Lemaire scoffs at Wild's plans for more offense

I know this is a little late and got lost late in the shuffle while I was focusing on the WCHA expanding to 12 teams; however this article is worth taking a look at because it’s kind of hilarious. None the less, I think Lemaire is right to a certain degree; all teams’ play the trap from time to time, and the Wild will too, however, I don't see them falling back into the same boring defense first team they were under Lemaire. If they do they could bore the fans enough that they might stay home. I think the Wild are going to step it up and try to push the puck up the ice, if they get a few offensive players. Hint: Let's make a push for the Sedin twins.

MONTREAL — The Wild vows to be an up-tempo, attacking, let-defensemen-roam-free team next season.

Jacques Lemaire, who ran a structured, disciplined system during his eight seasons as the Wild's coach, doesn't buy it. Not for one second.

"You know what? You know what? They'll play the same way. They will play the same way," Lemaire said after being announced as one of Mike Babcock's assistants on Canada's 2010 men's Olympic hockey team. "You know why? Everybody plays this way. Detroit's a little different. But look at all the other teams.

"It's 95 percent defense. It's the details that are different, but that's about it. So what do you want to change?"

Lemaire, a two-time Jack Adams Award winner as coach of the year, gives new coach Todd Richards one week, maybe a month, next season before he pulls back the reins.

Lemaire used Atlanta, Florida and Tampa Bay, all three of which had new coaches last season, as examples. The Wild swept the three during an October trip, including a 6-2 pummeling of the Panthers.

"It's normal that the new guy would come in and say, 'Wait, we're going offense,'" Lemaire said. "Talk to the new coach in Florida [Peter DeBoer]. He came in and said it and won [four] games in the first 12. [Former Tampa Bay coach Barry] Melrose said that, too.