The Wild's Biggest Enemy is Craig Leipold

As Wild fans are becoming Twins fans (shout out to the AL-best Twinkies), the drama involving Minnesota's favorite professional hockey club has come to the surface yet again. According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Wild attempted, yet again, to move young winger Jason Zucker in a trade, this time for elite sniper and hot dog lover Phil Kessel. Kessel nixed a trade to St. Paul, however, as he refused to waive his NTC. This is the second time Zucker had been on the block since the trade deadline in February, when he was nearly traded to the Calgary Flames. Zucker, a winger with 20+ goals in 4 of the last 5 seasons, has become trade bait. Most people would wonder why a team would trade someone who as rather consistently scored goals when that's what the Wild are sorely needing. To me, the answer is simple: Zucker has run afoul of the Wild big boss, owner Craig Leipold.

Craig Leipold purchased the Wild from Bob Naegele Jr. in 2008, and when he came in, he said all the right things. He wanted a Stanley Cup for the Twin Cities, and he was willing to spend. After hiring GM Chuck Fletcher in 2009, the pair began to rebuild the mediocre Wild, drafting players such as Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, and signing free agents Thomas Vanek, Eric Staal, and two nobodies named Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. It all looked like rainbows and puppy dogs for the Wild for years to come, but this was not the case.

The Wild would make the playoffs the first year after signing Parise and Suter to massive 13 year contracts, being bounced by Chicago in 5 games. The only game they won was on a OT winner by Zucker, who worked to the dots and fired one home in game 3. This would start a string of losing to Chicago in the playoffs for the Wild that they never got over, losing out to the Blackhawks each of the next 2 seasons as well. Finally, after losing in the first round 3 years in a row, Fletcher was relieved of his duties and Paul Fenton, an executive in Nashville for years, was brought in to turn the ship around.

He would not do so. The Wild missed the playoffs for the first time in 6 years, and they did so awfully. While the team's record was not horrible (37-36-9), the team couldn't win at home and they gave up more first goals than any team in the league. They looked old and slow, not leaving fans with much confidence the team could be patched before next season. A full rebuild was at hand.

Or so we thought. After rumors of trading Zucker for elite talent in their prime years, it seems that Fenton has decided on a quick fix to get the team back to the playoffs, even though the team looked way beyond the help of Kessel or any one player. So the question becomes: Why? Why is the Wild attempting a playoff comeback when they obviously lacked the offensive talent to win in the playoffs? The answer is simple. Craig Leipold.

It's long been known Leipold wants to win. He's said it in basically every interview he's given since purchasing the Wild. But it's become something of a farce since last year, when it became painfully clear the team was, again, mediocre. And he's involved with the team, for sure, because he's good friends with Ryan Suter, since the two have been attached at the hip after Suter was drafted by the Predators in 2003. This has lead to many accounts of there being a clear divide in the Wild locker room between veterans and young guys, and it's clear that hasn't ever gone away.

The Wild shipped off most of their young core last year, trading Granlund, Coyle, and Niederreiter before the deadline. The new young guys (Kunin, Greenway, Eriksson Ek, and Donato) are younger, for sure, but they also have had growing pains. Both Greenway and Eriksson Ek spent time in Iowa last year for poor play, and Donato was shipped out of Boston before he ever wowed anyone. It's now totally clear who's running the team, and it's the vets.

The last piece of a once-promising young core is Zucker. Drafted by the Wild in the second round of the 2010 NHL draft, Zucker hasn't exactly been a star, but his hard work, speed, and philanthropy has made him a fan favorite with the Wild faithful. Yet, he's almost been traded twice.

It's clear this is a decision that comes from the top. Leipold wants playoffs, no matter what. He'll sell off anyone young for the absolute slimmest chance of a series win, and he's shown it yet again. Fenton has become his puppet, trading players just for the taste of the first round. With Coyle in the finals and Niederreiter making the Eastern Conference Finals, it's obvious those trades weren't made to make the team better. They were made to ship guys out that Leipold wanted out. The man who claimed he wanted to bring a championship to St. Paul has decided that the playoffs are good enough, and he's telling his GM the same. The Wild will never raise a Cup under Leipold's ownership, and his meddling in the team could hurt them for the next decade. So thanks, Leipold, for being a worse owner than Norm Green.

5 Most Intriguing Match-ups for the 2016-2017 season

Well, Wild fans. Here we are again. It's mid-July and after a busy free agency and a not-so-busy draft, we're into the wasteland of Minnesota sports. That means there's only one thing to do: look ahead to games that won't even be played for another 3 months. There are many intriguing match-ups on this year's schedule, but I've narrowed it down to the 5 most intriguing (to me, anyway). So without further ado, let's get this party started.

October 15th vs Winnipeg

Ah, yes, the home opener. Another season of hockey comes back to St. Paul, and it's ushered in by a battle with Central Division rivals the Winnipeg Jets. Last season, the Jets had our number, winning 4 of the 5 games of the season series, and this year, they've gotten even better with the (presumed) addition of Kyle Conner, Michigan's stud freshman last year. The Jets are a team who's fans travel well, at least to the Twin Cities anyway. Expect a good, hard-fought game, and some friendly ribbing if you're lucky enough to be at the X for this one.

January 8 at Anaheim

Bruce Boudreau is back in SoCal for the first time since being fired after the Ducks were bounced from the playoffs by Nashville, and he's bringing Chris Stewart along for the ride. The Ducks have perennially dominated the Wild, though last year the Wild seemed to be able to play with them, despite losing 2 of the 3 games. Expect a touching video tribute to Gabby, and for Chris Stewart to drop the gloves.

February 12th vs Detroit

Thomas Vanek didn't last long in Minnesota, but in that time, he became one of the most polarizing players in team history. Some loved his commitment to offense, others hated that he often disappeared when it mattered most, and nearly everybody hated his plus/minus rating. So how can you overlook his return to the X? Will he be booed? Will the obligatory video tribute include that header to the clear the zone? Will Kevin Gorg ever get a wig? Who knows, but we'll find out in a matinee match-up (except for that Gorg thing. That was just to fill out the list).

April 6th at Colorado

Some people, including me, would say every game against the Avalanche is a must watch, but this one is even more so. In the second-to-last game of the season, possibly with a playoff spot on the line, the Wild travel to Denver to take on their most hated rival. There's no way this isn't going to be one of the best games of the season. Unless both of us and the Avs are completely out of the playoffs, then it's meaningless. Still Patrick Roy might make a funny face.

December 11th vs St Louis

I've saved to most intriguing game for last. Mike Yeo makes his return to St Paul, and he's doing it as the assistant (and future head) coach of the St Louis Blues. Everyone remembers Mike Yeo's roller coaster tenure with the Wild. In his first year, the team lead the NHL in points, yet come April, they were golfing. Then GMCF brings in Parise and Suter, and so began the era of getting bounced in the playoffs by the Blackhawks. Then last season, it finally became too much for management to take, and he was fired after losing 13 of 14 in January and February. Yeo was never the prophet people hoped he would be after he took the Aeros to the Calder Cup finals, and he was accused of being bullheaded and favoring his veterans. Still, he won 2 playoff series, which ties the record for most by a coach in team history, and his schemes definitely had merits. Yeo was a coach who deserved better here, and he gets his chance with St Louis.