According to Russo, Riser feels that Gaborik's return will be the "shot in the arm" the team needs to ascend to the playoffs.
The problem, as Russo adroitly points out, is that Gaborik isn't expected back for 2-3 weeks. The Wild needs a shot in the arm right now.
It is becoming painfully clear that this is a GM who is either a coward (ie to make a trade) or unable to admit that he made mistakes in putting this team together. Neither is acceptable.
He has tried to set expectations low for this year's trade deadline yield. And, while I agree most teams will just look to just shuffle parts around - and that the Wild needs more than a couple "I just need a change of scenery to find my game" players at this point - the problem is that he then creates space for himself to do nothing. Again, either too afraid or too prideful.
If it isn't clear to him that his team needs a jolt, and that his head coach is practically begging for one, then you can add torpid or maybe obtuse to the list of descriptors for Riser. Lemaire said, "We’ve got to play the best we can, and if we don’t win, it’s because we’re not good enough" after last night's game. (Per Russo's blog.)
With the trade deadline only a few days away, we will not have to wait very long to start judging Risebrough's job this season. Waiting two weeks for Gaborik is not going to cut it. No, he doesn't need to bring in Bouwmeester and Spezza. But if he stands pat and the team continues its descent out of the playoffs then it will be open season on Mr. Risebrough. At least in this space.
NiNY
8 comments:
Does this remind you of 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' or not?
DR and Tom Lynn are so far removed from the reality of this club right now -- that they basically have thrown away their playoff chances for this season in the trash of ridiculous losses to inferior teams (Nashville, LA, Ottawa, Edmonton) in just the past three weeks. Craig Leipold needs to clean house and rid the club of the whole group. Blow up the sucker and start over again.
To pin your waning playoff hopes on one player -- especially one who hasn't played in six months, and who has expressed an interest never to play here again -- is absolutely ludicrous.
Yeah, I think that's an apt comparison, WRT. It's not quite "Let them eat cake," nor is it Pol Pot. It's really just two men who are sadly and grievously out of touch.
'Pol Pot', Nick?
Not even DR and TooL can compare to one of history's greatest despots.
Now, Big Bert and Matt Cooke, on the other hand... :P
Are those teams you mentioned really all that inferior?
okay...so I may have been overcome with hyperbole there for a minute....Harold Ballard? Is that any better? :P
KiPA: Yes, I consider three of the four teams I mentioned definitely inferior, talent-wise, to the Wild. Only Los Angeles may match up with them (but, unlike the Wild, they are on the rise, not falling.) Ottawa you as a Pens fan should know better than I do. They absolutely sucked last night against the Maple Laffs at home. Nashville has only had one great game in a month; and Edmonton should follow the Wild's lead, blow the damn thing up and start over. MacT and K-Lowe are as out of touch as DR and TooL are.
Harold Ballard, Nick? Much better. At least he didn't kill people for spite, and then try to get away with it when the international community caught up to him. (Ballard just broke Leafs' fans hearts.)
We agree on LA. They've got some scary good up-and-coming talent.
Ottawa's been playing much better lately since the coaching change and have more players I'm scared to play against than the Wild (whether that makes them superior or not is debatable; I still don't like playing the Wild.) But I wouldn't rush to label them inferior - they are inferior in goal for sure. But overall? I'm not so sure.
Nashville...OK, I probably agree with you on that count. The Radulov thing hurt them a good bit I think this year.
Edmonton has gotten that bad? I know they've got a few good players, and Roloson seems to have remembered how to play goal. But I also know they've got some underachievers, so I'll defer to your opinion that. I didn't think they'd deteriorated all that much but I don't get to see them very often.
Here's a completely uninformed, opinion from a slightly more than casual fan:
The Wild are done, fork 'em now. They demonstrate little to no ability at controlling the puck in the offensive end and lately, haven't had much success at carrying the physical play at all in their own end.
The team looks completely uninspired, slow, and get caught far too often watching rather than skating.
I lay the blame, at this point, where it belongs and that's with Riser. His assessment of talent appears to be driven by the score sheet more than any deep talent analysis.
The Wild get outphysicaled(not a word but I think it's descriptive enough) each and every night and I don't seem much in the way of anyone on the ice that makes the opposing defense catch a case of concrete skates.
It's time to clean the house now.
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