Taming the Wild

The Minnesota Wild were predicted to have a decent team this season and possibly make a push for the NHL post season, but things have not gone according to plan.

The hiring of GM Bill Guerin was a promising step in the right direction. Especially when, within a day of his GM announcement, he signed RFA Joel Eriksson EK to a new deal. 

He was very vocal about what he expected and thought he would see from his team.

Fast forward to now, and we find the Wild sitting at the bottom of the standings with a dismal record of 1-6-0. Not what was expected from this team.

This leads me to believe a few things.

The first thing is that some inconsistencies of the early season are really hurting this team. New players pushing for permanent roster spots make things difficult because you haven't developed chemistry, and they can sometimes do things that aren't expected which may have a positive outcome or sometimes a negative one.

Goaltending is another issue at the moment. Veteran starter Devan Dubnyk has struggled to begin this season. Posting an expanded GAA of 4.44 and a terrible .867 SV%, Dubnyk doesn't look like the rock between the pipes that Wild fans are used to seeing.

Injuries. Injuries have plagued the start of this season for the Wild.

Newly signed F Mats Zuccarello, who has only played in four games for the Wild, was recently moved to the IR when another Wild forward, Joel Eriksson EK, went down with an injury the other night.

Added to the injury list are forwards Victor Rask and Greg Pateryn.
Putting the injuries and inconsistencies together, things only get harder for the Wild.

The last thing I wonder about is coaching.

There are articles and stories abound about how good Bruce Boudreau is at coaching. He gets teams to win, and his record shows that. But, there are also rumors (unsubstantiated) about how he loses a room within a few years.

Even now, he has called out the Wild for their poor play, and was even called out himself by the players for needing to "change something".

I personally don't know a whole lot about Boudreau or his style of coaching, but I feel even if emotions are running high, the players in the locker room are starting to turn a little bit on the head coach.

Looking at his coaching contracts, Bruce always seems to get fired in he final year of a deal (albeit, it is only with two other teams). Which makes me wonder if he gives up a little or if the players give up on him.

All in all, the accumulation of all of these issues, does not help the Wild win games and make it to the NHL Playoffs.

The inconsistencies, the injuries and the coaching have all amounted to a whopping two points for this squad. Placing this team dead last in the NHL to this point. Yes there are still a lot of games left. And who knows, if the St. Louis Blues can be dead last at January 1 last season and win the Stanley Cup, there is still hope for Minnesota.

For now, my prediction is that Bruce Boudreau is the first head coach relieved of his duties this season, and Wild will struggle for most of the year. They

won't make the playoffs and you may see a "fire sale" of players come the trade deadline.

Josh Ho-Sang Part 2

In my previous post about Josh Ho-Sang, I sort of explained a little about his career and the turmoil that has surrounded him since being drafted by the New York Islanders.
I also mentioned at the end of the post that he still may be a good fit somewhere if a team were to take a chance on him.

In this post, I will have a look at where he may fit in the best, and make a guess about what the Islanders may get in return for him.

I read an article that has mentioned three teams that should explore or trade for Ho-Sang. In it, they state the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and the Ottawa Senators as possible destinations.
Of the three teams mentioned, I believe the Sens would be the best option. Allow me to explain myself.

They have an abundance of draft picks available to trade away if they see fit, and they also have the lowest cap hit in the league currently.
With a somewhat aging and transitioning core group of players, adding Ho-Sang now, who is just coming into what may be his prime, could be the perfect option for all parties involved.
A line of Brady Tkachuk on the left wing, Ho-Sang in the middle and Colin White on the right wing, seems a like a long shot, but it would be a crash the net with speed type of line.
Two players (Ho-Sang and White) who can feed Tkachuk as he streaks to the cage seems like a good option.
I mean, lets face it. This seasons Sens team isn't anything special. They were labelled underdogs from the get go. So if they can add a piece that may help now, for a reasonably low price. Why wouldn't they?

If the Sens were to send a pick, say a 3rd or 4th rounder to the Islanders, or perhaps one of the accumulated 2nd round selections they have received from another team, (Columbus/Dallas in 2020 and Columbus/San Jose in 2021) the Islanders may listen.

Really who knows what the Islanders will want in return for Ho-Sang. Islanders GM Lou Lamorillo runs a tight ship, and may ask the world for a return. He knows what kind of player he is (just under a half point per game, and a playmaker) and the Islanders could use some speed to keep up with Mathew Barzal as he streaks down the ice.
Since I'm not familiar with the Sens prospects and their skill sets or anything like that, I'll leave that area alone. But I'm sure there could be a couple of players that would peak the interest of Lamorillo and the management team of the Islanders.

In the next little while there will be a shopping period for Ho-Sang and like I mentioned earlier, if no one bites on a deal, he will be reporting to Bridgeport Sound.
With his small sample size of NHL time, Ho-Sang could possibly make a difference for some NHL team, and possibly become part of a young core of players for a struggling team.

Josh Ho-Sang

If you have followed hockey for the last five years, you will have probably heard about the boiling battle between the New York Islanders and forward Joshua Ho-Sang.

It all finally came to a head just a couple of days ago when Ho-Sang asked the Islanders to trade him right after they waived him and sent him down to their minor league team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.


After being drafted in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Ho-Sang was sent down to the OHL where he was traded from the Windsor Spitfires to the Niagara Ice Dogs. He played in 49 games for the Ice Dogs and accumulated 62 points during the regular season campaign, while adding another 16 points in just 11 games during the playoffs.


It was after that season when things start to get a little rocky for the Toronto native.
He was to attend the Islanders training camp at the start of the 2015-2016, but on the very first day, slept in and was sent back down to Niagara as punishment for his tardiness.
Even though he tried to brush the issue off, it was obvious he was frustrated with the decision.
That season for the Ice Dogs, Ho-Sang led the team in scoring and helped them reach the OHL finals where they eventually were beat by the London Knights.


Skip ahead to the 2016 Islanders training camp and Ho-Sang is eager to prove he can make the big club. Faced with questions right off the bat about weather or not he had an alarm set, he laughed off the jokes by saying he had multiple alarms set for the morning.
Having a fairly good camp, Ho-Sang was eventually sent down to the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he would spend the majority of the season.


Since then, Ho-Sang has made 53 NHL appearances, tallying a total of 24 points (7G-17A), and while trying to make an impression, never really was able to carve out a spot on the Islanders roster.


Finally after seasons of frustration, and being cut from the Islanders roster, Ho-Sang cracked.
On Sept 30 he was placed on waivers to be sent down the the AHL and that was the last straw for the 23 year old. He (through his agent) told the Islanders that he would like to be traded from the team. 
Once the Islanders received this request, President of Hockey Operations and GM, Lou Lamoriello told Ho-Sang to not bother reporting to Bridgeport Sound until told otherwise. If a trade can be made, it will be completed, but if one isn't able to be completed, that is it. He is then to report and then he is just there.
Strong words from the GM who has a well known reputation for being a little more strict/hard on his players than most.

It appears that Ho-Sang has finally pushed a little too far in Lamoriello's eyes. To be told that he will just "be there" if no trade is found is a strong statement. 
As of right now, there has been no further information or update about a possible trade, or any interested teams. Although teams could have snagged Ho-Sang as he passed through waivers, he still remains a tradeable asset. If bundled with another player or not, the Islanders will be looking for a fair return. They won't just give away a disgruntled playmaker like Ho-Sang.
There are a few teams that could use a player with his skill and playmaking ability, but the question will be weather or not they want to take a chance on someone with such skill but a seemingly disgruntled past.