NHL.COM - When analyzing James Sheppard, many point to his low point total last year (six), and his high draft position in 2006 (nine). There's one other number to look at when it comes to "Shep" (22).If I was the GM of the Minnesota Wild (that is my dream job) I say this; James thanks for you three years of service to the Wild but we won’t need you this season, we are going to try and land a player that will actually contribute on the score card. I mean seriously, who cares is Sheppard is first round draft choice, would it be different if he was a 2nd – 7th round pick, no one is going to take him off the Wild’s hands, he sucks. I don't think the Wild could get a bag of used pucks and dirty jock straps for him. I wonder if there is someone in the Wild's front office that is holding out hope (desperately) that Sheppard will all of a sudden Sheppard is going to blossom into this great offensive player that will lead the Wild to the Promised Land. Yeah! And I am going to be a super model.
While yet to find his niche on the Minnesota Wild, the 22-year-old Sheppard will have at least another year to show why he was so highly coveted as a big, young center. On Wednesday, the restricted free agent signed a one-year deal to remain in Minnesota for the 2010-11 season.
The Wild also sent qualifying offers to Guillaume Latendresse, Josh Harding, Anton Khudobin, Nate Prosser and Matt Kassian. Morten Madsen and Jamie Fraser did not receive offers.
The Sheppard deal comes as a relief to a player who is disappointed in a rough 2009-10 season, but says he is completely focused on raising his game in a Wild sweater.
"Last year was not an ideal year for me," Sheppard admitted. "There is a lot I want to accomplish, and a lot of work I have to do to accomplish those things. It really is a relief to have this out of the way early, and it shows that Chuck Fletcher wanted me to be here to raise my game. He made that clear to me by signing me early in the summer, and he also made clear that there is a lot of work to be done for me in Minnesota."
Sheppard is confident he has a lot more to offer, but he makes no excuses for the inability to make an immediate impact. He acknowledged that several facets of his game need improvement, and he is devoted to improving all of them.
Wild Beat Writer Mike Russo has a very good interview with the Wild GM Chuck Fletcher that decided to give Sheppard yet another chance to stick up the Xcel Energy Center. [Click to read Russo's Rants]
I agree with Fletcher in that you keep the asset, but he had best trade him away before camp. Get a bag of pucks, or, use him to get a possible deal over the top. Some stiff of a gm would take him. And it might work out, look at the Pouliot-Latendress deal.
ReplyDeleteThe Wild don't have any prospects in their system which is why Mr. Sheppard still will be playing for the Wild.
ReplyDeleteI would have rather seen the Wild dump him and sign a prospect. Hopefully they will put him on the waiver wire after training camp and someone picks him up.
ReplyDeleteI think Green Hornet is right.
ReplyDeleteThe cupboard is bare. The Wild have two things in their farm system in terms of forwards:
1. Has-beens/never was
2. Nothing at all.
You can't turn around a ruined franchise (at least the kind of ruin the Wild find themselves in thanks to RiseborD'OH!) overnight...or over 2 years worth of nights.
The Wild are a disaster. Pouliot was (in retrospect) the only prospect that had some trade value. Khudobin might and Harding does as well, but they're not going to trade away one of the only depth they possess.
Keeping Sheppard for one year isn't such a big deal and I think Fletcher sent the right message to Sheppard:
You've got one year, maybe less. Prove you're worth it or try to find somewhere that you can.
If Fletcher pulled a Garth Snow and signed him to a 12 year contract, THEN I'd be more pissed.
It's do or done time for Sheppard. If he finishes the year with 6 points, he'd've better gotten injured for the year after 6-10 games.
Even so, Sheppard was taken about 2 or 3 rounds too high.
Ok, reread Russo's rant.
ReplyDelete"It's not about the numbers, it is about the numbers but I don't want the focus to be on the numbers."
Chuckie.... in all honesty... you need offense. You can't put Koivu and Havlat on the ice for 60 minutes a game. Havlat will get injured about 2 games into it and Koivu will get pounded into the ice.
Like I said: Draft offense. Screw the scouting reports about anything else about their games. Are they a pure scorer? Is he on the board when it is our turn? DRAFT HIM.
That's what I'd do.