Wild acquires Kobasew from Bruins

OldTimeHockey wrote:

I was referring to a lot of the people on the different message boards.

CDC is very patient! Check that one out.

I am not sold on this trade, but not because of Fallstrom or the 2nd rounder in 2011.

Kobasew fits "the system" more so than Sykora. I would understand and accept this trade if we didn't already have Sykora on the roster, but this seems a bit...

Wonky.

sqare wrote:

I am not sold on this trade, but not because of Fallstrom or the 2nd rounder in 2011.

Kobasew fits "the system" more so than Sykora. I would understand and accept this trade if we didn't already have Sykora on the roster, but this seems a bit...

Wonky.

Are you trying to say that Fletcher should have waited instead of pulling the trigger on Sykora? If he only waited a month, we would have saved ourselves $1.6 million about the same amount as the dollar value of Kobasew after factoring the removal of Weller's salary?

hockeygirl101 wrote:

Why does it make people feel easier that's a 2011 2nd rounder? Does this mean folks think we will do much, much better next year and that pick would be a lower 2nd rounder? Or that we have time to get another 2nd rounder by the trade deadline?

2010 2nd rounder can generally help the team earlier than a 2011, the way things are going the 2011 pick can only end up being a worse pick, and does give them more time to get a 2nd rounder. Teams in sports generally have to give up a 2nd rounder in next year's draft to get a 3rd rounder in the current draft.

This was a bizarre trade that smelled a little bit of desperation. I don't understand what direction this team is trying to take and I feel like this whole organization is a complete mess top to bottom. We need at least some direction and some blue print. We threw the 5 year plan out the window once we made the playoffs in 2003 and we still don't have a map. It feels like we're driving directionless no matter who is in the driver seat.

If we're rebuilding; rebuild right. None of this half-ass stuff.

Kobasew is in the opposite direction we want to take this team. He's 27 and he's pretty much, what you see, is what you get. We have around a dozen of these guys in our system. I don't understand why we couldn't give Houston a ring to bring up a player like Kalus or Irmen to fill in while Bouchard and whoever else patch themselves up. It's not like this season was going to be a major success and we were driving to push for the Stanley Cup or the playoffs. At least give the young guys an audition to see what the hell we have left over.

I liked Fallstrom and he had chemistry with Haula, so that hurts a little more.

It's frustrating. Fletcher said he values draft picks and young players and yet he gives up two for a player that not only eats up some much needed cap space but also doesn't really impact long term for the team?

Are Minnesotans that impatient that they still have a mentality to win now?

I just want some direction to this team and none of this; we're uh competing sort of...

I think anyone and everyone not named Schultz, Koivu and Backstrom (damn DR and his contracts) should be on the block and we should field any and all considerations.

It also feels like Fletcher was still trying to unload Weller and the only team that would take him only if we gave them a few other things so we could get rid of the guy.

I am trusting Fletcher but man, he needs to be a little more upfront with what direction he is taking this organization.

But if the team decides to totally tank without trying to solve any problems, then you might as well put Burns, Backstrom, Koivu, and Schultz on the chopping block. I'm all for being patient. We know they are gonna have to rebuild, but at least do it respectively. Doing absolutely nothing for a year or two just to take stock of things will be a perfect waste of talent with those boys. More concerning, they won't want to stick around. I'd like to have Koivu retained when this team finally develops a direction, but he'll bail if Fletcher has nothing but a short history of sitting on his hands. It's almost a damned if you do...damned if you don't scenario.

Wild Fan #1 wrote:

OldTimeHockey wrote:

There is MORE than enough time to replace that pick.

Draft picks are never "replaced". That's just Russo trying to make excuses for Fletcher's strange move. Instead of drafting 2 or 3 times in 2011's 2nd round, we will be drafting 1 or 2. That pick will never be replaced. Fletcher has already traded away as many draft picks than he has acquired, not including Fallstrom. So much for being "gold".

Agree, draft picks can never be replaced, but DR's failure wasn't that he just traded away picks, it's that he also let players walk without getting anything in return, thus being left with no draft picks to work with at all.

You can't expect a GM to operate a franchise successfully without EVER trading away picks, but he better damn well come some back in other moves in the future as well!

That's why I think everyone is happier with this being a pick in 2011. It doesn't take anything away from the next draft at all, and gives plenty of time to try to re-stock the 2011 draft with additional picks in other moves.

TaLoN wrote:

Agree, draft picks can never be replaced, but DR's failure wasn't that he just traded away picks, it's that he also let players walk without getting anything in return, thus being left with no draft picks to work with at all.

You can't expect a GM to operate a franchise successfully without EVER trading away picks, but he better damn well come some back in other moves in the future as well!

That's why I think everyone is happier with this being a pick in 2011. It doesn't take anything away from the next draft at all, and gives plenty of time to try to re-stock the 2011 draft with additional picks in other moves.

Well that's a better way of putting it. Plenty of time....and more than likely many more moves on the way.

TaLoN wrote:

Agree, draft picks can never be replaced, but DR's failure wasn't that he just traded away picks, it's that he also let players walk without getting anything in return, thus being left with no draft picks to work with at all.

You can't expect a GM to operate a franchise successfully without EVER trading away picks, but he better damn well come some back in other moves in the future as well!

That's why I think everyone is happier with this being a pick in 2011. It doesn't take anything away from the next draft at all, and gives plenty of time to try to re-stock the 2011 draft with additional picks in other moves.

This "walk" talk is another classic Russoism. There have very few players from this team that truly "walked". Of the notable players that have left Minnesota, only Demitra and Gaborik did not bring a return. That's just 2 players in 8 years under the previous management, and Demitra can be excluded from the conversation. Not even DR would be dumb enough to trade him at the deadline when we were fighting for the #3 seed in the West. So basically it's only 1, and that's Gaborik. And as we all know, it was a combined effort. Gaborik couldn't stay on the ice to be tradeable, and DR tried to win with him in his last days as GM. It was a big loss, but snowballs happen like that. Atlanta is risking the same thing this year.

The fact is, dozens of UFAs are let go for nothing every year. Every single one of them was let go for nothing from a team. It was not the reason why we had fewer draft picks in recent years. That was simply a case of the old guys trading away more than they brought in. Of a top-10 list of why the Wild are at where they're at, letting Gaborik go for nothing isn't near the top of the list.

When June 2011 rolls around, let's see if Wild fans are "happy" that they're down an extra 2nd rounder and Fallstrom. I know I won't be, even if Kobasew brings what we know he can. And that's the worst part. We know what we could be getting, and it's nothing special. I'm just finding humorously strange how all of a sudden trading away draft picks and prospects for marginal gain is OK again. No wonder DR was given 8 years. It takes that many years of giving them excuses before people want accountability.

Look at it this way, a pick may never even make the NHL. Fallstrom, who most of you never even saw play may never make the NHL. Trade that for someone who is proven NHL talent is not a bad deal. Kobasew is better than many of our guys now.
I believe this team will have a ton of spare picks after the trade deadline this year. BTW, you might want to think twice about asking for a Burns jersey for Chistmas this year.

Wild Fan #1 wrote:

TaLoN wrote:

Agree, draft picks can never be replaced, but DR's failure wasn't that he just traded away picks, it's that he also let players walk without getting anything in return, thus being left with no draft picks to work with at all.

You can't expect a GM to operate a franchise successfully without EVER trading away picks, but he better damn well come some back in other moves in the future as well!

That's why I think everyone is happier with this being a pick in 2011. It doesn't take anything away from the next draft at all, and gives plenty of time to try to re-stock the 2011 draft with additional picks in other moves.

This "walk" talk is another classic Russoism. There have very few players from this team that truly "walked". Of the notable players that have left Minnesota, only Demitra and Gaborik did not bring a return. That's just 2 players in 8 years under the previous management, and Demitra can be excluded from the conversation. Not even DR would be dumb enough to trade him at the deadline when we were fighting for the #3 seed in the West. So basically it's only 1, and that's Gaborik. And as we all know, it was a combined effort. Gaborik couldn't stay on the ice to be tradeable, and DR tried to win with him in his last days as GM. It was a big loss, but snowballs happen like that. Atlanta is risking the same thing this year.

The fact is, dozens of UFAs are let go for nothing every year. Every single one of them was let go for nothing from a team. It was not the reason why we had fewer draft picks in recent years. That was simply a case of the old guys trading away more than they brought in. Of a top-10 list of why the Wild are at where they're at, letting Gaborik go for nothing isn't near the top of the list.

When June 2011 rolls around, let's see if Wild fans are "happy" that they're down an extra 2nd rounder and Fallstrom. I know I won't be, even if Kobasew brings what we know he can. And that's the worst part. We know what we could be getting, and it's nothing special. I'm just finding humorously strange how all of a sudden trading away draft picks and prospects for marginal gain is OK again. No wonder DR was given 8 years. It takes that many years of giving them excuses before people want accountability.

Waddell traded Hossa, he'll trade Kovi for the best offer if he isn't signed.
I don't really see how people could be "happy" with this trade, sure Kobasew is a 20 goal scorer with above average speed and great work ethic, but 20 goals isn't going to push this team near a playoff spot. The only way this trade makes sense is if CF can dump some DR scraps that don't fit his system of similar salaries for some return. I'd be happy to see Nolan and Missthenetagain get off this team for 3rd rounders each right now, and IMO would justify this trade(primarily Missthenetagain because of basically same contract for less talented player). They are making as much of an impact as Andy Hilbert or Nathan Smith, absolutely nothing(which for the record is MUCH better than the negative impact of Derek Boogaard). Then when the Wild are out of it at the deadline, rent Zidlicky, and Johnsson if you can't work out an extension. Both will be able to net quality returns, Johnsson can help any team's top-4 even strength, and Zidlicky is a top-10 or so PP QB in the league(who right now is being used very poorly on our top PP unit).

Miettinen is possibly having the worst year out of any of our forwards..that signing is beginning to be more and more embarrassing than it already is.

agree but he's one of the few guys with some wheels on this team. He won't be on this squad next year , niether will Boogaard.

next year the crew is going to seem really different with all the fresh faces.

first game of the season for me is going to be the 30th, aka dubbed, "The night HE came home!"

should be fun. depressing to see him to what he did to Lundquist to Backstrom, but fun to be back in the Xcel.

OldTimeHockey wrote:

But if the team decides to totally tank without trying to solve any problems, then you might as well put Burns, Backstrom, Koivu, and Schultz on the chopping block. I'm all for being patient. We know they are gonna have to rebuild, but at least do it respectively. Doing absolutely nothing for a year or two just to take stock of things will be a perfect waste of talent with those boys. More concerning, they won't want to stick around. I'd like to have Koivu retained when this team finally develops a direction, but he'll bail if Fletcher has nothing but a short history of sitting on his hands. It's almost a damned if you do...damned if you don't scenario.

This is spot on.

Most fans don't want to hear the words rebuild because it means bad games. Not necessarily. The Kobasew trade was a knee jerk reaction. Kobasew does not solve any problems right now, except maybe a short term temporarily fix until our guys either get patched up or well, traded. But we have like 4 Kobasew's right now, maybe more. He might add something differently then another player but we have at best 8 guys that are tweeners; as in 2nd/3rd liners. Nolan, Brunette, Sykora, Clutterbuck, Miettinen, Belanger, Sheppard, Pouliot.

I also think we should remove any players drafted by DR simply because he was drafting players to play in Lemaire's system. If we are to input a new system, let's get better players to do it. Sheppard, Gilles, Pouliot, Bouchard all need to go.

Quisp wrote:

Look at it this way, a pick may never even make the NHL. Fallstrom, who most of you never even saw play may never make the NHL. Trade that for someone who is proven NHL talent is not a bad deal. Kobasew is better than many of our guys now.
I believe this team will have a ton of spare picks after the trade deadline this year. BTW, you might want to think twice about asking for a Burns jersey for Chistmas this year.

I'm about as much of a realist as anybody when it comes to the dismal percentage game on NHL draft picks, but it was tough to read today that Fallstrom is on Swedens "A" team for an upcoming U20 tournament in Canada - a prep for the WJC. That team is loaded, and it says something that a 4th rounder like him is on it.

Wild Fan #1 wrote:

Quisp wrote:

Look at it this way, a pick may never even make the NHL. Fallstrom, who most of you never even saw play may never make the NHL. Trade that for someone who is proven NHL talent is not a bad deal. Kobasew is better than many of our guys now.
I believe this team will have a ton of spare picks after the trade deadline this year. BTW, you might want to think twice about asking for a Burns jersey for Chistmas this year.

I'm about as much of a realist as anybody when it comes to the dismal percentage game on NHL draft picks, but it was tough to read today that Fallstrom is on Swedens "A" team for an upcoming U20 tournament in Canada - a prep for the WJC. That team is loaded, and it says something that a 4th rounder like him is on it.

Not only that but Fallstrom had chemistry with a dynamite little hockey player in Haula, which makes it worse.

:lol

who the fuck told koala about this place?

Lordy, I thought all the amateur GMs got filtered out of this place. It's a decent move, nothing spectacular but made out of necessity. We are hurting with injuries and need a guy who can supplement scoring.

The inane infatuation with draft picks really gets to me. Just what season do you think a 2nd round 2011 draft pick will be able to contribute? When is Fallstrom going to be in the lineup? We need help now. We can worry about getting draft picks down the line.

By the way, Kobasew has 6 year experience and 20 goal seasons on anyone you want to bring up from the minors. Bringing someone up does nothing to help the team and may hinder their development.

mplspug wrote:

Lordy, I thought all the amateur GMs got filtered out of this place. It's a decent move, nothing spectacular but made out of necessity. We are hurting with injuries and need a guy who can supplement scoring.

The inane infatuation with draft picks really gets to me. Just what season do you think a 2nd round 2011 draft pick will be able to contribute? When is Fallstrom going to be in the lineup? We need help now. We can worry about getting draft picks down the line.

By the way, Kobasew has 6 year experience and 20 goal seasons on anyone you want to bring up from the minors. Bringing someone up does nothing to help the team and may hinder their development.

Necessity? We have at least 6-7 young players in the AHL that we could look at to see if they even have a future with the Wild.

2011? there is a chance, you never know. Lucic, Stastny, Bergeron all dropped to the 2nd round. O'Sullivan did too. along with Weber.

Why do we need help now? Are we aiming for the Stanley Cup this year? Are we trying to get into the playoffs this year?

How can that hinder their development? Let them play. Yeah if you say the season rests on your shoulders to get us to the playoffs, yes it can hinder their development. But if you let them play, let them make mistakes and correct them, they can grow from that. And then we can see what we have and what we don't have to shore up in the future.

Kobasew is also a 2.5 million dollar cap hit, and is a UFA at the end of next season. Sooo...

Also I would have been fine if it was Weller + either a 2nd or Fallstrom but adding both seem to be over the top.

thespeckledkiwi wrote:

mplspug wrote:

Lordy, I thought all the amateur GMs got filtered out of this place. It's a decent move, nothing spectacular but made out of necessity. We are hurting with injuries and need a guy who can supplement scoring.

The inane infatuation with draft picks really gets to me. Just what season do you think a 2nd round 2011 draft pick will be able to contribute? When is Fallstrom going to be in the lineup? We need help now. We can worry about getting draft picks down the line.

By the way, Kobasew has 6 year experience and 20 goal seasons on anyone you want to bring up from the minors. Bringing someone up does nothing to help the team and may hinder their development.

Necessity? We have at least 6-7 young players in the AHL that we could look at to see if they even have a future with the Wild.

2011? there is a chance, you never know. Lucic, Stastny, Bergeron all dropped to the 2nd round. O'Sullivan did too. along with Weber.

Why do we need help now? Are we aiming for the Stanley Cup this year? Are we trying to get into the playoffs this year?

How can that hinder their development? Let them play. Yeah if you say the season rests on your shoulders to get us to the playoffs, yes it can hinder their development. But if you let them play, let them make mistakes and correct them, they can grow from that. And then we can see what we have and what we don't have to shore up in the future.

Kobasew is also a 2.5 million dollar cap hit, and is a UFA at the end of next season. Sooo...

Also I would have been fine if it was Weller + either a 2nd or Fallstrom but adding both seem to be over the top.

What? 7 guys ready to be given a shot?
Gillies needs to be there for awhile. McMillan and Almond are behind him in development. Madsen went back to Europe because hes bad. Kalus will likely be back in Europe by Christmas because he is bad, hates Constantine, and was overlooked for a scrub like Nathan Smith with the Wild in injury trouble. Kassian is an enforcer, we already got 2 scrubs doing that. The rest of the forwards are career minor leaguers. On D, Stoner couldn't beat out Sifers this year, so its hard to believe he's got better than a #7 potential, and Falk might have a legitimate shot next year at the Wild, but is not ready right now. The rest of the D are all career minor leaguers.
So really, there is no one else to call up from Houston. Hilbert and Smith were going to be #1 and #2, and there wasn't really a #3. If they wanted a cheap body I'm sure the Lightning would have given us Adam Hall back for futures(aka nothing), which I would of preferred to this move for Kobasew.

But it still wouldn't hurt the team to have Gilles back up for a stretch, or hell even McMillan or Almond. They could be scratched, and just move the players around. We got Nolan, Brunette, Miettinen as wingers. Throw in Pouliot as well. Bring up Irmen, Milroy or Earl as well and have them play 5-6 minutes a game.

Hell have Belanger and Pouliot play on the same line with Nolan. But we got a lot of centers that we could throw out on the wing for the time being.

thespeckledkiwi wrote:

But it still wouldn't hurt the team to have Gilles back up for a stretch, or hell even McMillan or Almond. They could be scratched, and just move the players around. We got Nolan, Brunette, Miettinen as wingers. Throw in Pouliot as well. Bring up Irmen, Milroy or Earl as well and have them play 5-6 minutes a game.

Hell have Belanger and Pouliot play on the same line with Nolan. But we got a lot of centers that we could throw out on the wing for the time being.

Oh hell no!!! This is the Minnesota Wild, not the Houston Aeros. Some players (like Irmen) are meant to be AHLer's. Nothing more.

And god do not bring up Gillies. He's a third line grinder. That role take years to develop in the minors before he's NHL ready.

I really neither hate this trade, nor love it. While we do get rid of Useless #2 in it for Koba, I am not digging losing Fallstrom. After reading the dirt sheet on Fallstrom on draft day I really liked what I read. Plus $2.3M for another 3rd line grinder? Don't we already have that in Mittens? While I like that Fletch is being proactive to stop the hemorraging of this young season, I feel this is a trigger pull trade that we may regret down the road. But I'll try and feel positive in the fact we dumped the skating punching bag. Maybe Fletch can pull a coup to regain a 2nd for Boogaard to a soft team. What's Montreal's area code? Psht yeah right, even Gainey isn't that stupid.

I see Chia has been a busy man on the phones today with landing Paille from Buffalo for a 2010 3rd and a cond 4th. Don't even see mention of the Weller/Kobasew mega trade on their site.