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Minnesota Notes: GM, Free Agents, Whitecaps

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The Minnesota Wild are closing in on their next GM, as Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that team owner Craig Leipold will sit down with Paul Fenton today and Tom Fitzgerald on Thursday before making a final decision. Fenton, the Nashville Predators assistant GM, has been a candidate for countless jobs over the past decade but stayed with his current organization as the right hand of David Poile. Fitzgerald, a rising star in the New Jersey Devils front office, apparently “thoroughly impressed Leipold” in his first interview and is now a legitimate finalist for the job.

Minnesota let long-time GM Chuck Fletcher go after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, and are looking for something of a new direction under their next executive. The team has routinely made the playoffs in recent years, only to quickly bow out and try again the following season.

  • When CapFriendly released their offer sheet compensation yesterday, one couldn’t fault a Minnesota fan from feeling fearful when reading the list of restricted free agents. Two of the very best—Jason Zucker and Mathew Dumba—belong to the Wild, and could potentially draw offer sheet interest. Zucker is coming off a breakout 64-point season and is already 26, while Dumba lived up to his seventh-overall draft position with a 50-point season from the blue line. Both players are integral parts of the Minnesota team, and key negotiations for whoever becomes the next GM. If someone were to sign either to a big-money offer sheet, it may be hard to turn down what would be an expansive compensation package.
  • The NWHL has expanded to the state of hockey for the 2018-19 season, as the Minnesota Whitecaps will become the league’s fifth team. Joining the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale and Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota will be the league’s first foray outside of the north east. The Whitecaps have operated independently for several years, playing exhibition games against NWHL teams but never being an official part of the league. The organization will initially be owned by the league.

Front Office Updates: Hurricanes, Wild, Islanders

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When last the Carolina Hurricanes’ GM search was updated, it was a distressing situation with several candidates reporting that they were not interested in the position. At least one initial candidate has remained in conversation with new owner Tom Dundon, though. Buffalo Sabres Assistant GM Steve Greeley will be in Raleigh again tomorrow, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. Greeley will have his follow-up interview for the ’Canes GM job, which right now puts him two interviews ahead of most other potential candidates. Since his last interview, Carolina has added finding a new head coach to the top of the list of duties for whoever fills their GM role. Bill Peters opted out of his position as Carolina’s coach last week, leaving the team with two major vacancies to fill. Despite a strong and eclectic resume – in addition to the Sabres’ AGM, Greeley has been the New York Rangers’ Assistant Director of Player Personnel, an associate head coach at Boston University, and a pro scout for the Los Angeles Kings – hiring a coach is something Greeley does not have experience with. Although, neither does Dundon, so perhaps Greeley’s lack of background in that one area won’t affect his candidacy.

  • One of the first people to back out of Carolina’s search last month was Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton. It now appears that Fenton simply wasn’t interested in that particular job, as he is clearly focused on another opening. Earlier today, Fenton was tabbed as one of the favorites for the newly-open Minnesota Wild GM job. Now it had been confirmed (subscription required) by The Athletic’s Michael Russo that Fenton was actually in Minneapolis all day today to have his initial interview for the Wild position. Per Russo, Fenton spent the day with Wild owner Craig Leipold and team president Matt Majka. By all accounts, this is the first interview for Minnesota’s GM vacancy, which firmly places Fenton as the leading candidate.
  • The man who Fenton would be replacing is Chuck Fletcher, whose successful albeit unspectacular run in Minnesota came to end on Monday. However, Fletcher did build a perennial playoff team and is well-respected across the league. For that reason, it would be a surprise to see him unemployed for very long. One possible fit is with the New York Islanders, who are seeking a “top executive” to work with Garth Snow. Fenton was considered a candidate for this job as well, but now that Fletcher is available, he could be the top option. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal even thinks that Fletcher is a strong enough hockey mind to not only assist Snow, but supplant him.

Minnesota Wild Owner Writes Letter To Fans, Explains New Direction

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Though they’ve been to the playoffs for six consecutive seasons, the Minnesota Wild are headed in a new direction. The team recently announced that they would not bring back GM Chuck Fletcher, instead looking for a new voice to try and lead them deeper into the postseason and to a Stanley Cup final for the first time in their history.

Today, Wild owner Craig Leipold penned a letter to Minnesota fans explaining his decision to let Fletcher go and where the team will be headed from here (via Michael Russo of The Athletic).

On Monday, I made the difficult decision that Chuck Fletcher would not return as General Manager of our hockey club. In thinking about this significant change, it was very important to me that you, as a member of our Season Ticket Community and someone who is invested in our success, hear directly from me about the future of the Wild.

I’m confident about this: you and I share a passion to bring the Stanley Cup to the State of Hockey. And the responsibility for getting us there starts with me.

Chuck built our club into a perennial playoff contender. And that is no easy task in itself. Only two other clubs in the League have matched our six straight years in the post season. But it became apparent to me that while we were close, our “good” wasn’t good enough anymore. And I feel that it is going to take a new set of eyes, and some new thinking about our roster, to assess things and take the steps necessary to get us to the next level.

I’m not looking for a rebuild. I’m not patient enough for that and you should not be either. And our situation does not require tearing things down and starting over. We’re not far from being the team we all believe can deliver a Stanley Cup. As I have in the past, I’ll continue to give the necessary resources to our new GM, resources intended to remake the Wild from a “good” playoff contender to a “great” Stanley Cup championship contender. That’s why I’m in this…nothing less.

The Wild have been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for three consecutive years, which lends credence to the idea that the team is just “good.” What is difficult for any GM, new or old, is pushing the team past that level and into real contention. Leipold obviously believes it is possible without sweeping changes to the roster, but one should expect at least some adjustments to come this summer.

Whoever is installed in the Minnesota front office have some tough decisions to make, and two huge contracts to negotiate. Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba are both restricted free agents, and are coming off their best seasons as professionals.

Chuck Fletcher Will Not Return As Minnesota GM

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The Minnesota Wild have decided to not renew Chuck Fletcher’s contract as Vice President and General Manager, the team announced today. In a statement, owner Craig Leipold explained the decision:

I want to thank Chuck Fletcher for his substantial contributions to our franchise over the past nine years. Through his strong work ethic, integrity and vision, Chuck and his staff built a winning culture and a perennial playoff team. For all of that I am grateful. I feel it is time for a new approach aimed at delivering a Stanley Cup to the deserving fans of the State of Hockey. I wish Chuck and his family the very best going forward.

The team will immediately begin a search for a new general manager, but will have Brent Flahr serve in the role until one is found.

Fletcher has been with the Wild since 2009, when he was hired away from the Pittsburgh Penguins following their Stanley Cup victory. The son of legendary hockey executive Cliff Fletcher, Chuck has been noted as an exceptional manager over the years and has a long history of playoff appearances. The Wild have qualified for the postseason in six consecutive seasons, but have failed to get past the second round. That failure is likely why Fletcher is out of a job today, even with the combined 359-266-80 regular season record since he was hired.

One of the biggest contributing factors to Fletcher’s dismissal could be the trade he made at the 2017 deadline to acquire Martin Hanzal. The Wild had to send a heft package including a first-round pick for the oft-injured center, a deal that Leipold has publicly regretted since. Fletcher’s record in trades is certainly not perfect, but does include some outstanding moves for players who had been underwhelming for their previous teams.

In 2014 he used a third-round pick to acquire Devan Dubnyk from the Arizona Coyotes, who despite his recent playoff struggles has been an elite goaltender for the Wild the last few seasons. He finished third in Vezina voting the season he was acquired, and has registered a .923 save percentage in 231 appearances for the Wild.

A year prior, he sent Cal Clutterbuck and a third-round pick to the New York Islanders for Nino Niederreiter. Niederreiter had been a fifth-overall draft pick for the Islanders in 2010 but famously posted just a single point in 55 games during the 2011-12 season before spending the next full year in the minor leagues. He would immediately become a two-way force for the Wild after being acquired, while Clutterbuck had failed to eclipse the 25-point mark in any of his five seasons in New York.

Most notably for Fletcher though might be the work he did in the 2012 offseason, when he convinced both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise to sign in free agency. The good friends earned identical 13-year, $98MM contracts that still have seven years remaining on them. At the time, they were seen as two superstar talents that could immediately make the Wild into Stanley Cup favorites. Though both of them have remained excellent players for the team, neither has been able to carry the team into the late rounds of the playoffs, meaning the contracts are becoming more and more troublesome.

Parise will be 34 when the 2018-19 season begins, while Suter’s birthday doesn’t come until midseason. Whoever replaces Fletcher in the Minnesota front office will have to deal with the two contracts, and even the thought of cap recapture penalties should they retire early.

Fletcher will be a sought after candidate for other jobs around the league, but it’s unclear where his ideal landing spot would be. We’ll have to wait and see if he’s given the keys to another franchise, or will have to join as a support member for the next chapter in his hockey career.

Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher May Not Get Extension

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After suffering a embarrassing 5-0 defeat Friday that knocked the Minnesota Wild from the first-round of the playoffs, there is likely to be consequences going forward. At least that’s what The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required) writes, suggesting that general manager Chuck Fletcher’s job may not have the security it did a couple of weeks ago. The GM is in the last year of his deal and is awaiting a contract extension.

For the third consecutive season, the Wild have exited after the first-round and have lost 16 of their last 20 playoff games, suggesting that Fletcher may not have assembled the right players meant to sustain a run throughout the playoffs. Granted, Fletcher has done a lot of good in Minnesota. His team’s have reached the playoffs for six straight seasons and the team has reached 100 points in three of the last four seasons. On top of that, key injuries have hampered this year’ playoff hopes, including losses to defensemen Ryan Suter and most recently Zach Parise.

Russo wrote a story 10 days ago, suggesting owner Craig Leipold felt Fletcher deserved an extension and was ready to extend Fletcher after the playoffs, but Russo now says he’s heard that Leipold might be rethinking that.

Much could have to do with recent moves over the last year. One major blunder that is often pointed out is that the Vegas Golden Knights walked away with two top-six forwards from the expansion draft in Erik Haula and Alex Tuch so the Wild could protect some of their younger defensemen. Both players are starting on the Golden Knights’ second line on a team that has advanced farther than Minnesota recently in just one year of existence, thanks in part to the performances of those two players. Haula, who had 15 goals and 11 assists last year in Minnesota, broke out for a 29-goal, 55-point season in Vegas, while the 20-year-old Tuch had 15 goals and 22 assists in his rookie campaign.

Last season at the trade deadline, the team sent their 2017 first-round pick to Arizona for rentals Martin Hanzal and Ryan White, neither of which made much of an impact for the team’s playoff fortunes that year. The team also traded Jason Pominville and Marco Scandella for Marcus Foligno and Tyler Ennis in the offseason. Foligno produced one of his worst NHL season with just eight goals, while Ennis was a healthy scratch four out of five times in the playoffs and is a buyout candidate this summer at $4.6MM. Other deals, including signing defenseman Kyle Quincey and then quickly burying him in the AHL (although he never played a game there) after just 18 games.

The franchise will likely take a few days before making any decisions on their management.

 

Snapshots: General Manager Hot Seat, Cholowski, Cullen

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With many teams starting to see the writing on the wall that their season is coming to a close sooner than they had intended, the next question that comes about is whether the team has any intentions of making changes to their staff. After a look at possible changes to the coaching ranks, the next question would likely turn to which general managers are on the hot seat. The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) takes a look at 10 candidates who could find themselves without a job this offseason.

Mirtle quickly addresses the obvious ones, including Detroit’s Ken Holland and Toronto’s Lou Lamoriello, both who have been rumored to either be on their way out or moved to a different role within the organization. However, Mirtle also admits that both could easily stay in their present roles too.

The next stage of general managers that are most likely on the hot seat include Peter Chiarelli of Edmonton, the New York Islanders Garth Snow and Montreal’s Marc Bergevin, while other general managers might be given more time to prove to the organization that their plan works. Colorado’s Joe Sakic, Arizona’s John Chayka, Minnesota’s Chuck Fletcher and Columbus’ Jarmo Kekalainen are all likely to be on short leashes due to their inability of taking their teams to a new level.

  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that while 2017 first-round pick Michael Rasmussen might make the Detroit Red Wings team next season, the real prospect to keep an eye on will be 2016 first-round pick Dennis Cholowski, whose having a stellar year with both the Prince George Cougars and the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. The 20-year-old blueliner is in his final year of junior and has 14 goals and 50 assists this year. St. James writes that while Rasmussen must make the Red Wings roster out of training camp to stick, Cholowski could play with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL and get a midseason callup if he can’t break into the Red Wings lineup.
  • StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan writes that the NHL Players Association released a players poll this week and for the question of which player would make great coach after they retire. Minnesota’s Matt Cullen won the poll. He received 4.5 percent of the votes, yet Cullen hasn’t decided if that’s the avenue he plans to go down. “I’ve never really put a lot of thought into it, to be honest,” Cullen said. “I guess I’ve had a lot of experience, and I’ve been through a lot through a long career, I guess. Truthfully, I’ve never thought a lot about it. I don’t know. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I’m done playing.”

Minnesota Wild Finally Meet With Kirill Kaprizov

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In a story that has been worthy of Abbott and Costello at points due to the vast amounts of misunderstandings, Kirill Kaprizov has finally sat down with Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher, nearly three years after the team selected the Russian forward in the fifth round. Michael Russo of The Athletic has been following the story closely since the beginning, and now reports that Fletcher met with Kaprizov and fellow prospect Andrei Svetlakov on Tuesday night.

Kaprizov is a dynamic forward who has found nearly unparalleled success in the KHL for a player of his age, registering 42 points in 49 games last year at 19, and 36 in 38 games this season at 20. His offensive upside makes him one of the most interesting prospects in the game, and one that Minnesota would put on their NHL squad right now if they had the chance. Unfortunately, as Russo explains, Kaprizov is signed through the 2019-20 season and neither side has talked about a potential buyout. The Wild won’t lose his rights, but they’ll have to wait a while for him to come to North America.

In the meantime, Wild fans will likely be able to see him in some international competitions. While he’s not guaranteed a spot on the Olympic team, there’s a good chance we’ll see Kaprizov suit up in the World Championships at some point. If Fletcher can continue to create a relationship, perhaps we’ll see him in a Minnesota uniform in fall of 2020.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Minnesota Wild

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered the following teams: ANA, ARZ, BOS, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, EDM, FLA, LAK, NSH, NJD, NYI, NYR, PHI, PIT, SJS, STL, TOR, VAN, VGK and WSH.

Jordan GreenwayWhat are the Minnesota Wild most thankful for?

A deep prospect pool.

When the Wild approached the expansion draft last year, they were in trouble. They had too many assets that needed protection, and were destined to lose an excellent player. In order to sway the Vegas Golden Knights’ decision in a certain direction, they gave up prized prospect Alex Tuch. Though the team had drafted Tuch in the first round just a few years prior, his upside and potential impact wasn’t seen to be as high as some of their other prospects.

Well, six months later and Tuch is starring alongside Erik Haula (the other player lost in the expansion process) in Vegas, and the Wild are struggling to stay relevant in the playoff picture. Surely they’d like to have Tuch back, but luckily those other high-end prospects still remain.

Though the relationship with Kirill Kaprizov—or lack thereof—makes the Russian a complete wildcard, there are others who should have Minnesota fans excited for the next few years. Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin have both played roles in the NHL this season, while Jordan Greenway continues to dominate players even older than him in the college ranks. Ivan Lodnia was just signed after a blistering start in Erie, and the team has four picks in the top three rounds this upcoming draft.

Who are the Wild most thankful for?

Eric Staal.

General managers around the league must be hitting themselves over not pursuing Staal in the summer of 2016. Coming off a horrible season, in which he was traded from the team he’d been drafted by and captained for seven years, Minnesota happily scooped him up on July 1st. Much was said about how Staal might be on the way out of the game, until he immediately found success in Minnesota to the tune of 28 goals and 65 points.

The three-year, $10.5MM contract that he signed was just $1MM more in total than he’d earned in 2015-16 alone. Minnesota got a legitimate number one center, and borderline Hall of Fame candidate for the price of a third or fourth-line player. You can still hear Chuck Fletcher laughing to himself somewhere in St. Paul.

Staal has been everything for the club this year, leading the team in points with 26 through their first 30 games and coming through with one of the best possession seasons of his career. Playing nearly 19 minutes a night and hitting the ice in all circumstances, Staal’s contract is one of the best in the entire league. While now 33 years old, he’ll still be exceptionally valuable in the final year of his deal next season.

Mikko KoivuWhat would the Wild be even more thankful for?

Some “puck luck” for Mikko Koivu.

Despite still being an excellent possession player, used in all situations, Koivu can’t seem to get much going offensively this season. Coming off another one of his patented solid-if-not-spectacular seasons with 58 points, he only has 15 in his first 30 games and eight of those are on the powerplay. He’s now been held pointless in his last eight games despite being on the ice for more than 147 minutes, and hasn’t found the back of the net himself since October.

Amazingly, a lot of that has to do with pure bad luck. Koivu is carrying a pathetic 5.1% shooting percentage this season, far below his career average. Though he’s never been a sniper that carries a high percentage, he’s due for some luck going his way at some point. During his 21-game goalless streak he’s fired 58 shots on net without a single one trickling through.

He’s not only used for his offense, but a bounce here or there would be a big help for the Wild as they try to claw their way back into the playoff picture.

What should be on the Wild’s Holiday Wish List?

Another center.

When the Wild lost Haula and let Martin Hanzal walk in free agency, their center depth was tested. Though they brought in Matt Cullen, who has done a fine job for them so far, their unyielding ability to throw an effective center over the boards every single shift has left them. Charlie Coyle can play the position but the team likes him better on the wing, and Kunin isn’t quite ready for a full-time role.

There is the possibility that when Zach Parise eventually returns from injury they’ll move Coyle back to the middle, but an addition would be the best option. It’ll be tough, as the Wild are pressed right up against the cap thanks the the hefty cap hits of Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno, both who’ve been healthy scratches at times this year. That fact may force them to go with what they have right now, but it will be interesting to see if they find a way to get involved as the deadline approaches.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Hurricanes, Senators, Fletcher

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Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos has been considering selling the majority of his share of the team for some time, and today John Shannon of Sportsnet confirmed with team President Don Waddell that they are currently in talks with billionaire Thomas Dundon. Chuck Greenberg had previously been linked as a potential buyer, but now it appears Dundon is the prime candidate.

Shannon confirmed that the deal would be for a controlling interest of the Hurricanes but that relocation would not be part of it. While that obviously doesn’t guarantee a long-term future for Carolina, it at least should calm Hurricanes fans for the time being. Dundon is from Texas, though not from the Houston area that has become the hot city in relocation and expansion speculation around the league.

  • Another team that has been surrounded by rumors of a potential sale is the Ottawa Senators, and though he can’t definitively deny it won’t eventually happen, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports owner Eugene Melnyk will be not selling anytime soon. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently said that a downtown arena is “vitally important” to the Senators’ long-term future in Ottawa, something Melnyk has been trying to convince the city of for years. Currently in discussions over the Lebreton Flats area near downtown Ottawa, a new building would certainly be a step in the right direction for the franchise.
  • This morning, The Athletic published a piece by former NHL executive Frank Provenzano about general managers working in the final year of the contract and the dangers that can pose for a franchise. Now, after quite a bit of digging, Michael Russo reports that Chuck Fletcher of the Minnesota Wild is doing just that. Fletcher was quite active at last year’s deadline to try and push the Wild over the edge in the playoffs, only to see his team bow out in the second round once again. Now, stuck near the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference a “lame duck” GM could be pushed do to something drastic. There’s no reason to believe Fletcher would make such a move, but be sure to keep an eye on the Minnesota situation if their struggles continue.

Wild GM On Cap Situation And Future Moves

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After avoiding arbitration with Nino Niederreiter with a five-year deal, it was expected that the team would strike a similar term with Mikael Granlund.  However, that wasn’t the case as he ultimately inked a shorter-term pact, signing for three seasons.  Speaking with KFAN 100.3 in Minneapolis, GM Chuck Fletcher acknowledged that their salary cap situation basically forced them into the shorter deal:

“Those UFA years can get expensive. We’re trying to keep the cap number as low as possible. To buy more of Granlund’s UFA years would have made the cap number higher, obviously. We would have had to buy prime UFA years right now and that may have caused us to move another player.”

With Niederreiter checking in at $5.25MM on his new deal and Granlund at $5.75MM, the Wild now find themselves with just $3.1MM in cap space per CapFriendly and still have Marcus Foligno to sign.  His qualifying offer was his 2016-17 salary of $2.25MM so his new deal will eat up the majority of their remaining space.

Despite that, Fletcher admitted that he would still like to add another veteran forward at some point:

“I think to add a veteran forward can always be a good thing.  It’s always good to have depth and it’s a long season, as we’ve seen through the years. You can’t anticipate having the injuries you’re going to have. So I think adding a veteran player would be a good thing. Whether we look at it now or sometime during the year or at the end of camp – the cap comes into play though, a little bit.”

Adding another veteran would also allow the team to hedge against youngsters like Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek not being ready for full-time NHL duty.  As it stands, there’s a decent chance that at least one of them may be shuffled back and forth to and from the minors in an effort to save a bit of room throughout the season.

[Related: Wild Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

They’re no strangers to waiting to add a veteran depth piece until the season gets underway, however.  Last season, they waited until just before the trade deadline to bring Ryan Carter back on a two-way deal (although he didn’t get into any NHL action after signing).

One veteran who has been speculatively linked to the Wild this summer is Matt Cullen, who spent three years with the team previously and is from the area.  However, Fletcher noted during the interview that he has yet to have any discussions with the 40-year-old free agent so far.  Given that their best fit in terms of the salary cap would be to add a veteran on a two-way deal that could start in the minors (pending waivers), Cullen wouldn’t be an ideal fit for that role anyway.  Depending on how much Foligno signs for, it wouldn’t be surprising to see their search for veteran depth go into training camp depending on who has to settle for a PTO deal.

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