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Wild Won't Re-Sign Mikko Koivu; Option for Rangers?


Phil

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Meh.

I mean he made 5m last year. Obviously he’s not going to command that but even at 2.5m. I’d rather have Boyle at 1m or so. About the same production right now but 2 years younger.

 

You aren't bringing Koivu in for his production anymore. It's for everything else - a mentor for your star young Finn, someone to teach the Howdens and Barrons and Chytils of the world to play good two-way hockey and intelligently kill penalties.

 

Minor commitment for potentially major implications.

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I watch enough of the Wild to report that he is in precipitous decline. Nothing left. If this were last season and I were a contender with a hole at bottom 6 centers, I might have taken him at the deadline in the hope that with the help of some drugs and a masseuse you could squeeze a couple of months out of him, but not for a full season. Wild fans have been anxiously awaiting his departure for a couple of years.
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You aren't bringing Koivu in for his production anymore. It's for everything else - a mentor for your star young Finn, someone to teach the Howdens and Barrons and Chytils of the world to play good two-way hockey and intelligently kill penalties.

 

Minor commitment for potentially major implications.

 

Other than being a Finn, how would his impact be any different than the other vets that are on the team or have been on the team like Fast?

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You aren't bringing Koivu in for his production anymore. It's for everything else - a mentor for your star young Finn, someone to teach the Howdens and Barrons and Chytils of the world to play good two-way hockey and intelligently kill penalties.

 

Minor commitment for potentially major implications.

Yeah I know but I think you get that, albeit lesser, in Boyle too and for cheaper probably. Except the Finn part. Boyle is a former 20 goal scorer, has been to 2 cup finals, cancer survivor, played here already, etc. We all know the drill lol

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When I saw your headline I thought, WTF?

 

But if he's a 3rd or 4th line center I guess I don't hate it.

 

It's a downgrade from Strome though so how exactly does that work? Are they ready to commit to Chytil on the 2nd line?

 

Strome isn't their third- or fourth-line center. Chytil (who is almost certainly a winger) and Howden (who sucks) are.

 

This would have little to no impact on their search for an impact 2C.

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Other than being a Finn, how would his impact be any different than the other vets that are on the team or have been on the team like Fast?

 

We haven't got Fast - not yet, anyway - and the average age of our centers is "gets carded for cigarettes".

 

Our bottom 6 are largely young, inexperienced players who could use a guy like Koivu around for a year to show them how to play forward at the kind of level they're capable of. Koivu's smart, experienced, has worn the C for a long time - it's a very low risk, potentially very high reward move.

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Yeah I know but I think you get that, albeit lesser, in Boyle too and for cheaper probably. Except the Finn part. Boyle is a former 20 goal scorer, has been to 2 cup finals, cancer survivor, played here already, etc. We all know the drill lol

 

I'm not averse to Boyle either, but I think Koivu can still play up the lineup if needed in a way that Boyle can't anymore.

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League minimum to not be Gregg McKegg.

 

The Rangers need to be on guard. The rumor is that Gregg McKegg is going to assume another identity and re-sign as an imposter. We'll know that it has happened if McKegg's "replacement" is suspiciously no better than McKegg.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Will Koivu play next season?

 

I’m less convinced than ever that Koivu will be retiring from the NHL.

 

He’s returning to Finland to begin training in case he wants to play, whether that be in his hometown of Turku or in the NHL.

 

One thing that’s problematic is the Finnish Elite League has already started, so if he were to sign there, he’d probably want some kind of NHL out.

 

But I have a feeling Koivu’s going to be humbled Oct. 9 when free agency begins.

 

Teams need centers, and Koivu can still play third- and fourth-line minutes, win faceoffs and kill penalties.

 

Some teams that may have interest? Montreal, the Rangers, Florida, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Boston.

 

If he signs for next season, I’d think it would be an Eastern Conference team.

 

https://theathletic.com/2104772/2020/09/30/russo-what-im-hearing-about-the-wilds-offseason-so-far/?redirected=1

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