THE WILD WIRE - BLOG #20
Feb 26, 2018ROUGH GO IN GRAND RAPIDS
Tough two-game set for Iowa Wild in Grand Rapids this weekend, including yesterday’s 3-2 shootout loss.
The Griffins are rolling right now, as they’ve lost just once in regulation in the last 14 games, a mark of 11-1-0-2. The Wild knew it wouldn’t be easy going in and the defending champs showed why, keeping Iowa to just three goals in two games, one of which came on the power play.
However, the Wild truly earned a standings point in yesterday’s hard-fought shootout defeat, which allowed the team to move three points clear of Rockford for the final playoff spot in the Central Division standings. It should be noted the Wild has two games in hand on the IceHogs, so there’s always the potential to increase its breathing room for a postseason berth.
NHL TRADE DEADLINE IS HERE
The NHL trade deadline is today at 3 p.m. EST.
Check out this NHL.com running tracker to stay up-to-date on the latest moves:
https://www.nhl.com/news/2017-18-nhl-trades/c-289968698
Last year, Minnesota made a deal with the Arizona Coyotes that impacted Iowa’s roster from a “subtraction” standpoint, as forwards Grayson Downing and Teemu Pulkkinen joined the Coyotes.
We’ll find out in a number of hours if Minnesota GM Chuck Fletcher makes any deals this time around, but yesterday, the club made a roster move, placing veteran winger Chris Stewart on waivers. There’s almost always a trickle-down effect with any NHL transaction, so the waiting game is on to see if Iowa loses a player to the big club.
WILD PROSPECT SCORES OLYMPIC “GOLDEN GOAL”
Minnesota Wild 2015 draft pick (5th round), Kirill Kaprizov, scored the overtime game-winner in the Gold Medal game late Saturday night, lifting the Olympic Athletes Of Russia past Germany, 4-3.
Just 20 years of age, Kaprizov finished the game with four points (1g, 3a), allowing he and his teammates to don gold medals during the post-game ceremony.
Here’s the rub though for Wild fans:
Kaprizov is still under contract in the KHL (Russia’s top league) for two more seasons, so the earliest he can join the Wild organization is the 2020-21 season.
However, should he continue to develop overseas and stay healthy, he could be the type of player that makes an immediate impact at the NHL level.
On an aside, it felt really weird to type / read “2020”.
- Wild Joe Radio