Minnesota Wild Stock Market Report: Week of 3-11-2012

Injuries have no part in any of this. Nothing to see here, folks. Never mind the giant elephant in the middle of the room, since that is way too obvious. Josh Harding may back up Matt Hackett today. Or he may not. There are no other healthy goalies in the system. Injuries be damned. They have nothing to do with this.

The Wild did not have a good week. The players got themselves a victory in Phoenix, giving everyone a much needed dose of happiness. Without the players listed in the "Medical Ward," the Wild cannot compete, and yet... they did. A team of nobodies and ever will bes beat an NHL team in the playoff hunt. There's something to be said for that.

Or not. Injuries don't matter.

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

Dany Heatley (HETR) - Two off weeks in a row for Heatley. However, when an investment doesn't perform as poorly as the others, you have to give credit where it is due. Only -2 in a 7-1 loss is... acceptable. Rating: Hold Last Week: Hold

Devin Setoguchi (GUCH) - Much improved from his previous week, Setoguchi scored the only goal the loss to Colorado, and an assist vs Phoenix despite being ill. An improvement. Rating: Hold Last Week: Sell

Tom Gilbert (GRPE) - Still unimpressive, but better. The research at hand shows very little reason to buy in. Rating: Sell Last Week: Strong Sell

Dividend Stocks

Matt Cullen (TWI) - Cullen was good again, but not good enough to warrant an increase in rating. He is not outperforming his role. Feel comfortable buying, but don't over buy. Rating: Buy Last Week: Buy

Kyle Brodziak (GLUE) - Mixed bag for the week. We're dropping him back a bit, but no need to panic. Rating: Hold Last Week: Buy

Darroll Powe (POW) - When there is a week with a 7-1 loss, your top defensive forward has to share some blame, right? The best offense is a good defense. Or something like that. Unimpressive week. Rating: Sell Last Week: Sell

Josh Harding (BKUP) - Well, he gave up three against Colorado, then came back and had the shutout going against Phoenix before leaving injured. No one in the know is saying how hurt he is, and he may play today, so he stays out of the Medical Ward. Rating: Sell Last Week: Sell

Mike Lundin (WHO) - Someday, if you have the chance to spend $1 million bucks and get nothing in return, give me a call. I can sit on a couch like no one else. Rating: Sell Last Week: Sell

Kurtis Foster (FZZY) - Still not overly impressed, but it sounds like he is fighting a back injury. He gets a pass. For now. Rating: Hold Last Week: Hold

Stephane Veilleux (RED) - Some don't understand the appeal here. Keep this in mind when making your decision: he is one of the few players doing exactly what is asked of him on every single shift. Rating: Buy Last Week: Buy

Erik Christensen (NVIS) - If you see him, let us know. Rating: Strong Sell Last Week: Strong Sell

Futures Market

Nick Palmieri (DRVE) - Would be really nice to see some results, but it appears the team around him does not know how to get the puck to him at the right moment. Rating: Buy Last Week: Buy

Jared Spurgeon (TINY) - Sick with the bug going around the locker room. Not a great week, but not a terrible week. Rating: Hold Last Week: Hold

Nick Johnson (BWCE) - Nothing much to go on here. He's playing hard, but not much to help him out. Rating: Hold Last Week: Hold

Matt Kassian (SHIN) - Not sure fighting their way out of this is the answer, but Kassian has shown he has more to his game than just throwing fists. Rating: Buy Last Week: Hold

Nate Prosser (STIF) - Still completely unimpressive since locking in his future. The entire defensive corps is lacking. Rating: Sell Last Week: Sell

Warren Peters (FIX) - The hits he is throwing, it seems only a matter of time before he gets suspended again. Some are backing him, we're not convinced he has a place o this team. Rating: Strong Sell Last Week: Sell

Marco Scandella (PZZA) - Better, but not good enough. Score or play D, but you can't get away with not doing either. Rating: Sell Last Week: Sell

Matt Hackett (HACK) - He's back. Needs to step up his game a bit, but he's been... OK Rating: Hold Last Week: ---

Jed Ortmeyer (ORTS) - He's here. Playing... decent. Rating: Hold Last Week: ---

IPOs

Steven Kampfer (MOVER) - Not a great debut, but he is out scoring Tom Gilbert thus far, so that's a plus. Rating: Hold Last Week: ---

Medical Ward

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

Clayton Stoner (STDY) - Back on the ice, practicing with contact. Rating: Hold

Guillaume Latendresse (BTE) - Still out. Sounds like he won't be back. Rating: Hold

Pierre-Marc Bouchard (BALD) - Out. Likely for the season and beyond. Rating: Hold.

Mikko Koivu (KAPT) - Back on the ice with the team. We're not sure why. Rating: Hold

Niklas Backstrom (BAX) - Out 2-4 weeks. If were us, out for the season. Rating: Hold

Cal Clutterbuck (HIT) - The team says he is officially "ill." Seems it is certainly more than that. Rating: Hold

Justin Falk (FLKR) - Missed the Phoenix game with a leg injury. Rating: Hold

Divestitures

Marek Zidlicky (ZHID) - He's gone. Nothing much else to say. Rating: Strong Sell.

Nick Schultz (MO) - The folks in Edmonton hate him. In related news, people in Edmonton need lessons in what good hockey players look like. Rating: Buy

Greg Zanon (BLK) - Boston's problem now. Rating: Hold

Carson McMillan (JHNY) - Sent back to make room for Veilleux. Rating: Hold

Brad Staubitz (BTZY) - Placed on waivers, unclaimed by 29 teams, and sent to Houston. We hate to say we told you so, but... Rating: Strong Sell

Casey Wellman (CLGE) Traded to the Rangers. How that trade has worked out is unknown. Fair thee well, Mr. Wellman. Rating: Hold

Kris Foucault (FOUCS) - Came up, played, went back. Nothing to see here. Rating: Hold

Chad Rau (CAKE) - Back in Houston. Rating: Hold.

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

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