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Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Next year will be Quinnipiac's turn to send Minny packing.

Yeah, nice showing against Providence in the first round this year, anti. :rolleyes: With three of their top five scorers lost to graduation plus Brabant leaving early, the Pussycats might have an even harder time scoring a goal next season LOL.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

There is another thread here where people are piecing things together. Gophers are usually one of the latest to publish a schedule. Here are some dates from the Gopher Puck Live site:
10/10 - Minnesota Duluth (Ice Breaker Tournament At Notre Dame)
10/12 - RPI or ND (Ice Breaker Tournament At Notre Dame)
10/31 - @ St. Cloud State
11/1 - St. Cloud State
11/14 - Minnesota Duluth
11/15 - @ Minnesota Duluth
11/29 - @ Boston College
11/30 - @ Northeastern
1/23 & 24 - North Star College Cup, St. Paul

Couple surprises (at least to me):
Home and home with SCSU and UMD,
Only one game at BC (we just had 3 against them here the last two years, and I expect they will be pumped up and be hard to beat with several years of the most lopsided losses out of trips to Mpls they've had in some time)
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Couple surprises (at least to me):
Home and home with SCSU and UMD,
Only one game at BC (we just had 3 against them here the last two years, and I expect they will be pumped up and be hard to beat with several years of the most lopsided losses out of trips to Mpls they've had in some time)
They're doing two at BC just in two different years instead of one. BC and NE are coming here for a trip and Minnesota is playing both those teams one and one in two different seasons.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Can't stand home and home series. Still going to try to make that Duluth Saturday game thought.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Can't stand home and home series. Still going to try to make that Duluth Saturday game thought.

That Boston trip is one I have my eye on. Getting out to see a game at Mathews has been on my bucket list for years.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

That Boston trip is one I have my eye on. Getting out to see a game at Mathews has been on my bucket list for years.

I've wanted to head out east for a bit, but things keep coming up affecting my finances. Most of them either being out of state weddings, or in this case, my wedding. Someday....someday.....
 
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Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Glad to come on and not see any updates (translation -no one announced early departure yet). But doesn't someone usually start an early departure thread? Maybe I missed it. I know about Johnny G leaving, but haven't had time to look at much else.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Is it possible to keep all your fingers crossed for an entire offseason?

You can do that? ;) I've been checking Jason's blog in the Strib plus the "early departures" page pretty much every day and am always happy when nothing shows up. Maybe, just maybe, everybody returns. :cool: When is the last time that's happened?
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

After 2011-12 everyone came back in case anyone actually wonders.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Flight risks: Wilcox and Reilly with career decisions to make this summer.

Adam Wilcox, the University of Minnesota sophomore goaltender, could have an interesting decision to make. Wilcox's NHL rights are owned by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Considering the brilliant season he has had, the Lightning are expected to rush to try to sign the South St. Paul native. That's because if Wilcox returns to the Gophers for his junior year, Tampa Bay will lose its signing rights and he can become a free agent, available to any NHL organization.

If Wilcox were to sign with Tampa Bay, he would receive a bonus of about $280,000, payable in installments of about $92,500 in each of the next three years. Playing in the NHL would be worth an annual salary of about $800,000 for the first three years, plus performance bonuses. If Wilcox were to start a pro career in the minor leagues, which would be probable if he signed, his salary would be about $70,000.

The Lightning are well set with goaltenders throughout their system, meaning advancement could take longer in that organization than if Wilcox were to wait a year and sign with an organization -- the Wild, for example -- that would provide more opportunity.

Gophers All-American sophomore defenseman Mike Reilly, whose NHL rights are owned by Columbus, has the same pro-contract options as Wilcox, and the Bluejackets are expected to be in full pursuit to sign him. If Reilly returns to school for his junior season, he, too, can become a free agent and would be available to any NHL organization next year.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Would love to see Wilcox stay one more year and then sign with the Wild for 2015-16. That's probably the best outcome we can realistically hope for, and the way things stand now it would also give him the best chance to play in the NHL right away (the Wild could really use him RIGHT NOW!). If he does sign with Tampa this summer it would obviously be a huge blow to the Gophers' prospects for the coming season.

As for Reilly, as talented as he is, I do believe he could use one more year to improve his defensive play and to work on his strength. Knowing his family's situation, if he does leave for Columbus it would not be because he needs the money. And you would think staying one more year to play with his two brothers would influence his decision also.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

The article Harley is quoting (not sure where its coming from) is erroneous. The writer of those remarks doesn't have a grasp of the NHL CBA. Neither Reilly nor Wilcox automatically become free agents just because they return. They would have to pull the Justin Schultz routine next spring to do that and even then they don't automatically become free agents.

Technically, if they stayed in school, they'd still be the property of those teams per the NHL CBA until August after their class graduates. The loophole stuff is somewhat overrated. It's not like every time that option is available, a player uses it.
 
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Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Technically, if they stayed in school, they'd still be the property of those teams per the NHL CBA until August after their class graduates. The loophole stuff is somewhat overrated. It's not like every time that option is available, a player uses it.
I disagree and say it's a very real risk if the player is good enough to need out after three to further his career and isn't particularly excited by his draft team.
 
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