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1No pithy lead-in. Let’s just get going with this monstrosity:
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3Nick H.: GM candidates? Just wondering what names will pop up and which should/will get serious consideration?
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5Russo: Paul Fenton, the Nashville Predators assistant GM, is the frontrunner and has already been in for an interview Wednesday. At this juncture, I truly believe the job’s his in part because of his previous history in Nashville with owner Craig Leipold but also because of his reputation — and the Predators’ reputation — of draft and development.
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7If Fenton is not offered the job or doesn’t accept, Toronto Maple Leafs executive Kyle Dubas may get a strong look, as well as former San Jose and Los Angeles GM Dean Lombardi because of his vast experience and two Stanley Cups with the Kings. New Jersey Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald should be brought in for an interview and I do believe there has already been contact. I covered Fitzgerald in Florida and am a BIG fan of him personally and professionally. Just a smart, smart hockey guy and the first captain in Predators history 20 years ago when Leipold owned the team.
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9I’d think Pittsburgh’s Bill Guerin gets a call, although as of Thursday, I don’t think that has happened yet. Former Panthers captain Scott Mellanby, who works in Montreal, is an intriguing choice and is another person I have immense respect for. I’d imagine Florida’s Chris Pronger and St. Louis’ Martin Brodeur (how weird is it to identify those legendary hockey players with those teams in front of their names?) are interested. And remember, Pierre McGuire came to town for interviews nine years ago and is again interested. If I’m Leipold, I also meet with NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton, particularly because he attends so many Wild games. I’ve known acting GM Brent Flahr for 20 years since our days in Florida, and I think it’s time he gets looks as a GM somewhere. But I have trouble buying it will be here. If Leipold wants changes, he’s probably not going to elevate Chuck Fletcher’s nine-year right-hand man. Flahr was eliminated in my eyes the second Leipold said he wants somebody who doesn’t have “ownership” in the current players.
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11I do think experience with this particular job is necessary because coming to the Wild will be a challenge. I’ve said this a few times now, but in a lot of ways, Fletcher would have been in the best position to make trades this offseason because he knows which teams have previously had interest in the Coyles and Niederreiters of the world. A new GM may also first want to take a look at these players with his own eyes before pulling the trigger toward trading them, so conceivably, hiring a new GM could delay the tweaking process a bit. Leipold is slated to have hip surgery next month, so I’d think he’d like to come to a conclusion sooner than later. But I always believe it benefits an owner to be slow and deliberate during a search like this and talk to as many people as possible in part to gain intelligence about your franchise, but also to make certain you’re hiring the right person. In Leipold’s 20-year history as an NHL owner, he has employed two GMs, so this is a long-term decision, and you want to ensure you’ve got the right person.
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13One other aside here, I have felt this way for a long time and I’m not trying to cost Leipold an extra $1 or 2 million, but I think this team needs a President of Hockey Ops type role, an overseer of sorts, an adviser. If I’m Leipold, I’d at least contact Brian Burke — Edina’s Brian Burke — and see if he’d be interested now that he has left Calgary as the Flames’ president. Plus, Burke knows Fenton well from their days all living in Hartford, so bringing in a “Burkie” wouldn’t rule out hiring Fenton if he’s the choice as GM.
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15Reid Alberts? @RAlberts10: How soon can we expect the hire? I imagine the new GM will want ample time to assess the roster, potentially assemble a new staff, prepare for the draft, and prepare for free agency.
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17Russo: I do think soon for many of the reasons you point out. I just don’t see this going as long as the last one nine years ago (Fletcher was hired May 22, 2009).
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19Marcus E.: Will the Wild ever be a Championship contender without Craig Leipold changing his perspective on where the team is really at, and in how to really build it?
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21Russo: Trust me, I hear ya. And I do think this entire, “This is not a rebuild,” thing sets up for a very tricky situation for whoever takes the job. Leipold doesn’t want to blow up the team — which I get and think is impossible anyway — but then he admits the team just isn’t good enough and he only wants “tweaks that make you better.” I just don’t buy that “tweaks” are going to catch the Wild up to teams like Nashville and Winnipeg, who have patiently drafted and developed masterfully for a long time. Frankly, tweaks and the whole win now/having it both ways approach is what Fletcher had been doing the past number of seasons (using draft picks and prospects as currency) and it didn’t result in a team good enough to go on a long playoff run.
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23Of course, the naysayer would say Fletcher just didn’t make the right moves. Maybe he chose to commit to the wrong players (hard to argue when Erik Haula’s soaring in Vegas and Charlie Coyle didn’t produce in the regular season or playoffs). Maybe he swung for the fences on the wrong guy (Martin Hanzal). Maybe the expansion gymnastics ended up hurting the team and he should have just accepted (like Florida, Anaheim, Columbus, etc.) that he was going to lose one good player and reacted after that. But this is not an easy needle to thread for the next GM and you run the risk of having the new guy put in a position where he can’t manage the team the way he’d prefer. Because, personally, I do think Fletcher would have operated this team way differently since 2012 had the Wild not signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Once the Wild signed them, it was imperative to go out and try to massage things to win a Cup just because of the money invested and their advancing ages. Obviously, the tactics the last few years didn’t work.
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25Michael Brannan? @mbrannan7: If guys like Fenton, Julien BriseBois and other top GM candidates all say they believe the roster needs a rebuild or partial teardown, will Leipold listen and change his mind or just hire a less qualified “yes man” to largely stay the course and not rebuild?
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27Russo: I can just say that Leipold said, “I wouldn’t hire that person. They’ll know exactly how I feel and I would expect any general manager candidate coming in to talk with me to understand our players, to know where the strengths and the weaknesses are and the direction we’re going in. And if they don’t have the same feeling that I do, that we are not far from being the team that we need to be, then that would probably not be a candidate that I would choose.” The danger in that, of course, is that a new GM candidate may not be as honest as he should with Leipold about the roster construction just to get in the door OR once he’s hired not conduct business the way he thinks it should be conducted to get the Wild over the hump.
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29Brandon G.: Mike, you’ve been around the game a long time, as have most of us. Do you believe the Minnesota fanbase is willing to endure some losing seasons to rebuild? We’ve seen it work in the NHL, specifically with Pittsburgh, Boston and Chicago, and we’ve seen it not work with Edmonton, Buffalo and Arizona.
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31Russo: The real question is: Are the season-ticket holders willing to endure losing seasons to rebuild? My guess, if the Wild decided to do a full rebuild and losing led to misery, while the stakeholders may return afterward, the team would lose a lot of season-ticket holders during the process. And that’s clearly something Leipold isn’t willing to stomach. That’s his right. He’s the one who bought the team for $260 million and spends, frankly, above the cap ceiling every single season (and funds a minor-league payroll near the top of the AHL for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in its five years).
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33Remember, I’m the guy who harped six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 years ago that it would probably behoove the Wild to have a few losing seasons in return for blue-chip prospects. For the 13 seasons I’ve covered them (and in the four seasons before me), they’ve always been just good enough. But while it’s easy for somebody like me to say, yes, it’s time to lose in order to snatch a few lottery picks and franchise-changing players, I don’t spend a dime on tickets. I don’t have to worry about wasting a few more years in the careers of guys I’ve spent a fortune on like Zach Parise, Ryan Suter and Mikko Koivu. No doubt in my mind that the fans would return. But it would be a painful process, particularly for the guy paying the bills.
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35Jeff H.: I’ve been a season-ticket holder since Day 1 of this franchise and IF there is a mid- to long-term plan to develop the Wild into a perennial contender and it requires a re-build, I’m ALL for it!! A couple of years losing and not making the playoffs vs. having no faith that we have the talent and chemistry to ever make a deep run is a good trade off.
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37Russo: OK, I take that all back. Jeff’s in. I would be curious how many others feel the same way. Sounds like a good poll or discussion topic for MN managing editor Zack Pierce to whip up. (Editor’s note: I’m a little tired after this edit, but let’s do that on Monday.)
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39Brett Wintheiser? @BrettWintheiser: Leipold didn’t sound like he loved the approach to the expansion draft last summer. Is that something people were getting in his ear about? Or what other things were there?
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41Russo: I’d agree with you. Leipold let it be known Monday that “last summer was a really hard summer because of the expansion draft. We were so focused on the expansion draft it was hard to feel like, How do we make our team better versus let’s not make our team worse because of the expansion draft?” Remember, the expansion challenges Fletcher was dealing with also had to do with the salary-cap challenges. It was kind of a “kill two birds with one stone” approach. The Wild decided they were going to re-sign Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter, not trade them. To do so, the Wild had to create space. Haula was a restricted free agent and not far off from unrestricted free agency, so the Wild realized they couldn’t afford him BECAUSE they decided they’d commit to guys like Granlund, Niederreiter and Coyle. I think it’s fair to say the Wild missed Haula a lot more than any of us expected they would. Not only did he show he can produce in a second-line and power-play role better than, frankly, Koivu, the Wild were a much slower team without him and others that they lost. Add in the fact that Alex Tuch was thrown in to entice Vegas to take Haula, I’ve got to think Leipold was sick to his stomach along with all fans watching them in Thursday’s 7-0 blowout of San Jose. As far as your question regarding people getting in his ear (as I’ve reported), I hear it was several moves analyzed and dissected. Not just expansion, but trades and drafting.
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43Westley B.: I definitely think CF’s mistakes outweigh his accomplishments, and this was necessary. But with that said, do you think that the scouts and player development should be held accountable as well? I know they haven’t had much to work with in the draft in the past couple seasons, but it seems they haven’t brought those talented players taken in later picks (Brock Boeser is just one example). Do you think more personnel should be replaced besides CF?
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45Russo: I’m going to use a line a sports writing mentor of mine used to tell readers: “It’s not my job to tell you what I think should happen, it’s my job to tell you what will happen.” Even though I probably contradict that saying every day of my life and probably will throughout this mailbag, I do get the sense the new GM will overhaul the drafting and development operation of the Wild. I just get the impression the drafts the past nine years have been analyzed and they’re not happy with the number of misses (studs taken behind guys the Wild took) despite arguably the lack of quantity of picks. Plus, a new GM will have his own people (in most cases). I will, by the way, delve into the drafts and do an analysis as we get closer to the draft.
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47Nick F.: I don’t think a full rebuild works with the Wild’s roster construction (Suter, Parise). And I’m happy about that. Who on the Wild has the most value on the trade market?
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49Russo: Currently, I’d say Jason Zucker because of the speed and skill, but I personally think it’s dangerous trading him. I’d think Coyle, Niederreiter and Jonas Brodin are three guys that the new GM will be hearing from others about. And remember, Leipold wants this team to win now, so I’d think any trade would have to be for roster players in return, not picks and prospects. The danger there is the core of this team has always shown the ability to get Minnesota in the postseason. So if you tweak too much, you could potentially be taking a step back.
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51Layne J.: Thoughts on John Tavares and him potentially entering the market as a free agent. Any room for him? Would he even come here if we had the $?
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53Russo: Man, that’d be a game-changer, wouldn’t it? The Wild currently have $67.5 million committed to payroll next season, about $65.1 million if they buy out Tyler Ennis. This doesn’t include re-signing Zucker or Matt Dumba. The salary cap ceiling is expected to rise to $78-$82 million. So, let’s say conservatively Tavares costs $8-$9 million. It wouldn’t work if Zucker and/or Dumba was around. To create space, the Wild could make significant trades at or around the draft (Coyle, Niederreiter, Brodin?). BUT, remember, if the new GM is doing this to sign Tavares or another high-priced free agent, he couldn’t take a lot of money back in those trades. He’d have to trade them for picks and prospects. If the Wild then swung and missed for Tavares, theoretically trading those players for no or minimal roster players back would be doing exactly what Leipold doesn’t want to do — rebuilding. So, as of THIS moment, I just can’t wrap my head around Tavares being an actual possibility.
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55Joe H.: In the NFL and MLB (it) seems GMs typically want to bring in “their guy” as coach. Is that the same in the NHL or is it less of a priority?
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57Russo: Normally, a GM would want to pick his coach just to be on the same page, have the philosophy and know for certain there’s loyalty there. It’s imperative the coach and GM work hand in hand and have a good relationship, and I can’t think of too many examples where a new GM inherited a coach the owner wanted him to keep and then kept him longer than a year. So, I do think there will be pressure on coach Bruce Boudreau, who has two years left on his contract. But Boudreau has the second-best regular season points percentage in the history of the NHL. At a minimum, this is a coach who gets you to the playoffs annually.
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59rdjones? @rdjones: Does Fletcher become a front-runner for Seattle?
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61Russo: My guess is Fletcher will be in the running for several GM jobs that become available. Six straight postseasons is something the majority of the NHL teams would love. It wouldn’t shock me if he’ll talk to Carolina, although I don’t see that being a fit. As for Seattle, the name that makes the most sense to me is Vegas assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon just because he has such first-hand knowledge on how to build a roster with the current expansion draft rules.
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63Blake Haselberger @BHaselberger: With the Wild being in “re-tool” mode, do you see them having any interest in Alex Galchenyuk? What players would the wild be interested in this offseason in your mind?
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65Russo: I could see that being a possibility. I’m told by sources Montreal was very interested in doing a big trade with the Wild the past 14 months and it just never came to fruition, so perhaps it centered around Galchenyuk or Max Pacioretty.
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67Anthony K.: Do you think this was fair for Chuck Fletcher?
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69Russo: Whether it’s fair or not is probably not fair for me to say, but I do think it was probably time. After nine years, I just don’t see where Fletcher was going to guide this team from this juncture to get it over the hump. It’s time for new eyes, a new plan, somebody, as Leipold says, who doesn’t look at these players through the lens of somebody who drafted or acquired them. If you look at Fletcher’s last several moves, regardless of the reasons, they just didn’t work — the Hanzal trade, the expansion draft maneuvering, the Marcus Foligno/Ennis trade, the Kyle Quincey signing, giving Mike Reilly a one-way deal, signing Matt Cullen, Foligno’s subsequent four-year contract. That’s why I was so surprised right before the playoffs when I was hearing Fletcher was safe. Something obviously changed during the week after that story, and it wasn’t just Zucker, Niederreiter and Coyle not generating a point in the playoffs or the blowout Game 5 elimination defeat.
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71Michael J.: Not to give him a pass but why does Charlie Coyle shoulder 100 percent of the blame for the Brent Burns trade? There were two other large pieces involved in that trade – Devin Setoguchi and a first-round pick. The Wild selected a player that has never played an NHL game with names such as Rakell, Gibson, Jaskin, Saad, Edmundson, Karlsson, Kucherov (you get my point) still on the board. I get that hindsight is 50-50 but the Zack Phillips selection is much more to blame than Coyle, is it not?
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73Russo: Hey, you’re preaching to the choir. I completely agree with you. First of all, Coyle shouldn’t shoulder any blame for the Burns trade. He didn’t make the trade. And, I concur, if the Wild didn’t swing and whiff on that first-rounder, it would be a much more tolerable trade to accept seven years later. The fact Rickard Rakell was chosen by Anaheim two picks later makes it sting more and puts a whole lot of excess pressure on Coyle.
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75Todd H: Will the Wild have a new GM prior to the NHL draft and will the new GM make a big splash in free agency or trade market or take a subtler approach?
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77Russo: One-hundred percent on your first question and I promise to ask that question almost instantly after he’s hired. Until then, it’s impossible to know.
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79Paul A.: Jordan Greenway obviously has the size, but does he have the grit like Luke Kunin does? Against the Jets he was barely finishing checks.
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81Russo: As you mentioned, I’d agree we have not seen that advertised grit yet, but I’d also contend we didn’t see a ton of that from Luke Kunin either. These are young kids playing at an incredibly elevated level compared to college hockey, and I think as they get adjusted to the pro game, we’ll see it more and more. With Greenway’s 6-foot-5 frame, he has to be a guy that’s strong on the boards, finishes checks and goes to the net if he’s going to be the player he wants to be at the NHL level. My guess is we’ll see it. He looked timid in the first half of Game 1, but I thought he got better and better as the series matured. My guess is he’ll also get into the gym this summer and add back a lot of the muscle and thus strength he lost while at the Olympics. Remember, he lost about 15 or 20 pounds.
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83Nick B.: Where are the Wild at in terms of getting a deal done with Dmitry Sokolov? Or will his potential contract wait until a new GM is here?
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85Russo: The Wild have until June 1 to sign him, and Brent Flahr is the acting GM. So right now, it’s business as usual and conversations can go on. Fletcher had told me often the past few months and as recently as a few weeks ago that in his mind the Wild would sign him. Now, theoretically it’s up to Flahr, and I just don’t think the Wild are in a position to toss away potential goal scorers even if they have warts that’ll have to be remedied at the professional level.
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87Bethany B.: With a new GM coming in, do you think he’ll know or be told about the Kirill Kaprizov situation so the new guy can communicate with him and keep that relationship between the Wild and Kaprizov so the Wild could sign him in 2020 once his KHL contract is up?
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89Russo: It’ll be up to the new GM to establish that very important relationship with agent Dan Milstein.
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91Nic E.: Can the Wild buy out Kap from his Russian contract and sign him next year? Yes or no?
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93Russo: According to Milstein, NO! Milstein says under new KHL rules that no player can be bought out of his KHL contract without 18 months prior notice and that Kaprizov will remain under contract through 2019-20.
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95PP.: Kaprizov tied in team scoring with Maxim Shalunov, a guy who topped out in the ECHL and well behind players like Linus Omark and Nigel Dawes. Do you worry that the Wild fanbase pins too much hope on a kid who likely tops out as a middle-six winger if he ever makes the NHL?
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97Russo: No. He’s a stud.
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99Bill? @Bill_P_05: How much blame does Fletcher and company deserve for letting Kaprizov sign an extension? Probably impossible to fully assess but he’s the potential star this franchise needs.
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101Russo: I don’t know, this just wasn’t a normal situation with normal communication streams. They were trusting his former agent had a means of getting their messages to him, and there was also a lot of odd, behind the scenes stuff that put the Wild in a spot where they couldn’t control him signing or not. Maybe the Wild should have done a better job having their antenna sky-high and been more aggressive, but there’s no way to know for certain. It is a shame, no doubt, because Kaprizov is their most skilled prospect in an organization with a cupboard not exactly overflowing with top-end prospects.
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103Stephen B: Why are the Wild down on Sam Anas? I know he’s small, but the dude scores at every level.
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105Russo: They say size and his play away from the puck, and you’re right, he led Iowa with 26 goals this past season and was second with 61 points. Supremely-skilled player and he impressed me greatly when I watched the one Iowa game down there when Parise was on his one-game conditioning stint after Christmas. I feel I’m flying a little blind because it’s not like I watch Iowa every game compared to the Iowa coaches, Flahr and director of player development Brad Bombardir, who know Anas best and see him play daily. But, from Anas’ standpoint, the good news is with a new regime could come fresh eyes, no preconceived notions and fresh opportunity. So it’s important for him to work hard this summer and come to camp in the fall ready to prove himself to possibly different folks.
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107Daniel O.: Any talk about changing the playoff format back to 1-8 for next year?
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109Russo: There has been chatter and I think there is a case for it when you see all these blockbuster second-round matchups every year rather than it being in the third round. I do think there would be support by some influential GMs and NHL executives, but as colleague Jeremy Rutherford posted today, right now the league stands by this format.
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111Mike F.: We have too much money tied up in defensemen. Can we go into next year with Suter, Jared Spurgeon and Matt Dumba as the senior guys and roll with Seeler, Prosser, and others for 4-6 to free up money for some offense?
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113Russo: If the insinuation of your question is to trade Jonas Brodin to free up three more years of $4.167 per, my only concern would be we don’t know yet how — or if — Suter is going to recover from his ankle surgery. Remember, even Suter says it’s the great unknown because he broke a bone so rare for a hockey player to break. A month ago, I’d probably be on board with you. If the new GM were to trade Brodin — which, hey, is a possibility — I’d say he would need a definite insurance policy.
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115Brian H.: Any chance the Wild let either Dumba or Zucker leave on an offer sheet and scoop up the draft pick compensation?
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117Russo: Doubtful, and I don’t see offer sheets being tendered.
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119Kyle Yehle? @bearcaster: Since Zucker said he wanted to “100 percent” return next year, does that guarantee the Wild sign him?
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121Russo: Remember, he’s a restricted free agent, so unless he got that offer sheet Brian’s referring to, he’s not able to jump ship to another team like an unrestricted free agent could. So whether he signs or not is determined on what type of contract he can be signed to. He’s coming off a career-high 33-goal season but zero points in the playoffs, so negotiations will be interesting. If they get out of whack or the new GM got significant trade offers, that could change things. But I personally think it’s dangerous for a team that slowed down dramatically (in my opinion) to trade their fastest player.
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123Layne J.: Is it possible that Coyle could benefit from a change of scenery or is he now a what you see-is what you get type player?
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125Russo: Answer to this question could very well be, “both.”
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127Michael O: What are you going to do now this summer?
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129Russo: Cover the playoffs, cover the draft, travel to see a number of Trampled By Turtles concerts, go to Italy, maybe head off to somewhere tropical but mostly pay attention to the GM search, as well as all the changes that come anytime there’s a brand new regime.
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131John C: Why wasn’t Matt Cullen used on third-period faceoffs against Winnipeg, especially in Games 1 & 4, Koivu was brutal on the dot with the goalie pulled?
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133Russo: It’s easy for me to say I’d make the switch, and I don’t disagree with you. But Koivu is the player who’s supposed to be able to win a key draw. Clearly he did not (46.3 percent in the playoffs), particularly in the situations you’re referring to. Cullen had a tough year in his return to Minnesota and Boudreau lost faith in him (Cullen was essentially removed from the penalty kill). But after seeing Koivu struggle and how Cullen took important draws late in games in Pittsburgh, I would have probably given him a crack.
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135Nate B.: How does the organization like Seeler? Is he a lock on the 3rd pair? Or will he be a first call-up guy when injuries/bad play occur?
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137Russo: Boudreau and assistant coach Bob Woods loved the guy and it’s hard not to particularly because he adds a hard-nosed element the Wild haven’t had on the back end. While I’d think Boudreau would endorse him when choosing next year’s team, I’d say there’s no locks because, again, we don’t know the GM. Also, Seeler’s two-way contract makes him an easy guy to send down if the Wild found a more experienced defenseman. Personally, he impressed me enough that I think he warrants a shot.
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139Brian T.: No-trade clauses are frequently waived. Do you think Mikko would waive his no-move to a contending Eastern Conference team? I think it’s mutually beneficial.
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141Russo: Hard to say. He’s such a proud guy, if the Wild came to him and he felt unwanted, perhaps. But I think he would love to end his career in Minnesota.
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143Moe? @SlapshotMoe: Does the new GM have any say on who captain’s this team? I’m getting tired of Koivu, his lack of speed, and his under .500 faceoff win percentage for the playoffs…and having him on the ice during 3 on 3s.
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145Russo: Theoretically, the new GM could “Strip the C.”
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147Jon Schell? @SchellJon: Based on his playoff performance is Eriksson-Ek more Koivu than Mikko at this point in his career?
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149Russo: Down the stretch of the season, I felt Koivu played well. Other than Game 3 where he set up those beauty goals by Parise and Granlund, I felt he struggled. But let’s hold our horses with Eriksson Ek. There’s still a lot of room for growth there. But I think he’ll be a fine player.
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151As for Koivu, in hindsight — and this hindsight’s 20/20 because I didn’t feel this at the time — I feel Fletcher should have held off extending his contract by two years. If the Wild wanted him back, he wouldn’t have gone anywhere. So what was the rush to get him done other than the respect maybe Fletcher felt the 2001 first-rounder and Wild lifer deserved? At the time it didn’t bother me because I felt the Wild didn’t have anybody in the organization that could do what he could do — shut down the opposing team’s top center, win that big draw, etc. Then, to watch him struggle this season in the circle, quarrel with linesmen to the point he couldn’t stay in the circle or win that key draw, now that two-year extension is absolutely a concern in my opinion. Koivu needs to play the game next season and start figuring out a way to chill with the linesmen because I do believe many are tired with him and try to make his life difficult in the circle.
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153Mark S.: Has the Wild’s pro scouting staff drawn a pass over the years? Quincey, Hanzal, White, Bergenheim, Moulson, Powe, Staubitz, Havlat, Nystrom, Stoll, Cooke etc not exactly a list to be proud of.
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155Russo: I can’t sit here and tell you that all or some of the acquisitions you’re unhappy with was directly a recommendation from the scouts. It’s not like Fletcher and his hierarchy hadn’t seen the players you’re unhappy with play previously. But, as I’ve mentioned, I’d think the new GM will evaluate the scouting staff and potentially tinker with or drastically overhaul.
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157John H: I read (former Wild assistant GM) Tom Lynn’s book about the beginnings of the Wild and during his first player draft he learned about how little the GMs actually participated in the picks beyond the (first) round. With that in mind, the scouting staff seemed to be largely the same group from the Doug Risebrough days so was it basically the same people making picks or was Fletcher more involved than his predecessor?
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159Russo: On your first point, it definitely depends on the GM. For instance, if Fenton was the GM, perhaps he’d be more involved on the amateur side than some. Longtime NHL executive Rick Dudley, who managed teams like Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Florida and Atlanta, was a super-scout. He did a ton of amateur scouting while he was GM. In today’s day and age, I think that’d be very difficult. I think it’s important for the GM to be around the NHL team a lot or scouting the pros.
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161Fletcher largely left it to Flahr and his amateur staff to make picks. Although, coincidentally, I was talking to Fletcher recently about this and he said he often read in detail his scout’s amateur reports on a weekly basis. Fletcher often took a swan dive on the knife for not leaving his scouts with a lot of bullets in the chamber because he had traded so many draft picks, but as I mentioned above, I also think the scouting staff has missed on some picks.
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163Michael Binder? @BINDIIE: I’m frustrated with the way the playoffs are reffed as a whole (not just Wild series). Want your take. Does the league tell refs to swallow the whistle? Do you think it’s good for the game?
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165Russo: I can’t imagine they’re told to swallow the whistle, and this has been happening for as long as I’ve watched the game. Maybe, frankly, that’s one reason why the Wild struggle in the postseason (16 losses in their past 20 playoff games). In the playoffs, teams get away with so much, not just the egregious stuff like cross-checking (the one on Granlund in Game 1 still bothers me and obviously the Staal one in Game 4) and slashing and charging, but interference. I just don’t think the Wild have the size, speed and skill to overcome that stuff. In the regular season, where games are at least called more to the book, it plays better into their hands. I also feel like this postseason there has been such a difference in standards from game to game depending on the two refs. It shouldn’t be that way.
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167Shane Boegeman? @icehockeyjunkie: Isn’t this the perfect time to shop Eric Staal in a possible trade? Value will never be higher and very doubtful he can produce another season like this year. Plus, he was still no-show in playoffs again.
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169Russo: You’re not the first person to say this to me and, I don’t know, I’d still be very hesitant unless the new GM can get something substantial. I just can’t imagine where the Wild would have been without him this past season. But I don’t disagree that it’s hard to imagine him scoring 42 again. To me, you just better be darn sure you’ve got a quality center to replace him AND some players to put the puck in the net.
170
171Michael Binder? @BINDIIE: Assumed Nino’s regression was due to lingering injury, but he didn’t show up on the injury report at the end of the season. What’s your take on his regression in the second half of season and playoffs?
172
173Russo: I don’t think he was so much as injured and just affected from a year-long battle with the high ankle sprain and broken fibula. His foot speed noticeably slowed and his play the last few months concerned many in the organization. He is one player I do think would have been shopped had Fletcher returned. The next GM, we will see.
174
175Mike Auditore @gordan_bombay: What did you think of Daniel Winnik’s play this year and does it warrant bringing him back next year?
176
177Russo: I liked his play, especially on the penalty kill. But at the risk of repeating myself and sounding like I’m dodging questions, I can’t imagine Winnik will be a priority for the new GM, at least at the start.
178
179KevinStrunk? @_KevinStrunk: Might be a good time to give a rundown on who has a no-trade clause preventing a new GM from moving them?
180
181Russo: Parise, Suter and Koivu have full no-moves and Staal, Spurgeon and Devan Dubnyk have partial no-trades.
182
183Jay Bushy? @jbushy19: Do you see Greenway and Kunin with the Wild next season or do they both start in Iowa?
184
185Russo: Kunin may not be ready by the start of the season, so I’ve got to think Iowa is in his future. With Greenway, I think it could only benefit him to start there.
186
187@anxiousjunkie: Have you or anyone else asked GMCF or Leipold why they did 13 years? If so, why?
188
189Russo: That was the market at the time. Other teams were offering similar term even for more money. A few months later, owners locked out the players and in collective bargaining agreement negotiations, these type of deals caused now seven-year max terms if you’re signing a player from another team.
190
191Jerry Robertson? @Kookcited: Many like to hang the 13-year deals for 20 and 11 on Chuck. How much of the weight of those signings actually hangs on Craig?
192
193Russo: I’d think it’s fair to say Leipold was fully on board with the signings more so than Fletcher. Leipold wanted to hit a home run and lure two players that could change the franchise on and off the ice, and there’s no doubt it has led to six straight postseasons and improved business. The fear is how much these deals hamstring the team when it comes to making other deals and what happens as they continue to age.
194
195Tbub? @WildFan1414: In the next seven years, if Parise or Suter have to retire due to injury, does the salary come off the books?
196
197Russo: I assume you mean cap, correct? The cap hit would not come off the books but long-term injured reserve is an option if they were injured or ill. So, you wouldn’t want them to “retire.” Cap recapture penalties would possibly exist if they retired. But who knows what happens in the next collective bargaining negotiations, so it’s the great unknown.
198
199BleeBlah? @Cabanaboy4: Any chance of the big two restructuring their contracts to help out the franchise?
200
201Russo: That’s not allowed in the NHL.
202
203Bjørn Peterson? @BjornTheBear:  Could you talk a little about Jake Guentzel? 77th overall pick is apparently Mr. Spring. Love to know what you make of his success.
204
205Russo: Other than that the draft pick was originally owned by the Wild and sent to Philadelphia in the Darroll Powe trade? Sorry if I made you lose your lunch. I wrote a couple cool features at my previous operation you could look up for some good intel on what makes Guentzel special, but man, he’s so skilled, fast and very, very bright. Supremely confident and obviously terrific hockey genes. Oh, and he’s a playoff performer if there ever was one.
206
207sorr0504? @sorr0504: Does Suter come back 100 percent with no effects from the injury?
208
209Russo: I didn’t go to medical school nor theology school. Hehe.
210
211Eric Fastner? @EricFastner: It seems like game ops/fan relations has also been a hot topic for Wild fans recently. Does a GM change impact that area of the business?
212
213Russo: My guess is he’ll be busy with hockey ops decisions.
214
215Bruce Ciskie? @BruceCiskie: Would you rather cover the Wild vs Nashville series that could have been or the Vegas vs San Jose one you’re covering instead?
216
217Russo: You’re a jack of all trades: Play-by-play guy, Athletic contributor and Athletic reader/questioner. I like it. I’d rather still be covering the Wild, trust me.
218
219Generous Carria?ge @_2244: Do you have a preferred method for playing craps? I like to play 6, 8, and have one come bet out at any given time.
220
221Russo: Typically one pass line with odds bet and two come bets with odds, so it’s not typically great for my heart or wallet. If I used your system, I’d probably still go with two come bets. And, even though I’m covering the Golden Knights-Sharks series, believe it or not, this is the second Vegas trip in a row I haven’t had one poker or craps session since I’ve been here.