Wild do Nothing at Deadline

by BReynolds on Mar 4, 2009 3:37 PM CST Comment 14 comments

Since the Minnesota Wild are such a solid team from top to bottom, with talent just oozing from Doug Risebrough's ears, the Wild went through yet another trade deadline doing absolutely nothing.

After the jump, we take a look at what it all means for the Wild.

First off, I am writing this, and deals are still rolling across TSN, so something may change, forgive me if I change thoughts mid-stream. I won't go into each and every deal in detail, for that head over to SBN's trade deadline page.

As I mentioned before the jump, Doug Risebrough has decided, wait, decided implies action... Doug Risebrough assumed this team is good enough as it is to make the playoffs, or was too incompetent or proud to make a deal to bring in some picks and prospects. As the minutes clicked down, everyone here at the Wilderness grew more and more impatient, and in the end, we were rewarded for our long day of holding our breath with complete inaction.

It was reported by our good friend Michael Russo around 12:30 that Gaborik was now on the block. Was he before that? We may never know, but God Save the Queen, he better have been.

With trades for defense abounding, surely raising the asking price for defensemen like Kim Johnsson, Risebrough still was unable to get a deal done for him. No word if he was actually offered, but again, he should have been. Leopold commanded a player, a prospect, and a pick. Truly Johnsson had to be worth that.

Shifting focus for just a moment, Calgary added Oli Jokinen, Jordan Leopold, among a couple other minor moves. Edmonton added Patrick O'Sullivan. Vancouver did nothing, but were rumored to be hot on the trail of Jay-Bo. Colorado was a clear seller, having admitted their season is over. The Flames clearly now own the division, and become true Cup contenders, and I want no part of watching the remaining games the Wild play against them.

A couple of good quotes today:

From Pierre McQuire:

Does anybody even know the Wild exist?

From Darren Pang:

19,000 a night? That bill is coming due if they miss the playoffs.

From neide:

This just in, Doug Risebrough has traded his ham and swiss sandwich for a slice of pepperoni.

Here's the epitome of Doug Risebrough: Wild allow Dominic Moore to be claimed off waivers for nothing & Brian Burke gets a 2nd round draft pick for him

Edmonton basically dealt Pitkanen and Cole for O’Sullivan.

Amazing. Fire Doug.

Once again Wilderness readers, your Minnesota Wild have done absolutely nothing as teams all over the league looked to make themselves better, some were willing to mortgage the future for today, and some were willing to part with prospects and stars for very little. No matter what the plan is for this season or the future, I find it very difficult to believe that doing nothing helped that plan come to fruition. What this tells me is that there is no plan, and that the front office is simply flying by the seat of their collective pants.

Brian Burke landed several draft picks for players he knew did him no good anyway. Calgary added some true star power and talent. Edmonton added a piece they feel they were missing, while not losing too much in the process.Ottawa knew it had issues to address, if not for this season, then for next, found a trade partner in Columbus, and made a deal that benefited both teams short term and long term.

Here's the long and short of it. The Wild have a GM that has no plan, has run the organization into the ground, and is too proud to admit it. today, added to the inactivity in past years, shows that Risebrough has lost his way. As I have said before, this team is not good, and there is no help from within. Why, oh why, then does Risebrough not do something to make it better?

Marian Gaborik is still on this team. There still are absolutely no prospects that look to be helpful in the next four years. the Wild still have no second or third round pick in this year's draft.

Anything is better than nothing. As the old saying goes, if you don't change something, then nothing will change.

Welcome to mediocrity Wild fans. It will be here for quite awhile.

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From Russo

The deadline came and went without the Wild making a move. I just got off the phone with GM Doug Risebrough, and he said, "This is our team."

Risebrough said it was quiet for him all day. The team maintains that it will not trade its core players like Mikko Koivu and Brent Burns or its young talent like James Sheppard, Colton Gillies and Tyler Cuma.

What that left were UFA’s like Stephane Veilleux and Marc-Andre Bergeron, and there clearly wasn’t a market or the Wild would have likely moved them. Risebrough said there just wasn’t a "fit."

by nathaneide on Mar 4, 2009 4:47 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Wasn't a fit

Does that tell us that the Wild have crappy players, or that DR just didn’t try very hard?

The only way to avoid failure, is to learn from it.

by BReynolds on Mar 4, 2009 5:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I say

It’s crappy players and he didn’t try very hard.

Honestly, if you were another GM, would you want anyone they were “offering”?

by nathaneide on Mar 4, 2009 5:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

risebrough said russo didnt under the “new” NHL. why must he insult our intelligence? Doug thinks he’s the only guy who understands hockey. What a stuck up jerk… some of us know talent when we see it. and he thinks we dont? get your head out of the sand risebrough, WE Minnesotan’s know our hockey!
if he insults us again. i will ask for a boycott until he’s GONE! and I have a lot of season ticket holding friends, from the old school minnesota hockey ranks, ex college players. ex state tourney players…
fuming mad… but happy the state tournament is coming soon!, now theres some great hockey to watch. maybe the wild should try scouting those games. since they will be played at the X…lol

by old time hockey guy on Mar 4, 2009 5:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta say, Im was really surprised the Wild didn't grab Satan

For a team aching for offensive wingers, it’s stunning didn’t pluck the dark one off the waiver wire for nothing. Sure, he’s bot a superstar anymore, but he probably would have helped.

Your anger is justified. Riser has dropped the ball this year.

by Kent Wilson on Mar 4, 2009 4:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

*not, rather than bot.

My typing stinks.

by Kent Wilson on Mar 4, 2009 4:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

fuming mad

Risebrough insults our intelligence, by saying we dont know hockey, or understand the “new” NHL.
some of us were practically born with skates on. we’ve been watching the mn state tourney for years, we watch college hockey. we see the NHL on Versus. We fans demand a winner on the rink!
getting slapped by Anaheim in those playoffs was an embarrassment. it showed we had soft players with no guts! Brent Burns was the about only guy showing any moxy.. besides boogaard..obviously…
Risebrough has drafted very poorly… wanvig in the second round, with Pominville and Cammeleri(sp?) on the board.. big miss there doug!
nick schultz and his bloated contract instead of Paul Martin…
Risebrough has a record of being a poor judge of talent! for years I’ve watched great players in the high schools grow up and end up in new jersey and buffalo etc. If the Wild are Minnesotan, how come we dont have any on the team? at least a WCHA guy for cryin out loud… stafford, toews, oshie, parise, kessel, wheeler,vanek,dustin bufflin(sp?), leopold, ballard, langenbrunner.. these are guys i wish we had. maybe we should have made something happen and got them..
lets put Lou Nanne in charge and fire doug!
can I get an amen?

by old time hockey guy on Mar 4, 2009 5:33 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'll give the Amen for firing Doug

But as for having Minnesotans on the team… nah. We want the best, not the best from Minnesota. I would love to have guys like Leopold, Wheeler, Langenbrunner, Parise… but they were not available when the Wild drafted. When Wheeler was a free agent, he chose not to come here because he was from here.

I agree that it would be wonderful if the Wild could land the all-star team of all Minnesotans, but it just is not realistic.

Amen on firing Doug though.

The only way to avoid failure, is to learn from it.

by BReynolds on Mar 4, 2009 8:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Aargh

I’m frustrated, just like all of you.

Why not trade Harding? We’ve got Backs for four years, and there were a lot of teams looking for goaltending depth. Cripes, Calgary got a fourth-round pick for some prospect from Columbus who has never played in the NHL.

I’d like to say that we’ll get something for Harding during the draft, but Risebrough has already shown he’s stupid enough to let Gaborik go to Vancouver July 1 with no compensation. He’ll probably waive Harding and we’ll watch him go to Columbus or whatever.

What a joke.

by bciskie on Mar 4, 2009 9:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Not that DR has much credibility in the draft, either...

… but with a couple of UFAs and Harding to deal and no currently scheduled 2nd or 3rd round picks this year… Seriously, do I need to finish my sentence? I’ll be the absolute first to admit my hockey front office knowledge at any level is nil. However, IMHO, it is not hard to see that even though good “fits” were lacking, it would be very easy to come up with SOMETHING. Hell, the bag of used practice pucks for Gaborik would have just fine.

by redheadzeb on Mar 4, 2009 9:19 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

The thing that makes me mad is D.R. calls Jame Sheppard untouchable. I can’t see anything that would make him untouchable.

by Eric B on Mar 4, 2009 9:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Sheppard untouchable?? laughable… jordan parise would blow him off the rink… half our guys skate like they keistered something.. this is the new NHL.. they should draft players who are great skaters..

by old time hockey guy on Mar 4, 2009 10:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Everything!!!

Everything about this team….this season…..this GM….the whole fuckin thing just stinks. I pump my kids…myself up every night the wild are on TV. We spent $200 fuckin dollars that i didnt really have to go to a game. Once a year we try and go. We buy all the clothes, hats all this bullshit and get no effort in return.

Do something!!!!!! Anything to make me think you are trying to put a contending team on the ice. I devote alot of time in supporting this team and feel like I am getting pissed on!

Go away Jacque….Doug…Skoula…all you jerkoffs. You are wasting all of our time!

by RileysCannibalJct on Mar 4, 2009 11:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

at the deadline we are either

buyers and sellers. we should not be either. this stinks of the mismanagement of the Twins Front office last year. leading up to the trade deadline several quality relief pitchers were available off the waiver wire free for teh taking and could have helped the twins win that one extra game that would have secured a playoff spot, but instead the let them all go by, and are forced to trade for a relatively inefective Guardado (sp?). then fail to add any quality reliefe arms in the off season.

Wild seem to be doing the same thing. no big additions in the offseason. quality players available on the waiver wire, ignore. trade for some one with little to offer (last year anyway). only real difference is that the Twins are good at drafting quality pieces, or at least stealing them away from other teams. the Wild haven’t showen any propensity to do either.

We are far enough removed from our inception that we should have a stocked farm system, that can feed the big Show when players depart as FA, and or lure other teams FA here. but I gues they would rather take less money to play elsewhere (a la Hossa).

we do have some talent. but it’s time for a new direction to stock the cupboards, and put a competative team on the ice.

and since we won’t be making the playoffs this year, it is time to make sure we don’t end up with a pick in the early 20’s. mid to low teens would be better. may be we can pull the trigger and get something done in the offseason in the sign and trade format with a UFA. because we didn’t learn anything from last year when we had too meny guys in contract years, and wound up losing them for nothing. and so once again, we will get to see more promising players (if not stars) depart with no compensation, because for some reason, we don’t negotiat extensions before the contract year. if we had taken care of Backs in the offseason we probably could have gotten him extended for a Mill less per year, and saved some cap space.

Will the Real Thor Please Stand Up ... ?

by the Real Thor on Mar 5, 2009 8:30 AM CST reply actions 0 recs