Like someone said on facebook earlier today the Wild are officially out of the playoffs. I could have told you that in October when the Wild went an unimpressive
4-9 for the month of October and it was a hole they couldn't get out of. I think most of the blame can be laid at the feat of former General Manager
Doug Risebrough.
The result left them cold, just as losses always do. Despite rallying from a two-goal deficit, the Wild fell 3-2 to San Jose on Friday night, officially eliminating it from playoff contention.
This time, though, the players could leave Xcel Energy Center with a much warmer feeling about the impression they made. On fan appreciation night, their first priority was to atone for the lousy effort on Wednesday that provoked a chorus of boos from their faithful and a none-too-subtle message from their coach. [Star and Tribune]
Here's my take:
ReplyDeleteEveryone laughs at how utterly incompetent Matt Millen was as GM of the Lions or how the same was true of McHale of the Timberpuppies. However, my argument was that, though Risebrough was no less incompetent than these two buffoons, he actually did far more damage to his team compared to the others.
Here's Why:
The NBA may have the developmental league and the NFL the practice squad (used to have NFL Europe but that's no more), but they don't have the complex minor league system and rights arrangement hockey does. So, obviously, there's FAR more ways to mess up players and draft the wrong guys than those two sports. Only baseball can hold a candle to this complexity.
So, Risebrough not only failed at the NHL level, he failed at the minor league level and the developmental level. He's failed to develop players that can contribute in the ways the Wild need to succeed. He's gotten rid of or never made a run at players who could have helped for the POTENTIAL to be what they need rather than going after the actual deal.
It's kind of like a poker player entering the final card KNOWING somehow that, if he is aggressive and bets more, the final card will be the one he could use to win, but instead stands pat and gets beat out... every single time.
He had no interest in drafting pure goal scorers, so their minor leagues have no such player. And, though Koivu is their best player, Risebrough got lucky in the fact that Koivu was a 2 way player as well.
As for Gaborik, well, he was a pure goal scorer and he played on a team that offerred no support. Eliminate Gaborik, eliminate 80% of the offense. So, Lemaire went to the trap system. He did ok with it.
The Wild are, from top to bottom, a SEVERELY messed up team. It's going to take them YEARS to get the right guys in the system and a few more after that to get enough NHL ready players to make a difference. The current GM has a lot of work ahead of him trying to get rid of all the bums Risebrough loved so much.
He is the kiss of death for any hockey team.... and that's amazing to say considering Boston has had some doozies as well.
They are just painful to watch these days. Not only don't they score too many goals, they honestly don't really even get chances either.
ReplyDeleteLast month: at home, versus Florida. 9 shots on goal the entire game against the team that allows the most shots on goal in the entire NHL.
Last Wednesday: at home, versus the Blackhawks. Granted, Chicago is a very good team, but whoever is in goal for them is like a piece of swiss cheese. Knowing this, the Wild mustered only 6 shots on goal through almost 2 periods of play until a 5 on 3 occured.
I feel sorry for their fans. They're forking over $75 a ticket and this is what they get to see. I'd ask for my money back on the way out.
WCHAdominates -
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be like that until they rebuild this organization.
Some teams, like Colorado, rebuild their NHL team to become playoff contenders.
Risebrough (see my first post) destroyed the organization AS A WHOLE. So, the Wild have to rebuild AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE GAME. That's going to take a VERY long time.
I think the swiss cheese comparison to Huet is apt. Niemi... He's not a top tier goaltender, for sure, but he's FAR better than Huet.