First let me say that A: I don't think there will be a lockout. and B: I realize that a lockout would damage everyone involved with the league. C: this is more of a question, than a comment. D: finding any way that the Wild might benefit will most likely cause the rest of the league to do anything in their power to avoid it. While a lockout would do a lot of damage to the league is it possible that with Wild's prospect pool looking like it may come to maturity two or three years from now, be less damaging to the Wild than many "aging" teams? I think that the Wild would like to be able to bring over many of the more highly reguarded European prospects and give them a year in the AHL to adjust to the game and learn the "Process", it would also allow many of the U.S. college players to either grow either in college or as a professional in the AHL as well. In general it would put less pressure on the younger guys to make that next step. The AHL would be a hybred of it's current self as most NHL teams would leave otherwise NHL ready players down on the farm. I am not sure how the less than desirable contracts that the Wild have left over from HWSRN would be effected, would a year fall off of those contracts or would they just be extended out a year for an older version of the same over payed players? This is just something that a friend and I were talking about and I thought I would ask for your input as well.