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1Ask Russo: Wild’s streak, Kaprizov, trade talk, Koivu, Winter Classic and more
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4By Michael Russo 7m ago
5With the Wild riding a nine-game point streak heading into their southern swing to Florida, Tampa and Raleigh, I figured it was a perfect time for a mailbag.
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7So, why waste time? Let’s get after it.
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9Do you anticipate the Wild signing a Russian player to help Kirill Kaprizov? Or making a trade for a good Russian player?
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11— Laurent D.
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13It really does depend whether the Wild create room for another player besides Kaprizov. The Wild already have 21 players “under contract” next season — two short of the maximum. Twelve of those 21 are forwards. I put “under contract” in quotes because technically pending restricted free agents Luke Kunin, Jordan Greenway and Carson Soucy have to be re-signed. I’m not including potential unrestricted free agent, Mikko Koivu, who theoretically could be re-signed and make 22.
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15So, I point this out because rosters aren’t unlimited. While there’s room to sign Kaprizov, they may need to create a lineup spot to fit him in, meaning somebody of substance may have to be traded. So, if you’re now going to add another Russian player for the sake of adding a Russian player to aid Kaprizov’s adjustment to this new league and North American culture, it better be a quality player who can fit in, too, and perform because suddenly GM Bill Guerin would need to create two spots.
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17As I’ve reported all season, the guy that’s intriguing is Kaprizov’s CSKA Moscow teammate, Mikhail Grigorenko. He can play center, he’s only 25, he has 217 games of NHL experience and it’s anticipated that he’d like to return to the NHL next season. Guerin’s in Moscow now, watched Kaprizov play Monday night and thus had a chance to scout and meet with Grigorenko. We’ll see if he sets the table for a tag-team. Either way, as long as he signs, Kaprizov’s rights belong to the Wild until he qualifies for Group 3 unrestricted free agents once he reaches the age of 27 (after 2023-24 season). So, they want to make him feel welcome so he doesn’t bolt four years after he gets here.
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19Kirill Kaprizov
20Kirill Kaprizov (Geoff Burke / USA Today)
21Is there any update on the Winter Classic possibly being hosted by the Wild in the future?
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23— Johnny K.
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25Great question, as always, Johnny. We are definitely getting closer to an NHL announcement one way or the other. As I’ve reported a number of times, the Wild are working hard to land the 2021 Winter Classic and they are cautiously optimistic. The big complication is the game would likely be played at Target Field, which has way fewer seats than the football stadiums the league has used in a number of recent New Year’s Day games. So the league and the Wild are trying to come up with other revenue streams for that entire week. That means if the Wild are so fortunate to host, there could be a number of fun events coinciding with the celebration of hockey in Minnesota during the franchise’s 20th anniversary season.
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27I’ve got to think the league will announce the 2021 Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2020, before or during this year’s extravaganza in Dallas with Nashville as the visitor. And as I tweeted a few weeks ago, the rumor going around that the Wild would host the game in Green Bay at Lambeau Field was bogus.
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29Do you think Mikko Koivu would ever consider waiving his no-move clause by the deadline or if not sign somewhere else as a free agent next year?
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31— Andy T.
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33Good question, too, Andy. In Saturday’s Koivu feature on Koivu in advance of his 1,000th game (please enjoy if you all missed the piece), I talked to more than a dozen people who know him well and pretty much every single person thinks Koivu won’t entertain playing elsewhere. If the Wild are still in the thick of a playoff race by the Feb. 24 trade deadline, I can’t see Guerin approaching Koivu about waiving. If the Wild are out of it, Guerin will have to decide whether he shops Koivu and then whether it’s worth broaching this subject with his captain. Personally, I don’t think Koivu would consider leaving his kids behind for a couple months just to chase a Stanley Cup elsewhere.
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35Now, if the Wild decide after the season that it’s time to move on and they don’t want to extend his contract, Koivu will then have a mammoth decision to make as to whether he wants to retire or put on another team’s sweater. I asked his brother Saku Koivu this question by phone last week and he said, “Him being 36 now, at this age, I really don’t see him anywhere else other than a Wild jersey. It really means everything to Mikko that he’s played only for one team, that he’s been captain in Minnesota for so long, that he’s been their franchise player. For me, it would be really weird to see him in any other jersey than the Wild.”
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37Why is Koivu’s 1000th game celebration delayed ‘til the 10th against Anaheim instead of his actual 1000th game?
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39— Tim R.
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41That’s the way it works in the NHL. You always honor a player the home game after a significant milestone. One big reason is you never know if there will be injuries or illness, so you need to ensure the milestone takes place before you fly in invited guests, from family and friends and former teammates to the NHL representative who in this game will present Koivu with the traditional silver stick. Speaking of which, if you’re a Wild fan, you’ll want to attend the Dec. 10 celebration. Koivu will be showered with gifts, and there are some surprises in the works.
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43Mikko Koivu
44Mikko Koivu (David Berding / USA Today)
45Is there any chance we re-sign Koivu if we don’t make a trade for a center? I don’t see a replacement in the organization yet.
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47— Mark B.
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49I still think it’s less than 50-50 because at some point you have to move on and not block the further development of Joel Eriksson Ek and Nico Sturm or look to bring in new blood. But you’re right, Koivu plays a role that nobody else in the organization has the ability to play yet. He’s still one of the best shutdown centermen in the NHL and there’s nobody yet who has shown the ability to win that big draw in crunch time.
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51Looking to the future; who do you think will be Captain after Koivu?
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53— John V.
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55I’ll stay consistent on this one, and I’d give it to Jared Spurgeon. I think it’s too soon for somebody like Luke Kunin and I personally feel the team shouldn’t choose between Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Spurgeon just signed a seven-year, $53.025 million extension (richest contract in franchise history in terms of an average salary of $7.575 million) starting next season and I can’t convey what type of good citizen this guy is. Besides Spurgeon bringing it nightly on the ice, there’s few better influences and more respected teammates in that locker room than him. He’s a gem and I’d bet every player would embrace Spurgeon as their captain.
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57Will there be a place for Mikko long term with the Wild or does he want to go home?
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59— Doug H.
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61I’ve never actually asked him this question, but I’ve got to think he plans to retire full-time in Finland and raise his kids near family, friends and in his home country. Plus, he recently built his dream home. Now, this doesn’t mean he can’t work for the Wild long-term. Koivu would be the perfect person to have in a dual role — European scouting and European player development — if he would consider such a thing.
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63How long is Devan Dubnyk out for?
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65— Scot S.
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67It’s hard to guess. Family over hockey is all he should worry about, and right now he needs to support his wife, who’s dealing with an unclear medical issue, and his three kids. Because he hasn’t played since Nov. 16 and now isn’t on this road trip, I can’t imagine the Wild will feel comfortable putting him in net anytime soon. The good news is after the Christmas break, the Wild are largely home for the next seven weeks. So if he’s practicing daily at home and the Wild have a bunch of home games afterward, I’m sure the Wild would try to pencil him into some home games later this month as long as he’s physically and mentally able to play.
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69Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock
70Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock (David Berding / USA Today)
71What’s been the most noticeable difference in this recent nine-game point streak, and is there any indication that Guerin and owner Craig Leipold will try to contend despite the overwhelming clamor for a rebuild?
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73— Max K.
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75It starts in goal. They’re getting much better goaltending, and then it creates the chicken or the egg theory. Are they getting better goaltending with Alex Stalock in net because everybody else is finally playing better and defending better or is everybody else playing better because they have faith in their goaltending? Could be a little bit of both. The reality is Stalock has stabilized things after Dubnyk’s poor start to this season and his ability to play the puck and come out to help his defensemen has been a huge boost. But, it’s amazing how much better everybody is playing, from Parise and Kevin Fiala to Koivu and Eric Staal to especially Suter and Spurgeon. Parise has eight goals in his past nine games (tied for first in the NHL since Nov. 14) and Fiala has 13 points in his past 14 games. And Suter and Spurgeon have just been awesome lately. As for your last question, it’s way too early to say. If the Wild are in the thick of things come February, that’ll dictate Guerin’s plan going forward.
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77What do you believe is the key to their recent success? Bruce Boudreau not tinkering with lines and players understanding each other’s game? Stalock in net? Or maybe just overall confidence?
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79— Pat I.
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81I touched on a little of this in the question above, but I do think you bring up a good point about the line tinkering. Since Marcus Foligno’s injury early last month in San Jose, Boudreau didn’t change the lines once. Now, that has to do with the fact that everybody’s clicking, they’ve mostly been successful and there had been no further injuries, but the consistent lines allowed Parise and Fiala to jell and for the Wild to unearth a young shutdown line in the GEEK Squad (Jordan Greenway-Joel Eriksson Ek-Kunin). It’s huge that these youngsters are being handed all kinds of responsibility and have mostly excelled with it. I give Boudreau credit for resisting the breakup of the GEEK Squad with Foligno’s return Sunday. I worried Boudreau would take Victor Rask out of the lineup but compensate by moving Kunin off the right wing and back to center. That would have meant Eriksson Ek or Kunin would have skated on the fourth line. Instead, he used Ryan Donato and Ryan Hartman at center on the fourth line.
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83Who gets moved to make room for Kaprizov? He isn’t going to play in Iowa and he is the closest thing to a goal scorer, so he isn’t going to play on the fourth line. Someone has to go, but Mats Zuccarello has a no-move clause Jason Zucker has limited no-trade. That leaves really just the young guys.
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85— Luke Y.
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87It’s a big question as the season matures and into the summer when the draft approaches. It’s another reason the Zuccarello signing was a bit peculiar. At 32, Zuccarello got a five-year deal and a no-move clause, which could cost the Wild a young player in 2021 expansion. Plus, the Wild essentially filled Kaprizov’s spot. I hate to write this after the season he just endured in terms of potential trades, but Zucker really does make the most sense assuming Parise can’t be moved. It creates a top-6 role for Kaprizov and frees up $5.5 million in cap space.
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89Kevin Fiala
90Kevin Fiala (David Berding / USA Today)
91Are the Wild more confident that Fiala is going to be the player that the previous GM Paul Fenton told us they were getting? Speaking of confidence, how is Ryan Donato feeling about his game? 
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93— Nicole B.
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95I haven’t talked to Guerin recently about Fiala, but I do think the perception internally has changed because there’s no doubt Fiala’s name was being talked about with other GMs a month ago. Now, I can’t see how you move him. When I wrote that Fiala story in L.A. last month and got attacked in the comment field for writing that it’s too early to give up on a 23-year-old like Fiala, this is what I meant.
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97To reply directly to one reader named Alex N who wrote in part, “there are plenty of players around the league who are 23 and younger who contribute on a daily basis way more than Fiala and company ever has,” no, 23 is not old in sports! That’s ludicrous. I’ve covered plenty of players who suddenly discover the type of player they are in the mid-20s with increased ice time, responsibility and confidence. Fiala is doing just that. Fenton knew Fiala better than any one of us, so he obviously knew intimately the flashes he has shown that none of us ever saw.
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99My only criticisms of Fenton on this trade were 1) publicly throwing all sorts of pressure on Fiala by branding him a potential “game breaker” before he even played a game for the Wild (the Panthers once acquired Chris Wells for Stu Barnes and publicly stated that Wells could be the next Doug Weight, and the fans and media never forgot it); 2) solely focusing on acquiring Fiala and not using Mikael Granlund as further trade bait; and 3) not getting another asset with Fiala when the Wild were trading the known quantity. But watching Fiala develop into a terrific player this past month has been awesome to see and could turn into Fenton’s best move as GM.
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101To me, it’s not just the offense he’s producing. He is so much better away from the puck and battling all over the ice to get pucks back. Like all high-risk, high-reward players, we may all just have to tolerate that there will be giveaways. That comes a lot with skilled players. But this Fiala emergence the last month has been an outstanding thing to see.
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103Who speaks the most languages on the team?
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105— Erica K.
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107It’s got to be Fiala. He was talking to the Norwegian Zuccarello in New York in Swedish. I asked Fiala how many languages he speaks, and he said five!
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109Is Carson Soucy a second-pair contender if we decide to move Jonas Brodin? Looking for trade candidates and we have too many D on roster. Soucy would be cheaper, too.
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111— Bryanj
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113I think it’s way too early to say, but I do think he has that potential. I honestly cannot believe how well he’s playing and how confident he is with the puck right now. Brodin is absolutely special with his mobility. He’s one of the best in the league of getting out of trouble with insane footwork. But Soucy has been impressive with his straight-ahead mobility, so if Guerin studies up and determines that he believes Soucy can fill that role, that definitely gives Guerin the ability to use Brodin as an asset in a deal perhaps for a center or a scoring winger or picks and prospects if he just wants to free up salary-cap space (roughly $4.2 million) a year before his contract ends. I’ll tell you what though, Brodin’s been great lately and it’s a good reminder of how good this guy can be.
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115Carson Soucy
116Carson Soucy (David Berding / USA Today)
117Is the winning formula we’ve seen in November sustainable or are they playing over their head?
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119— Raymond P.
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121It’s sustainable if they continue to get goaltending. It’s just a shame they blew those second points at Boston and the Rangers on the previous road trip. They’d be tied for the final playoff spot (as of Monday) had they not.
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123What needs to happen in order for Boudreau to get an extension?
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125— Paul P.
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127I think playoffs at a minimum. I think Boudreau has done a masterful job keeping this team from completely collapsing after a frustrating October and 1-6 start.
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129If Bruce is not retained after this year, do you have an idea about possible candidates Guerin might target to replace him?
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131— Alex P.
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133We’d have to see the pool of candidates, obviously. I do feel like at some point Doug Weight works for the Wild in some capacity. He’s one of Guerin’s best friends and is getting paid by the Islanders to do nothing, but if Weight came to Minnesota, would that come in a coaching or managerial capacity? It wouldn’t shock me if Guerin would like Weight upstairs, and it wouldn’t shock me if that feeling’s mutual.
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135What are the chances of the Wild courting Mike Babcock if Bruce is let go? Do you think Modano would encourage that courtship?
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137— Cheryle H.
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139I’d be willing to wager anything that Modano would not “encourage” that. Now maybe you meant “discourage.” I can’t imagine Modano’s a fan of Babcock after the classless move to scratch Modano in what would have been the final regular-season game of his career. That game would have been Modano’s 1,500th. Shameful move by Babcock, plain and simple. That’s a pretty special kind of gall.
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141Bruce Boudreau
142Bruce Boudreau (David Berding / USA Today)
143In the past you have mentioned how Guerin needs to be creative in getting this team back to a point of being a consistent threat in the playoffs, so do you think he has or will check in on higher profile players like a Taylor Hall?
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145— Zeke B.
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147I’m sure he’s doing his due diligence and Guerin has a great relationship with Devils GM Ray Shero dating to their time in Pittsburgh. This is a tough trade for a team like the Wild to make. Hall’s obviously going to cost futures and maybe a player off your roster, and he’s somebody in the last year of his contract. So are you going to trade a first and a prospect or a top player off your roster for somebody you may not be able to or even want to re-sign? I say the latter because Hall is 28 and would obviously cost a lucrative seven-year extension, so it would also continue the pattern of giving a player significant term and dollars into his 30s. Just spitballing, but I really wonder at this stage how much sense it makes. But you are right: the Wild need a go-to guy, an impact player, and suddenly a former Hart Trophy winner is available.
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149Should Eriksson Ek put on 25 pounds of muscle for the role he’s playing?
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151— Mike F.
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153No, especially, not if it affects his speed. The only people that gain 25 pounds during the offseason are sportswriters. Eriksson Ek’s in impeccable shape. It’s why he has been dubbed … Mr. September, by his teammates. It doesn’t get any better than that.
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155We have heard for some years now that we don’t have great prospects, yet some guys like Alex Khovanov, Jack McBain and Brandon Duhaime have become more talked about. Is this just due to having a bare cupboard and they are the best the organization has, or are these players truly turning into great prospects with their development?
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157— Thomas J.
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159I think they’re legit prospects, but the jury’s out on what they become. I talked to a scout last month who raved about the type of bottom-six forward Duhaime could develop into. I’ve talked to John Torchetti, who coached Khovanov in Moncton before Torch’s recent leave of absence, and he says Khovanov is a legit NHLer as long as he stays in top shape. Not to the extent of Dmitry Sokolov, but fitness is the big thing with Khovanov after a couple years of real hard luck with his health. Khovanov, by the way, is fifth in the Quebec League with 45 points, fourth with 19 goals, fourth with 26 assists and tied for first with a plus-28. McBain’s only issue is footwork.
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161Do you think the Wild would have any interest in signing Mikael Granlund this offseason? And would Granny have any desire to come back?
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163— Matt A.
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165I think he would. Not positive they would just because of what I wrote above regarding how limited the open spots are before even signing Kaprizov. I think Granlund only makes sense if you’re looking at him to replace Koivu at center, but that’s a risk because you’d essentially be changing him from right wing to center, a position the Wild moved him from in the first place because he wasn’t nearly as effective. If the Wild were ever to consider reacquiring him, they better really scout what’s going on with him and why he has been, as one The Athletic reader called him, such a ghost in Nashville in parts of two seasons.
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167Is it possible the midseason swoon happened in the first six weeks, and now the team will be playoff bound? Schedule is favorable.
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169— Kip L.
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171Certainly. Tons of home games coming up for a team that is 7-0-2 at home since the home opener.
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173While Matt Boldy is third on Boston College in shots on goal (40) and apparently has several scoring chances per game, his lack of production (one goal, one assist in 13 games) is obviously concerning. At what point do Guerin and Co. try to convince him to leave what might not be a good fit in BC and go the juniors’ route or even turn pro?
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175— Jacob M.
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177I haven’t asked Guerin about this, but it always makes me uncomfortable for a team to suggest to any kid to leave college. It especially makes me uncomfortable to even consider turning a teenager pro and eventually throwing him into a hard American Hockey League when he’s not even excelling yet in college. I did go to our resident prospects expert at The Athletic to ask about Boldy’s slow start to his collegiate career and he says, “I don’t think he’s looked as bad as his points suggest. He’s making plays, getting opportunities and the coaches there like him and keep playing him like he’s one of their best players. Scouts who have gone in to watch him have generally been positive. That said, his skating still looks very average and has been a minor criticism from some scouts and eventually he needs to start scoring.”
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179Who is the front runner for the All-Star Game?
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181— Alec F.
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183If it’s a defenseman, Spurgeon in my opinion. If it’s a forward, Parise, who leads with 12 goals after the recent hot streak.
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185How much will a Rask buyout cost next summer?
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187— Scot S.
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189In real money, two-thirds of $8 million. In terms of cap hit, four years of $1.33 million cap penalties.
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191Is there an internal panic at Xcel when it comes to season ticket sales/ticket sales in general?
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193— Shawn S.
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195I wouldn’t say panic. They knew it was coming after last year’s missed postseason and only 16 home wins. But with so many home games coming up and the Wild entertaining at home so far all season, maybe that’ll help them at the gate.
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197What do you think the Wild do better than any other NHL club for sportswriters? Which clubs have the best amenities for writers?
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199— @RiverRatSkip700
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201Our access is typically outstanding. Aaron Sickman, for the 15 years I’ve covered the team, does an amazing job helping facilitate preseason sitdowns with players for personality profiles, a perk writers don’t often get in big markets. Megan Kogut, his sidekick, is always a phone call, text or email away with any request, big or small. It’s proof that media relations doesn’t have to be an adversarial relationship. They’re two of the best in the biz. As for amenities, honestly, we have great amenities in virtually every press box and arena.
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203What do you do in the offseason besides draft and free-agent day?
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205— @cuts47
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207More traveling. Ha. I do a Europe trip with LaPanta once every summer (Wild fans can come on this, so email me for more information; this year’s is Budapest, Prague and Vienna) and usually something tropical, whether it be Cabo or Hawaii (perks of getting so many airline and hotel points), and sprinkle in some Vegas trips and a Trampled By Turtles concert at Red Rocks followed by a trip to Breckenridge. Every summer is different depending on how many players have contracts up and whether there’s a coaching or GM search. Obviously, last summer was the latest GM search I’d ever covered. It felt like the offseason ended in late July because it was a lot of work reporting the news and documenting the play-by-play of the search.
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209When the Wild win the Stanley Cup this year, can you run an Old Takes Exposed type column pulling comments from the comment section all season to this point? I’d be a victim for sure, but it would be an entertaining read.
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211— Kyle M.
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213It would be a fun read. I’d be victim, too, especially by all over the place weekly contradictions on podcasts, I’m sure.