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The hunt for the next Minnesota Wild General Manager has been like getting Twitter updates on a graded-stakes horse race — somewhere, there is excitement as the competitors jockey for position, while those waiting with bated breath have little to no idea what’s really going on.
Thankfully, fans at least have The Athletic’s Michael Russo, who reported that the Wild GM derby is being led at the quarter pole by Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant GM Bill Guerin. The field of candidates also includes Philadelphia’s Ron Hextall, New Jersey’s Tom Fitzgerald, and Scott Mellanby of the Montreal Canadiens among others. However, Guerin seems to be in the lead position so far.
With just under 30 days until the start of the NHL preseason, Russo reports that the search will likely wrap up by the end of the week, meaning the Wild can begin to move forward. They will most likely start with signing RFAs Kevin Fiala, Joel Erikkson Ek, and Louie Belpedio, and eventually sit down with soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Jared Spurgeon to discuss his future with the Wild.
There’s more in today’s walk, including John Mayasich’s bid for the Team USA Olympic Hall of Fame (and how you can help), a couple new sweaters being announced, and the NHL Network announces their top 20 defensemen, including a Wild blueliner... but not the one you would expect.
Wild News
Russo has all the details on the GM search, some Winter Classic buzz, and whether or not Wild fans can expect new threads in 2019:
My latest #mnwild MAILBAG on the GM search looking like it has come down to Guerin, Mellanby and Hextall, cautious optimism for the 2021 Winter Classic, the Wild lineup and lots of other MEATY stuff >>> https://t.co/tMYANPRv8C
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) August 18, 2019
How bright is the future of the Wild? Corey Pronman takes an in-depth look at the Wild’s farm system:
.@coreypronman looks at what the next Minnesota Wild GM will inherit with a ranking of the organization's prospects https://t.co/784uTzcBRB
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) August 16, 2019
The Wild are hosting a special event highlighting hockey for the visually impaired:
A Try Blind Hockey Event will be held at TRIA Rink on Aug. 22. The event is open to people of all ages with visual impairment.
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) August 16, 2019
More details on the 2019 Blind Hockey Summit: https://t.co/IQldKHMKgd
On Frozen Pond
Gopher legend John Mayasich has been nominated for the US Olympic Hall of Fame and fans can cast their vote to help him get there:
John Mayasich led the #Gophers in scoring for four-straight years while his 298 career points still stand as the record for #PrideOnIce over 60 years later.
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) August 15, 2019
Now Mayasich is nominated for the #TeamUSAHOF and you can help him get there!
Info: https://t.co/oZFlzdnAUN pic.twitter.com/GC0sO8WhyN
Gopher Women’s Hockey alum Amanda Kessel is helping grow the sport for girls in the Big Apple:
Olympic gold medalist @AmandaKessel28 is teaming up with the @NYRangers to grow girls hockey in the New York tri-state area.
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) August 18, 2019
Full story → https://t.co/Be2i0PCU3f pic.twitter.com/oHjL3P7hsU
Former Gopher (and Wild) Jordan Leopold makes the list of the top 10 Hobey Baker winners:
Top 10 Hobey Baker Winners of All Time
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) August 18, 2019
https://t.co/Za0obcjyNo #THW #HobeyBaker #NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/p3MvC68dvL
Off The Trail
No, NHL.com, Spurgeon did not make the cut. Did he make the bubble, though? SPOILER ALERT: No.
Check out the NHL's Top 20 defensemen as decided by @NHLNetwork right here. Did your guy make the cut? @davidsatriano has the network's picks.https://t.co/0asbMU0hzO
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) August 18, 2019
Buffalo releases their 50th anniversary sweater for the 2019-20 season:
Our golden jersey for The Golden Season. #Sabres50https://t.co/HEx0H3X9VU pic.twitter.com/qe3v90IAhy
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) August 16, 2019
And fans of the #BunchOfJerks get a sneak peek at their team’s new duds, due for release tomorrow:
8.20.19
— Carolina Hurricanes (@CanesNHL) August 15, 2019
Take Warning pic.twitter.com/LdBTzozhb3
What’s an NHL player’s take-home pay? Sean Gordon of The Athletic crunches the numbers:
While it is true that NHL players earn a good income, after accounting for taxes and expenses, the numbers aren't as big as you may think. From @MrSeanGordon.https://t.co/Tu5okeHbqK
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) August 18, 2019
Craig Custance takes a look at the ramifications of Mitch Marner’s ongoing contract negotiations, and what it means for the rest of the league:
Inside the RFA standoff and why it impacts nearly every NHL team. Written by @CraigCustance.https://t.co/EvUTLxACTq
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) August 17, 2019
What’s the ideal number of minutes for an NHL star player? Ian Tulloch outlines his thoughts:
The number of minutes NHL stars play is roughly the same whether it's during the regular season or a Game 7. Should this be the case? @IanGraph investigates. https://t.co/AU8XWiDZxU
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) August 17, 2019
ICYMI, Patrik Laine had some eye-opening comments regarding his future in Winnipeg:
Caught up with Patrik Laine in Lahti, Finland today. He says contract talks with the #NHLJets are quiet and he isn't sure what it means for his future in Winnipeg: https://t.co/1y0zAJsVdw pic.twitter.com/AySw2uLIfX
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) August 16, 2019
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