Wilderness Walk for 4-8-2010

Hopefully everyone stretched this morning. We have a pretty good Walk ahead of us. News, opinion, player stories. Good stuff. Let's get going.

First Things First:

Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge - Hockey Wilderness  - Keep an eye on the prize, folks. Just trying to keep it at the front of your brains.

Wild Stories:

Brunette wants the moment now | StarTribune.com - This is one of those must read articles. Bruno has had a long, productive career. He deserves his shot at a Cup just as much as Nolan. It must suck to be a long time vet and not be playing for the Cup.

Sources: Minnesota Wild to host 2011 NHL Entry Draft; Noreau recalled; Wild injury updates; Elite League represented in CSS Rankings | StarTribune.com - Russo breaking the news about the draft, plus lots of other things.

Xcel Energy Center will be host of 2011 NHL draft | StarTribune.com - Official Strib story about the draft.

Coach Todd Richards says injuries crippled Minnesota Wild all season - TwinCities.com - Indeed. Imagine a season with a healthy PMB. That likely would have meant not trading for Kobasew. Maybe PMB would have become the second center, maybe not. Imagine a guy like BTE taking passes from Havlat and PMB? He would have more shots from excellent angles than he would know what to do with.

News From the System:

The Third Intermission: Noreau to the Max - Ms. C's "Get Max to the Show" seems to be working. The guy led the league in goals and points for d-men in the AHL. How did he not get called up sooner?

KiPA's Korner:

Hitting The Post: NHL Recap: Rags make things interesting; Goals aplenty out West - Yeah. Goals. Against Nashville. Killing my GAA in my one remaining fantasy hockey league. Stupid other teams.

Game Day Enemy Perspective:

Calgary Sports - Flames, Stampeders, Hitmen, curling, lacrosse and other sports news on Calgaryherald.com - Calgary newspaper.

Matchsticks and Gasoline - SBN blog.

Off the Trail:

Tom Powers: Former North Star Mike Modano to feel the love from Minnesotans one last time - TwinCities.com
 - Pretty good read as the Mighty Mo winds down his career. The best line for Wild fans:

Five years ago, Modano's representatives contacted the Wild and offered a proposal: Modano wanted to finish his career where it started, in Minnesota, and was willing to sign a three-year contract. The money apparently wasn't a problem. But the length of the contract was. Three years were one more than former general manager [NAME REDACTED] thought were prudent to give a 35-year-old free agent with a lot of hard miles on him.

Read that again. The chance to sign Modano was there, and they passed because they wanted two years and he wanted three? Yet they would sign Brunette to three years? The thinking never makes sense, even when it explained.

Arg.

See you all later.

- Buddha