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Under Pressure: Chuck Fletcher

2012 NHL Entry Draft - Rounds 2-7

2012 NHL Entry Draft - Rounds 2-7

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This post is part of Wild Day on PHT...

It was just over four years ago that the Minnesota Wild opened their wallets to sign Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but despite that “great day” in franchise history, they haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since.

Parise is 32 now. Suter will be 32 in January. They’re each signed through 2024-25, for a combined cap hit of around $15 million. So while there’s still time for them to come through, the general manager that signed them, Chuck Fletcher, surely had higher hopes when he convinced “two marquee players, who are both in the prime of their careers” to come to Minnesota.

The closest the Wild came to a deep playoff run was in 2013-14, when they took out the surprising Avalanche in the first round then lasted six hard-fought games against the Blackhawks. They made it to the second round again in 2014-15, getting the best of a good St. Louis team in the first round, only to be swept in four by those same ‘Hawks.

In 2015-16, the Wild took a decided step back. They still made the playoffs, but they did it with just 87 points, the fewest of any team to qualify for the postseason. They also fired head coach Mike Yeo in February, replacing him with interim bench boss John Torchetti. They lost to Dallas in the first round, to nobody’s surprise.

And not only are Parise and Suter on the wrong side of 30 now, so too are Mikko Koivu (33), Jason Pominville (33), and newly signed center Eric Staal (31).

In spite of the growing skepticism, Fletcher has remained optimistic, buoyed by ownership, which gave him a vote of confidence in April. He likes his young defense a lot, calling it the “strength of our team.” And when it comes to strengths, the blue line is a good one to have.

But there’s no question that the hiring of head coach Bruce Boudreau was a “win now” move. The Wild have some good, young players and prospects (like every team does), but their leading scorers last season were Koivu, Parise and Suter. This is still a team that’s led by its veterans.

“They need a different voice,” Fletcher said, “and Bruce’s experience, as well as his tremendous passion for the game and his hockey IQ, I believe will allow him to push this group to heights they haven’t been to yet.”

Fletcher is one of the longest-serving general managers in the NHL. In fact, only six GMs have held their jobs as long as he has. While he’s managed to build a team that’s made the playoffs the past four years, Wild fans are desperate for more, and they didn’t particularly like what they saw last season.

Perhaps Boudreau put it best.

“Hey, I’m fully aware,” he said. “I’ve been in the business for over 40 years. I know the way this works, and we’re in a winning business so you have to win.”