by a panel of mostly nonneurologists (7 of the 12 members). According to Dr. Giza, this is important because the guidelines aren't meant for just neurologists; concussions are seen by other specialists. The previous guidelines attempted classification of the severity of concussions at occurrence and tried to predict return to play recommendations on that classification. The new guidelines do not have a set time for return to play. That is the major change in the guidelines as evidence has shown that the scales were not indicative of who was taking longer to recover. The guidelines recommend that a player who has possibly sustained a concussion should be removed from play to minimize risk for further injury and should not return to play until assessment by a licensed health care professional "with training in both the diagnosis and management of concussion and the recognition of more severe traumatic brain injury." Athletes high school age or younger should be managed more conservatively. This is because in studies, it took longer for symptoms and neurocognitive performance to improve. Other recommendations include: There is no evidence for pharmacologic interventions. The risk for concussion is greatest in football and rugby, followed by hockey and soccer. For girls, it's highest is soccer and basketball. A player with a history of 1 or more concussions is a greater risk for another concussion. The authors found little evidence to support "second impact syndrome" (a second impact in a vulnerable state can lead to cerebral edema and death). A new hypothesis is that residual concussion symptoms put a player at risk for an unanticipated hit due to slow reaction times or cognitive processing. The first 10 days after a concussion is when there is the greatest risk of being diagnosed with another concussion. Use of helmets may prevent concussion. Use of unproven protective gear may give a false sense of security putting players at higher risk for concussion as they may be more aggressive. Health professionals trained in treating concussions should look for ongoing symptoms, concussion history and young age. These have been linked to a longer recovery. Risk factors linked to chronic neurobehavioral impairment in the professional athelete: prior concussion, longer exposure to the sport, the ApoE4 gene. Concussion is a clinical diagnosis. Symptom checklists, the Standardized Assessment of Concussion, neuropsychological testing and the Balance Error Scoring system should not be used alone in making a diagnosis. Although an athlete should be removed from play after a concussion, activities that do not worsen symptoms and do not pose a risk for repeat concussion may be part of treatment. Health care providers should counsel players with multiple concussions and persistent neurobehavioral impairments for retirement from play decisions.

On the board: Hooks Orpik. You have until 1:34PM CDT to make your pick! DAY 17 RECAP After a late start (whoops... sorry!), only 2 picks were made (and solid picks nevertheless). The third round is now coming to a close, as only 2 picks now remain. Day 18 begins with the Pittsburgh Penguins! DAY 17 SELECTIONS 88TH OVERALL - The Winnipeg Jets select giant 6'6" defenseman Jared Hauf from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. HW danccchan's Take: Big, strong, tough to be physically and defensively. He is decent mobile for his 6-6 size and gives the Jets some solid low risk depth players. 89TH OVERALL - The Boston Bruins select decent-sized, speedy center Zach Sanford from the Middlesex Islanders of the EJHL. HW WIMinnesotaWildFan's Take: This Boston College bound prospect has excellent speed, and one heck of a shot. He has the ability to play any forward position, but is most effective at center. During his regular season, he scored 12 goals with 24 assists and 22 penalty minutes in 37 games. DRAFT BOARD ROUND 1 # Drafting Name Pos Team 1 COL JONES, SETH D PORTLAND (WHL) 2 FLA MACKINNON, NATHAN C HALIFAX (QMJHL) 3 TBL NICHUSHKIN, VALERI RW DYNAMO (RUSSIA) 4 NSH LINDHOLM, ELIAS C BRYNAS (SWEDEN) 5 CAR DROUIN, JONATHAN LW HALIFAX (QMJHL) 6 CGY BARKOV, ALEKSANDER C TAPPARA (FINLAND) 7 EDM RISTOLAINEN, RASMUS D TPS (FINLAND) 8 BUF ZADOROV, NIKITA D LONDON (OHL) 9 NYI (via NJD) MONAHAN, SEAN C OTTAWA (OHL) 10 DAL SHINKARUK, HUNTER C/LW MEDICINE HAT (WHL) 11 PHI NURSE, DARNELL D SAULT STE MARIE (OHL) 12 PHX WENNBERG, ALEXANDER C DJURGARDEN (SWE-2) 13 WPG DOMI, MAX C LONDON (OHL) 14 CBJ FREDERIK GAUTHIER C RIMOUSKI (QMJHL) 15 NJD (via NYI) ZYKOV, VALENTIN LW BAIE-COMEAU (QMJHL) 16 BUF (via MIN) MANTHA, ANTHONY RW VAL-D'OR (QMJHL) 17 OTT THEODORE, SHEA D SEATTLE (WHL) 18 DET DE LA ROSE, JACOB C LEKSAND (SWE-2) 19 CBJ (via NYR) ERNE, ADAM LW QUEBEC (QMJHL) 20 SJS PULOCK, RYAN D BRANDON (WHL) 21 TOR HORVAT, BO C LONDON (OHL) 22 CGY (via STL) MORRISSEY, JOSH D PRINCE ALBERT (WHL) 23 WSH HAGG, ROBERT D MODO JR (SWE-JR) 24 VAN MORIN, SAMUEL D RIMOUSKI (QMJHL) 25 MTL LAZAR, CURTIS RW/C EDMONTON (WHL) 26 ANA MCCOSHEN, IAN D WATERLOO (USHL) 27 CBJ (via LAK) BURAKOWSKY, ANDRE C MALMO (SWE-D1) 28 DAL (via BOS) RYCHEL, KERBY LW WINDSOR (OHL) 29 MIN (via CGY) FUCALE, ZACH G HALIFAX (QMJHL) 30 CHI BIGRAS, CHRIS D OTTAWA (OHL) ROUND 2 # Drafting Name Pos Team 31 FLA VANNELLI, TOMMY D MINNETONKA (HIGH-MN) 32 COL KLIMCHUK, MORGAN LW REGINA (WHL) 33 TBL BOWEY, MADISON D KELOWNA (WHL) 34 MTL (via NSH) HARTMAN, RYAN RW PLYMOUTH (OHL) 35 CAR BUCHNEVICH, PAVEL LW SEVERSTAL (RUSSIA) 36 MTL (via CGY) MUELLER, MIRCO D EVERETT (WHL) 37 EDM MCCARRON, MICHAEL RW USNTDP 38 BUF SANTINI, STEVEN D USNTDP 39 NJD JARRY, TRISTAN G EDMONTON (WHL) 40 DAL COMPHER, J.T. C USNTDP 41 PHI KLAVINS, EDGARS LW/RW EIK (ELITSERIEN) 42 PHX PETAN, NICOLAS C PORTLAND (WHL) 43 WPG COMRIE, ERIC G TRI-CITY (WHL) 44 CBJ DESROSIERS, PHILIPPE G RIMOUSKI (QMJHL) 45 ANA (via NYI) BAILEY, JUSTIN C KITCHENEER (OHL) 46 CGY (via MIN) HILL, TYLER RW HOTCHKISS (HIGH-CT) 47 STL (via OTT) GRAVES, RYAN D PEI (QMJHL) 48 DET HEATHERINTON, DILLON D SWIFT CURRENT (WHL) 49 SJS (via NYR) CARRIER, WILLIAM C CAPE BRETON (QMJHL) 50 SJS LEHKONEN, ARTURRI C KALPA (FINLAND) 51 TOR WHEATON, MITCHELL D KELOWNA (WHL) 52 BUF (via STL) LODGE,

Last night the Boston Bruins put a big hurt down on the Chicago Blackhawks, shutting out the visiting Hawks 2 - 0 and taking a 2 - 1 series advantage. I was hanging curtains all night and didn't catch much of the game, and if you're a Hawks fan you may be thinking their quest for the cup is curtains as well. The injury to Hossa before the game certainly didn't help, but the Blackhawks are supposed to have enough depth to cover that sort of injury up at least a little bit. I'm still feeling confident, Hakws in 6 folks, watch them rattle off a few in a row here and start changing minds! We have a lot of news today folks, and we start off with something we have all been discussing, Heaters gonna heat. Wild News Heatley injury has Wild dealing with tight salary cap | StarTribune.com Minnesota Wild Looking to Trade for Jaroslav Halak or Brian ElliottGross, this seems like some extreme wishful thinking. Wild re-signs Marco Scandella | StarTribune.comThe first RFA has been signed, who is next? Updates on All the Minnesota Wild's Top Draft Picks from the Past 10 Years | Bleacher ReportLet us take a trip down memory lane! Warning: Slideshow ahead, proceed with caution. Tending the Fields Solar Bears receive rights to three Gwinnett players | www.wftv.comHey look! Solar Bears news! Orlando Solar Bears protect 20 as season ending rosters are finalized | Bay News 9Solar Bears announce protected list on Monday. Check out who made the cut. Off the Trail Bruins take 2-1 lead in Stanley Cup finals with 2-0 win over Blackhawks | StarTribune.comI was busy around the home last night and missed the game. It reads like the Hawks fared not well in Boston. Quenneville: ‘Hawks ‘made it rather easy’ on Rask | ProHockeyTalkSounds like a coach who's about to rattle off 3 straight and win this series in 6. Tuukka Rask gives NBC’s Pierre McGuire the straight poop on TD Garden ice (Video) | Puck DaddyOopsies all over the over the live TV feed these days. Game 2 was most-watched NHL game in NBC Sports Network history | ProHockeyTalkSounds like the fans came back huh? The psychological wounds inflicted by a hot goalie can render opponents less dangerous | Backhand ShelfA hot goalie is sometimes all it takes. Jaromir Jagr’s slump is so head-scratching I had my head checked for lice | Backhand ShelfHe's obviously not getting the same time-on-ice as he was 10 years ago, but you would expect him to get a couple points before the playoffs end. Bryan Bickell: Contract status no factor in Stanley Cup Final struggles | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsI would agree, the Bruins are just shutting him down pretty good here. What We Learned: Worst thing about NHL Awards? The voters | Puck DaddyPreach on! PHT Morning Skate: Don Cherry calls Malkin ‘a loser’ | ProHockeyTalkCan someone please explain to me why the things Don Cherry says are even relevant? Hartford Whalers-themed wedding, beer man included, puts your nuptials to shame (Video) | Puck DaddySimply beautiful. Report: Sharks, Couture agree to contract extension | ProHockeyTalkProbably a good move by the Sharks, locking him up before he gets even better. Wilson: Sharks don’t believe in rebuilding, want to ‘reset on the fly’ | ProHockeyTalkExtending Couture's contract goes a long way towards reloading as opposed to rebuilding. Report: Datsyuk, Red Wings close in on lengthy extension | ProHockeyTalkDatsyuk's twitter account foretells of an unfortunate circumstance possibly coming his way. Flyers sign up for four years of Mark Streit at $5.25 million annually (UPDATE: Eventually?) | Puck DaddyNot official as of right now, but it looks like the gears are turning for the 35 year-old defenceman. Report: Devils at risk of defaulting on loan | ProHockeyTalkDevils ownership is swimming in a sea of red. Reports: Vigneault gets five-year, $10 million contract to coach Rangers | ProHockeyTalkOuch, sorry New York. Report: Tortorella to h

The date was February 27th, 2012. On the NHL calendar, it was trade deadline day. The Wild were in the midst of a terrible slump, that had them sitting fourth in the division and twelfth in the conference, after sitting with the best record in the NHL just two months earlier. That morning, General Manager Chuck Fletcher shipped the franchise's leader in games played, defenseman Nick Schultz to the Edmonton Oilers for Tom Gilbert, a more offensive minded defenseman, who also happened to be a Minnesota native. Gilbert came in, and instantly became the top blueliner on a unit that was gravely lacking offense. In his 20 games with the Wild to close out the season, Gilbert notched five assists, while averaging 27 minutes (35 shifts) per game. He was the offensive defenseman, the Wild sorely needed. Then came the 2013 season. Ryan Suter was brought in, demoting Gilbert to the second defensive pairing. He was still getting power play time, but only on the second unit. His ice time went down eight minutes, giving him just over 19 per game. Gilbert only registered 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists) in 43 games. Six of those thirteen points came in the team's first seven games.He went through a terrible drought in March and April, going 12 games without a point. Defensively, he was just a mess. He obviously was not brought here for his play in the defensive zone (if we did, hanging on to Nick Schultz would of been the better option). He was often caught flat footed or out of position from chasing the puck around, resulting in a opposition goal. Chicago carved him up rather nicely in the postseason, but luckily he only finished with a -2 rating in those five games. Now, we move forward into the offseason heading towards the 2013-14 season. Gilbert has one year left on his contract, with a $4 million cap hit. The Wild have just a bit under $7.5 million in cap space, and several UFAs and RFAs that they would like to bring back. The main priority for Fletcher this offseason should once again, be defense (keeping in mind the team is without a starting goaltender heading into free agency too). Right now, the Stanley Cup Final includes two teams (Bruins and Blackhawks), who have arguably the two top defensive units in the league. The Wild's top pairing of Suter and Jonas Brodin is one of the best in the league, but after them, its anyone's guess. The team needs another top four defenseman, preferably one who is a bit more defensive minded. Tom Gilbert does not fit that need. Should the Wild be unable/unwilling to buyout Dany Heatley, Gilbert become option #2 for a compliance buyout. Teams only have this summer or the next one, to use their two compliance buyouts. There is no other viable candidates on the roster than Heatley or Gilbert. There won't be a need to use them next summer, because there are only nine players on the team, under contract (unless you want to buyout Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, or Suter). Obviously, the ideal situation would be to hang on to Tom Gilbert and see how he can rebound from a poor 2013 season. But, with the cap situation, it may not happen like that. If Dany Heatley isn't bought out, be prepared to see the Bloomington native, Gilbert, sent packing.

2 is the number of points that Nick Leddy has this postseason. Nick Leddy has been the bane of Chuck Fletcher's (and our!) existence, still popping up in the HW comments as a black mark on his record. A trade of him and Kim Johnsson to Chicago netted defenseman-in-name-only Cam Barker, who proceeded to be absolutely terrible for the Wild. It was a dumpster-fire of a trade for the then-rookie Fletcher. Since then, the combination of 3 factors: 1) He developed into a good depth defenseman for a good team in Chicago, 2) The Wild could use defensive depth, and really could have used it since even before that trade occurred, and 3) He's from Minnesota, has kept him in the mind of many Wild fans. And as annoying as it is, that should actually probably be the case. Nick Leddy has developed into a player who would, at the very least, be the 4th best defenseman on the team, and probably ahead of Spurgeon. He doesn't bring any physicality, which would be welcome for this blue line, but having another puck mover wouldn't hurt this team one bit. But would Nick Leddy really have changed the Wild's fortunes that much? His postseason stats don't suggest so. He has a mere two assists on the Blackhawks while playing every day. He's 6th in TOI among Chicago blueliners (15:54), which ranks last among their regular defensemen. He's also last on the team in +/- with a -6. Looking at his possession numbers, it appears that his good possession numbers are inflated by sheltered minutes, as he suffers when Quality of Competition is factored into them. So, if you want to cry about Nick Leddy, that's fine. Again, he's a good player. If the Wild signed a defenseman of his caliber and skill-set at the salary he's at, we'd all be ecstatic. But don't act like he's a savior, because that doesn't appear to be the case.

On the board: Kyle Nicolas. You have until 2:02PM CDT to make your pick! Sorry about the late start. Let's just get right into the action. Day 17 begins with the Winnipeg Jets! DAY 16 SELECTIONS 80TH OVERALL - The New York Rangers select powerful defenseman Michael Brodzinski from the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL HW Emilie's Take: I like his size and his skating ability. At 6-0, 188lbs his got a good frame and he’s still growing. He’ll take some time to adjust to the speed of the NHL game, but he is quick for his size and has a hard shot… He’s also got plenty of time to mature. 81ST OVERALL - The Calgary Flames select right-winger Alex Henriksson of the SEL. General Manager niemonster3: Alex is a tall thin wing who is still not that strong on his feet for his size, but showed at the Ivan Hlinka tourney that he was a true player. Competitive, and will crash the front go into the corners and dirty areas and will be the first one back on dee. Shows a willingness to block shots back there too. He is a very good skater with offensive smarts, hands, touch, and a sniper’s shot. Handles the puck well at top speed and can beat defenders one on one. Has a quick shot and plenty of upside. 82ND OVERALL - The Toronto Maple leafs select goaltender Spencer Martin from the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL. General Manager Corporal_Klinger: He’s big and agile, covering the net well even when playing the butterfly style. Very skilled at playing the puck as well. He still needs to work on his consistency, but managed to carry a low-scoring Steelheads team to the playoffs this season. (this ability is a must in Toronto) He’s still young with plenty of time to develop, and has a ton of upside with the potential to be a bona-fide NHL starter one day. 83RD OVERALL - The St. Louis Blues select defenseman Will Butcher from the US U-17/NCAA. General Manager mightymikeD: In making my Draft selections, I like to brainstorm with my Head Coach. After all, Ken is the man responsible for turning these young prospects into the next Barret Jackman or Roman Polak. He recently asked me who I was thinking of taking in the 3rd Round. I mused for a while and said “I’m looking at a bunch of guys.. how about Will Butcher?”Ken jumped up (ok, slowly levered himself upright using a winch) and shook my hand. “Perfect!” he yelled, spraying me with with half-chewed Imo’s Pizza, “That’s exactly the skill set that this team has been missing! Get him right now!” Well, after that sort of ringing endorsement (and once I’d used some Industrial De-Greaser to clean my hands) I duly picked the young US D-Man,who shone in the Worlds and is headed for the University of Denver. After I did, I got a voicemail from Ken.:“So glad that we’re getting a guy who can cut steaks. So many tasty, tasty snacks just hanging off players and no way of harvesting the meaty joy. By the way what is this guy who will butcher called?” 84TH OVERALL - The Washington Capitals select power forward Nicholas Baptiste from the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. HW danccchan's Take: Started the season a bit slow and looking like your average bottom six checker but started to pick up his offense and showed he can play with talented players and produce at the U-18 tournament. 85TH OVERALL - The Vancouver Canucks select left-winger Nick Moutrey. General Manager danccchan: The Canucks don’t mind adding a bit more size to their forward group. Moutrey isn’t a player to knock players’ heads off but he’ll play the grind while showing he has some offensive potential. 86TH OVERALL - The Montreal Canadiens select defenseman Niklas Hansson from Rögle of the Allsvenskan. The Canadiens have selected safe players with Lazar, Hartman, Mueller and Downing but now goes for a home-run pick with Niklas Hansson