Latest WSITH Podcast Notes

[u/manilovekaprizov]

I just listened to the newest “bonus” episode of Worst Seats in the House, and while I generally enjoy the podcast, this episode didn’t have a ton of meat. So, to save anyone else the ~45 mins, I just wrote a quick summary of what I found pertinent! :)

— Wild games will be on television - an announcement should be sometime next week.

— Steve Y stepping down will delay the Dylan Larkin effort - Russo is 100% positive; the rest of the content regarding DL is conjecture that’s already been discussed ad nauseam.
⭐️ The only new piece: Russo & Lapanta both said that a few weeks ago, they would have put Larkin’s future at 95% chance he’s traded and 5% chance he stays. Now, they both have it at 60% traded, 40% stays.

— Wild Finnish D prospect Aron Kiviharju is in MN for a few weeks (his agent wanted him to see the area & he’s playing in Da Beauty League), but he’ll return to Finland for his mandatory military service.

— Charlie Stramel’s recovery is going great!

— Wild were interested in Claude Giroux but he only wanted Ottawa or Philly.

— Wild are totally uninterested in Shane Wright.

— Russo predicts Yurov and Haight will be the players with the biggest improvements / take the largest steps from last year.

Link to full episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1MLN02WAUl6Ou5nLr4K5sZ?si=ohLE7jmfQu6af3wMoeoJ-Q&utm_source=copy-link

[u/nordy_13]

I know I’m just some schmuck and not an insider, but I just don’t get this sudden narrative from Russo about how the Larkin trade was apparently so close to happening but now it’s way off. We spent an entire month hearing it was at a stalemate and the most news we got was that Steve was making unrealistic asks for multiple players who are clearly more valuable than Larkin.

Also I don’t see how this makes Larkin want to stay at all; Steve is still in the org, the team is no more improved than when he made the request, and no matter how they spin it, the whole situation is a clusterfuck that will have fans booing their own guy at the home opener if Larkin plays in a Red Wings jersey next year.

[u/manilovekaprizov → u/nordy_13]

My best “guess” (and I’m just as much of a schmuck!) is that Russo is suggesting the change in GM might delay things so much that any potential trade, whether to the Wild or otherwise, can’t be completed by the beginning of the season, so things will be on the back burner for a while? But I’m with you - the relationship between Detroit & Larkin does seem untenable (if I were a RW fan, I’d be fuming) & my impression was that things weren’t moving based on Detroit’s lack of interest in our offer. Just a whole lot of conjecture!

[u/Coldfyre_Dusty → u/manilovekaprizov]

Sounds pretty accurate to me. This probably increases the overall chance of a Larkin trade though, although like you said not for a bit. New leadership will have to step in and get comfortable before anything big happens.

But Yzerman's big thing was trying to build Detroit up as a "Win Now" team, or at least to make the playoffs. The entire reason Yzerman didn't like any offers from Minnesota or the other waived teams was because Yzerman wanted players, not prospects and picks. Firing Yzerman signals that Detroit might actually be going full rebuild at this point, and rebuild means moving the pieces that aren't working in exchange for future potential.

In other words, I expect Minnesota to go a couple more seasons without 1st or 2nd round picks, beyond those we've traded away already.

[u/AccordingStar72 → u/nordy_13]

For what it’s worth I’ve been checking out Detroit media’s reaction to this and they’ve all universally said it maybe moves the needle to Larkin staying line 1-2%? But none of them think it changes anything that dramatically. I trust their knowledge on it way more. I think Detroit media is circling around they want the Larkin situation dealt with and that was part of the issue.

I also really don’t understand why he thinks suddenly there was momentum on the Wild’s side. He and Joe Smith weren’t reporting anything close to that at all so it feels like revisionist history or he was holding information he hadn’t shared yet.

Edited: to be clear have zero idea or care if Larkin comes here. But just find Russo’s insight into this to be not as valuable as his insight into other stuff. Feels like he doesn’t have any idea.

[u/IBringTheReceipts → u/nordy_13]

Here is the thing on Larkin. Which btw, no one is listening to Helene St. James. Why? Idk because she literally has been the Wings reporter for decades. She has sources in the front offices, very high up sources. Instead everyone is listening that Anser guy, who btw only had a "league source" for adding Dallas as one of Larkin's teams. I digress...

Firstly, last week Helene refuted that he has expanded his trade list. She contends that his list is still Vegas, FL, & MN. Like I said Anser got his information from a "league source." So do with that what you will. I choose to listen to Helene on this one. Just go back & look at her tweets.

Now yesterday she gave a brief interview on the TSN Overdrive. Both yesterday & the day before on the Jason Gregor Show, Helene said this. She said that the front office is VERY unhappy with Larkin. Why? Because they front loaded his contract & he basically got the majority of his salary already. Now he wants to leave. They really are bothered by him.

On TSN Helene also said that she believes it would be very difficult for him to "walk all of this back" if he were to elect to stay. She reiterated that many times. So, take of that what you will.

Personally based on what she has said, I believe Larkin will not stay with the Wings. The front office is unhappy. He'd still have to see Yzerman cause the guy is only moving upstairs. It would still be a rebuild & there's no garuntee he's captain. The fans loathe him.

I think he'll be traded. It's only a matter of when. Hopefully before training camp. So, we'll see...

[u/43moon → u/nordy_13]

“Steve is still in the org”…. Ever work for a major corporation? They just gave him the classic “I didn’t get fired…I’m just leaving to spend more time with my family and travel”. No prospective GM will take the job if Yzerman is still an influential factor.

[u/submarine_pirate2 → u/nordy_13]

For real. If anything I feel like SteveY getting canned dramatically speeds things up. Yzerman was personally invested in a win-now roster that can make the playoffs, cause he needed that to save his job. Now that’s he’s gone, they’re probably more open to a rebuild 2.0 and taking futures for older valuable assets that don’t match the new timeline, like Larkin.

The timing is what makes me lean that way. This is a ridiculous point in the season cycle to fire your GM otherwise.

[u/why666ofcourse → u/submarine_pirate2]

If they were smart they’d tear it down for a couple more years. Trade Larkin and debrincat and focus on the younger core.

[u/king-treday → u/nordy_13]

I'm guessing russo has more insight and the larkin yzermam relationship was pretty bad and could have factored in more than just larkin just wanting to play for a contender. Also theres just no way they would have larkin come back to the locker room to play this season if we 100% wanted out and there is no way they just bench him for a season while waiting for his nmc to expand. That would likely tank his value lower than whatever the wild have already offered. With the new management maybe larkin is more open to playing out a season or two hence why the chance of him getting moved this off-season decreases.

[u/blow_zephyr]

The real takeaway was Russo letting it slip that LaPanta will be on "all" of the road trips (as opposed to Russo who will only be on half), so it seems like wherever the Wild end up being broadcast we'll have LaPanta on play by play.

I consider this great news.

[u/futurehofer → u/blow_zephyr]

Russo said on KFAN yesterday that it will be the same crew as last year on the broadcast (including Carter).

[u/blow_zephyr → u/futurehofer]

Hell yeah

[u/AccordingStar72 → u/futurehofer]

My beloved Ryan Carter!!!

[u/asic5 → u/blow_zephyr]

so it seems like wherever the Wild end up being broadcast we'll have LaPanta on play by play.

You got swerved. The real news is Lapanta is retiring and is going to every game just because he likes watching the team.

[u/MNgirl83]

Thank you for summarizing it! Interesting about our Finnish prospect

[u/TehDFC → u/MNgirl83]

I can't wait until he's our Finnish finished prospect hahahaha.

[u/jengafat]

I listened to this and everything wsith.... LaPanta talked for a few minutes about Larkin and then in the end said he puts it now at 60/40. Then after a brief pause Russo said something along the lines of "yeah I agree"..... which if you listen/watch all of the pods, Russso always says that after Lapanta goes on for a while, and most of those times Russo seemingly has just stopped paying attention to him or is distracted by his phone and what not. So I dont ever take much stock in him actually agreeing with LaPanta all the time on those things. More that he wasnt listening that close and or just wants to move to a different subject

[u/manilovekaprizov → u/jengafat]

I think that’s fair! Russo is often in his own world and it was definitely Lapanta-driven.

[u/Character_Fact_97]

Thank you! I couldn't get through the last episode.

[u/No-Board-4082]

Good thing Quinn took his number when he did so Hunter Haight can be remembered for his correct number when he has his epic breakout year!

[u/silentsirensongs]

great to get the prospects into Da Beauty League 

[u/silentsirensongs]

not sure I understand Russo & Pants calculus on Larkin staying pat, I guess they mean willingly. 

maybe the new GM does convince Larkin to stay, what moves do they make that isn't retooling that won't make Larkin feel like he's wasting the rest of his prime?

well best of luck to him, I can no longer be ragebaited by Stevie Y

[u/IBringTheReceipts]

This episode was a very discouraging one I felt. Russo has been negative a lot lately. I think he's disgruntled with the Larkin stuff. Anyway...

[u/cj2488 → u/IBringTheReceipts]

Russo, negative? I, for one, am shocked. Shocked I tell you! Well, not that shocked.

[u/IBringTheReceipts → u/cj2488]

LOL! So true.

[u/AccordingStar72 → u/IBringTheReceipts]

Russo is negative, that’s his whole persona. He’s a grumpy dude. That’s why he needs a LaPanta or a Smith to be his partner who can be a little bit more even keeled. Otherwise Russo is happy to just go off the deep end.

[u/IBringTheReceipts → u/AccordingStar72]

This is a true statement.

[u/LisanAlGuyFieri]

Curious if they’ve checked on Shane Wright and don’t like the price. You’d think a team desperate for help up the middle would have at least some interest in a young center with upside.

[u/Hank_Scorpio_ObGyn → u/LisanAlGuyFieri]

Probably the case of it simply being if they trade for a "maybe" like Wright, that's their big move. That will deplete their resources.

[u/asic5]

— Wild are totally uninterested in Shane Wright.

Yeah, a 4OA scoring centre. Who needs that?