Has anyone else seen this garbage from Harrison Mooney?

by cgp711 on Sep 14, 2011 9:44 PM CDT

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy?author=Harrison+Mooney

Harrison Mooney is now writing for Yahoo Sports' much acclaimed Puck Daddy and while I have enjoyed reading most of his posts thus far, I can't help but think after reading his preview of the Wild that he is seriously overrating Brent Burns.

Now I for one am going to miss Brent Burns, entertaining/exciting player who had some serious ups and downs. On the one hand, he was dynamic offensively. However, I think his defense and overall decision making was always suspect. Mooney claims that without Burns, the Wild are doomed to be the worst team in the West this upcoming season. He further states that without Burns' outlet passes, the offense will struggle more than it did last season. Again, I think this is highly overrating Burns. Am I concerned about the breakout, sure, but I would be pretty much just as concerned if Burns was still on the team and I'll continue to be concerned until Scandella and Brodin are skating full-time for this team. But Mooney pretty much is claiming that without Burns, there will be no defense at all and Backstrom will be facing 50+ shots a night stopping none of them.

Then there is his critique of the Seto and Heater trades. Frankly, I for one never believed Burns was resigning so might as well trade him for a profit, and three first rounders are a profit. As for Havlat for Heater, Havlat never fit here really and hopefully Heater does. At the very least, Heater is going to shoot the puck while Havlat is going to continue to pass on wide open nets. I'll take this trade any day of the week since we already have at least three other pass happy players.

Mooney finishes his article by stating the Wild will finish at or near the bottom of the conference. Sure it can happen, but with teams like Edmonton, Dallas, Calgary, Columbus (not buying the hype there until I see it) in the same conference, I don't see Minnesota finishing last.

But then again, what should we expect from a writer for a Vancouver Canucks blog?

So what does the rest of the Wilderness make of this absurd article?

The opinions posted here are not those of Hockey Wilderness

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While he is fairly harsh in his critique of the Wild, his opinion cannot be discounted just because you don’t like it. We can create whatever delusions we want about the Wild, but after a lot of chatter these last few weeks, I’m starting to believe people here are way overhyping the Wild’s odds this year:
1) The Wild were the 12th team in the West last year. Speaking realistically, the only playoff team that took a step backwards was Phoenix. Even if the Wild remain ahead of Columbus, Colorado, and Edmonton (which I believe they will), they still have to leapfrog three more teams to get to 9th. Of those three, only Dallas took a major hit when they lost Brad Richards. I predict that St. Louis will nab the last playoff spot, as the injury bug really ravaged that team last year. The Blues are a much better team on paper than the 11th in the West.
2) The defense is thin, and no amount of denial will actually change that fact. Let’s take this into consideration: Zidlicky is getting up there in age and sustained a tough hamstring injury last year, and they tend to rear their ugly head again and again. If Zids goes down to injury again, who are the Wild left to move the puck? Spurgeon and Scandella seem like the logical choices, but the organization needs to be wary of a sophomore slump for Spurgeon and Scandella is still a rookie. The team would have to ask a young guy with very little experience to step up into a top-minute role and help lead breakouts. Like JS said, if Zids, Schultz, Zanon, or Lundin go down with an injury, it could end up being a very long season again.
3) The Wild will drop some early games, which will come back to hurt their final standings. There are very few teams that can just flip the switch on a new system, so it’s reasonable to expect some growing pains as new guys get acclimated to their new team, while veterans have to learn a new system. Unfortunately, the Pioneer Press already pulled their article (or at least I’m not getting it), but Yeo indicated that he’s not looking for wins, but instead improvement.
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_18896500?source=rss

Honestly, I know there will be a few more rough seasons ahead. This is a rebuild, whether Fletcher and the Front Office want to call it that or not. Part of a rebuild is being bad for awhile.
I wouldn’t necessarily say the article is garbage. You believe in the Wild, and that’s good, but a little reality isn’t a bad thing. Plus, another perspective isn’t always out of line. Do keep in mind that your vision of the Wild is partially slanted by your being a fan. It’s not exactly like this is the first article or season preview that has the Wild in the bottom 3rd again.

by JDesthubert on Sep 14, 2011 11:06 PM CDT reply actions

Worst in the conference though?

I mean seriously, I can’t see them being any worse this year than last just because Brent Burns is gone, I think that is overrating Brent Burns a bit much there. Burns’ worst aspects of his game was his defense and decision making. I really don’t think me being a fan is affecting my thought process that much. The Wild are probably an eighth seed at best but I don’t think they are worse than Edmonton, Colorado, Phoenix, Dallas, Columbus, or Calgary. Edmonton can get all the 1st round picks it wants but until they get some quality veterans who have previous winning experience on that team, they will continue to lose. Colorado just went all in on a back up goaltender and traded the farm to get him. Phoenix has a tremendous coach but just lost their goalie. Dallas is overrated by Wild fans because they always beat us, other than that they are putting a lot of faith on Jamie Benn and Lehtonen. Columbus, I think they will score goals but Steve Mason is like Andrew Raycroft, great rookie year, nothing since. And then we have Calgary, they stand a chance if Iggy puts up similar numbers again but until they get more solid down the middle, they will be stuck in neutral. So by my math that puts the Wild at about 9th place in the conference and I wouldn’t rank St. Louis that much ahead of the Wild simply because they can never stay healthy and won’t stay healthy again this year.

by cgp711 on Sep 15, 2011 8:37 AM CDT up reply actions

I would also argue Chicago got worse

They traded some over-priced contracts for cap-relief, but the players themselves aren’t awful. Just being paid way to much. Combine that with their big off season additions being Bruno and Carcillo and I think they are worse this year than last.

by ThatGuy22 on Sep 15, 2011 8:53 AM CDT up reply actions

Tough to say on Chicago

There was definately a cup hangover (litteraly for Kane) last year. Kane wasn’t 100% all year either. But Crawford may have a bit of a sophomore slump and Sharp may need more time to fully recover too. It was obvious last year that Chicago traded away all their depth that made them Stanley Cup Champions and I agree they still have not replaced that depth either. It will be interesting to see them play this year. Whatever happened to Marian Hossa? Remember when DR made a pitch for him and he turned us down, how lucky were we in retrospect?

by cgp711 on Sep 15, 2011 9:04 AM CDT up reply actions

I’ll agree the Wild aren’t the worst in the conference. In fact, I said,

Even if the Wild remain ahead of Columbus, Colorado, and Edmonton (which I believe they will)

.
Now, the Wild may be better than Phoenix because of the goaltending, but Tippitt preaches defense first, and as we know from the Lemaire era, that style steals games.
I said Dallas took a step back by losing Richards, so I don’t think that would count as overrating them.
Columbus will be better. Jeff Carter would make any lineup better, but the Jackets will still suck (see above).

I think the article wanted to point out that defense wins championships, wins games, and keeps teams in games, but the Wild had a pretty poor blueline last year, and now Burns is gone. While the author may be overrating Burns, there’s no denying he was, without a doubt, the best puck-moving defensman the team had. He put up points from the blueline.

My point was that the Wild have a LOT of question marks right now, so calling this article absurd and garbage seems unnecessary. While I DO NOT agree 100% with this article, there are some valid points that should be taken into consideration.

by JDesthubert on Sep 15, 2011 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions

I think what riled people up is calling them the Worst in the league

While ignoring that we have 4 solid vets in Schultz, Zanon, Lundin and Zid, and stoner and spuergeon were very solid last year as well, espiecially towards the end of the season(though they may regress as sophmores sometimes do). The guy pretty much said “you lost Burns, you have no one” without evaluating the rest of the D. Hell Schultz, Zanon and maybe Lundin are better in our own Zone. They just don’t score.

by ThatGuy22 on Sep 15, 2011 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions

True. Most people still overrate offensive defensman and point totals. Plus, I only see Spurgeon as a possibility of having a sophomore slump. Stoner’s game is simple and based on position, so I don’t think the fans have much to worry about when talking about Clayton. He’ll never light the score sheet up. He’ll just give the team dependable defense, penalty killing, and eat up in-zone minutes.

by JDesthubert on Sep 15, 2011 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Exactly

All people see Burns point total, the flashy all-star designation, and the 2 – 5 games a season they watch of the wild and just assume he is an all around beast while ignoring his mental lapse’s and defensive mistakes. While the people around here watched him 50+ last year and realize that while he is very good and always had the potential to be a norris candiadate if he could pull it all together, he never really did. While our defense is probably a little worse, it in no way fell completly off the cliff.

by ThatGuy22 on Sep 15, 2011 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Thank you!

by cgp711 on Sep 15, 2011 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions

If I'm being honest with myself

I don’t think we make the playoffs but I also don’t think this will be another wasted year. We have alot of the key pieces, I just think at this point the only thing we are fighting is time. Time for some of our younger guys to develop into the roleplayers we need them to be and time to get familiar with a new system and new culture.

by TC Mooch on Sep 15, 2011 9:13 AM CDT reply actions

If my memory is as good as I hope it is...

Weren’t the Wild in 4th place at one point last year? Wasn’t it later in the season as well? Then Koivu got hurt, and they fell apart? That was a team with Mitten’s and a OLD Bruno on the FIRST line, and they were able to some how hold a high spot in the conference, along with an injured Zidlicky and a healthy Barker playing D. In the west the difference between 4th or 9th-10th place will be a handful of wins and OT shootout results, and I believe our offense will be better and our D, not D scoring, but actual defense will be better as well, Burns made to many mistakes for a top D-man and Barker was… Barker. We will be better, just a matter of how much in my opinion, can we hold onto the 4th spot? Or just stay in the top 8? Then the real question is does everyone stay healthy, if they don’t, there is NO debate what will happen, if they do, there is a debate in my opinion, but only on how much better they will be!

by "Gophers Eat Badgers" on Sep 16, 2011 11:58 AM CDT reply actions

I think the highest we got was 5th.

But I could be wrong, but regardless the point remains.

by ThatGuy22 on Sep 16, 2011 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, 5th and by a bit of a margin too...

but the Wild were the hottest team in the league for almost 2 months.

by Krotz the Wall on Sep 16, 2011 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions

stupid Koivu's finger...

Ruined everything

by ThatGuy22 on Sep 16, 2011 1:17 PM CDT up reply actions

Not complicated

1 Offensive D-Man who was a constant liability to give up the big play and was ready for a big contract. Traded for basically 3 first round picks that will almost definetely turn into 3 top six forwards (one already is) on a team that needed scoring……………how is this bad?

If the Wild make the playoffs this year Fletcher will be GM of the year and sent to jail for robbery.

by MinnesotaRage on Sep 16, 2011 7:34 PM CDT reply actions

I personally found this season preview the best I have seen so far...

From a non MN site… http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375777

by "Gophers Eat Badgers" on Sep 16, 2011 9:05 PM CDT reply actions

Huh.

Somehow I missed your post on this. I certainly would have linked to it in my take down of it. Sorry I missed it.

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by BReynolds on Sep 17, 2011 11:53 AM CDT reply actions

No worries Bryan

I read Mooney’s preview last week and it just put me in a rage that I posted this kinda late in the evening on Wednesday. I was glad to see you write a story on it and really break it down for everyone too as I think most of us read Mooney’s piece and were just dumbfounded by it.

by cgp711 on Sep 19, 2011 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions