With A Full Plate, Fletcher Gets Right to Work On Wild

With the hiring of Chuck Fletcher to be the new GM, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold served notice that it was time for his franchise to take the next step(s) up the ladder towards the ultimate prize.

Less-than a week after taking the job, one has to wonder if Mr. Fletcher ever imagined exactly how many rungs he would need to ascend in order to fulfill his boss’ mandate.

Glass Half Full

Mr. Fletcher inherits a team that has:

*A solid-if-unspectacular defense corps
*One of the league’s true snipers
*An All-Star Caliber goalie
*A “core” of young players (Koivu, Bouchard, Burns and Schultz) that is signed for a cap-friendly $14.38M and for a minimum of two more seasons
*A team that knows how to play defense, and is champing at the bit to play some offense
*An enviable mix of veterans, 4th line stalwarts and 3rd line hopefuls
*And a rabid fanbase that has purchased every single seat (regular season and playoff) in team history

Glass Half Empty

Mr. Fletcher also inherits a team that has:

*A very promising young defenseman who is coming off an injury-riddled season that concluded with the dreaded PCS (post-concussion symptoms) the effects of which were severe enough to initially delay a necessary shoulder surgery
*A star-player that is both totally disenfranchised with the franchise and mere days away from unrestricted free agency
*A $6M goalie who will be backstopping a new, more-open, system
*An overall roster that, outside of the “core,” is woefully thin on offense
*A team that knows little other than how to play defense
*An almost pitiful cast of mostly 4th line stalwarts and 3rd line hopefuls, with a couple grizzly veterans mixed in
*And a rabid fanbase that has grown both weary of uninspiring hockey and wary of shelling out big league dollars to view it when there is world-class hockey at the amateur levels literally all around them

Careful what you wish for, eh Chuck?

This is not to say that the cupboard is bare. While it is generally agreed that Risebrough traded non-first round picks like they were, in fact, worthless, one result of which is that the farm has appeared pretty darn bereft of NHL-level talent the past few season, there is hope that a new leadership regime, espousing and employing a less-restrictive system than the previous regime did, might breathe new life into the careers of players such as Benoit Pouliot, for example, whose skill level has never been questioned.

Or that the odd-4th line stalwart/3rd line hopeful like Stephan Veilleux can thread the ultimate NHL needle: re-finding his scoring touch from his days in juniors under the new coach, whomever it may be.

Pretty thin, I know.

Speaking of the TBA coach, word from beat writer extraordinaire Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is that Todd Richards and Peter Laviolette are either going to be interviewed or very interested, though Fletcher is still compiling, not to mention culling, his master list.

Mr. Fletcher outlined a vision of the style of hockey he wants his team to play that was significant in its departure from that of Risebrough, if not its originality in today’s NHL. That alone was enough to give most Wild fans real hope for the first time in several seasons.

Now Mr. Fletcher has to sift through the rubble to see if there are any usable parts lying around, so he can make up his shopping list before July 1st.

Some Other Articles That You May Enjoy:
As Spring Turns To Summer, Wild House Cleaning Continues
Wild Report: With Sykora, Havlat in Fold, Fletcher Impressing
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Wild Notes: Finally Playing Like Expansion Team
Moldy Wing Dings: It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, It’s Marian Gaborik!
Rinne brings Wild streak to an end

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