It has been awhile since we last analysed the stocks of the Minnesota Wild. During that time, the team had slid so far down the standings that we needed to enlisted Dora the Explorer to actually find them. Turns out that map is useful for things other than just annoying people.

The ratings of the majority of the team, understandably, have slipped. There is little to justify a gain for the vast majority of players. That said, a few diamonds still shine, and they are given their just rewards for doing so. If last night's level of effort continues, expect more stocks to rise, along with the position in the standings. Will the boom every come back? Not likely, but the depression on the market can't last forever.

Buy cautiously, invest wisely.

Remember:

Strong Buy - Feel free to invest heavily with your fan dollars. This player will deliver every time.
Buy - Getting results, safe bet to invest your fandom in. Will disappoint rarely.
Hold - The results aren't there, but it isn't time to give up yet. Buying or selling equally acceptable.
Sell - Time to seriously consider your investment decision. Results consistently not there, and the trend is they will not be there.
Strong Sell - The lowest of rankings. Time to get out, and get out now, before your investment is totally worthless.

Note: The analysis will change from week to week, and are not equal from player to player. It's just our thing.

Blue Chips

Mikko Koivu (KAPT) - Clearly the heart of the team, Koivu's injury to his shoulder has yet to play out, but the impact on the team has already been made. Rating: Hold

Dany Heatley (HETR) - Heaters gonna heat, right? Clearly not the Dany Heatley of old, he still commands a great deal of attention from the opposition. If the Wild could get the pressure off of him with some secondary scoring, Heatley just might be able to pop for a few. Rating: Buy.

Devin Setoguchi (GUCH) - Back on the ice, but still rather disappointing. He has a couple goals since his return, but something just isn't there. Wild could really use a guy like him to step up. Missing team meetings is not the way to do that. Rating: Hold

Niklas Backstrom (BAX) - Sick for quite awhile, Backstrom's game is off. Mostly due to the team in front of him by our analysis, but still off just a bit. It wouldn't take much to get us back to buying here. Rating: Hold

Marek Zidlicky (ZHID) - Showed flashes of the old Zidlicky, then went back into a shell. Took his first healthy scratch since becoming a member of the Wild, a move that was long overdue. If the Wild could move him and his contract, we have to think they would. Rating: Sell.

Dividend Stocks

Matt Cullen (TWI) - Oh he of 1000 games and a fancy silver stick. Cullen needs to remember why he has those 1000 games, and play his own game. He isn't Mikko Koivu, and he needs to stop trying to be. Matt Cullen would be fine right now. Rating: Hold

Guillaume Latendresse (BTE) - Still out. Not practicing, and as far as we can tell, not even really with the team. Rating: Hold

Pierre-Marc Bouchard (BALD) - Out with another concussion, despite his best efforts to avoid it. Thanks Zach Bogosian and Brendan Shanahan. Great decisions by all involved. Rating: Hold.

Nick Schultz (MO) - Last time we reported, we asked for five more Nick Schultzes. Any chance we can change that order to 8 or 10? Rating: Strong Buy

Greg Zanon (BLK) - Zanon looked good last night, but has been unimpressive since our last analysis. Nothing has changed here. Still on the block, still needs some new scenery. Rating: Sell

Kyle Brodziak (GLUE) - Another guy trying to do too much and be someone he isn't. Get back to being Kyle Brodziak. Rating: Hold

Cal Clutterbuck (HIT) - Bouncing around the line up almost as much as he bounces around the ice, Clutterbuck has been a rare bright spot on this team. Consistent buy in, good foreheck. Had a down game, took some frustration out in it, and didn't talk to the media. All very uncharacteristic of Clutterbuck. Doesn't look to be a long term issue. Rating: Buy.

Darroll Powe (POW) - Good to see Powe back in his natural role and performing well in it. He is not a scorer, and needs to quit being treated like one. Rating: Hold

Josh Harding (BKUP) - Has played very well in the past three weeks, save for a couple off nights. His team is not very solid with support, which hurts his stock a bit. You have to believe he is on the trading block, and Chuck Flethcer is pushing him hard. Rating: Buy

Mike Lundin (WHO) - Invisible on the ice most games. Which for him, is good. Rating: Hold

Futures Market

Clayton Stoner (STDY) - Back in the game, and doing his best Nick Schultz impression. Not bad at all, actually. Rating: Buy

Jared Spurgeon (TINY) - Still the best d-man on the team. Great find by Fletcher that just continues to work.. Rating: Strong Buy

Justin Falk (FLKR) - Falk has been a revelation lately. Playing big, playing physical, and clearing bodies. Exactly what he needs to do to stay in the NHL. Gotta give the guy credit where it is due. Rating: Buy

Nick Johnson (BWCE) - Yep, still the best waiver claim the Wild have ever made. No reason to change your thinking here. Rating: Strong Buy

Matt Kassian (SHIN) - Sent back to Houston, and now back, Kassian is a message sender in more ways than one. He is a better threat than Staubitz, and plays a more disciplined game. Would love to see him stick around, but that is unlikely. Rating: Hold

Nate Prosser (STIF) - Also sent down only to be called back. We hope someone reminded him that he stole the spot of a $4 million player. Rating: Buy

Jarod Palmer (HOPE) - Injured. Concussion. Go figure. Rating: Hold

Warren Peters (FIX) - Still around. That's a good sign for him. Rating: Hold

Jed Ortmeyer (ORTS) - Another guy who was sent down, and is now back. Will he stay up? Likely not long, but his presence was felt, yet again. Rating: Hold

Penny Stocks

Brad Staubitz (BTZY) - When your team plays better without you than with you, you are a problem. Rating: Strong Sell

Wild Power Play (SUCC) - The umbrella seems to be gone, the results are the same. Ugly. Rating: Strong Sell

NHL Refereeing (REF) - Continues to be a black mark on the league. Why is it so hard to call a game by the rules? Seems it would be a rather significant part of their jobs. Rating: Strong Sell

Department of Player Safety (JOKE) - What's left to say here? Dump it. Rating: Strong Sell

IPOs

Chad Rau (CAKE) - A game winning goal in his NHL debut and a face full of shaving creme. Yep, that'll do, kid. Rating: Buy

Carson McMillan (JHNY) - A physical player brought up to be a physical player who is playing... physical. Can't ask for much more. Only knock here is that you never know how long he will actually be here. Rating: Hold

David McIntyre (IMAC) - Came up, scored a bit, went back. That alone was worth trading away Maxim Noreau. Rating: Hold

Divestitures

Marco Scandella (PZZA) - Sent down to regain some confidence, Scandella needs to do just that. Quickly. Rating: Hold

Colton Gillies (MBDY) - Enjoy Columbus, good sir. Rating: Hold

Jon DiSalvatore (AERO) - Up for a gme, then back to Houston. Thanks for stopping by. Rating: Hold

Matthew Hackett (HACK) - Returned to Houston. A bright future for this kid. Rating: Strong Buy

Jeff Taffe (GOPH) - Great few games for Taffe. He'll be back. Rating: Buy

Paul Deutsch (FREE) - You gotta love the story. A 51 year old small business owner gets inked for a one day deal to serve as an emergency backup until Matt Hackett can get to St. Paul. He didn't make it into a game, but the story alone is worth a million bucks, easy. #FreeDeutsch Rating: Strong Buy

Kris Fredheim (PUPY) - Sent back to Houston, but certainly proved himself a capable replacement should the Wild need him. Rating: Hold

Brett Bulmer (JR) - Sent back to play against children, we're not sure what Chuck Fletcher was thinking here, but it is what it is. We're keeping the kid as a strong buy. Can't wait to see him back. Rating: Strong Buy

Cody Almond (JOY) - Unimpressive in his stint with the Wild. Hate to say it, but it may almost be time for him to move on. Rating: Hold

Casey Wellman (CLGE) Really not sure what we're missing here. Kid has speed, a good shot, and plays hard. He gets fourth line minutes and then demoted. Something doesn't smell right there. Rating: Hold