KIRILL KAPRIZOV – Page 5 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Kevin Fiala Future Likely TBD at NHL Draft

Posted on June 26, 2022June 26, 2022 by David Shama

When do the Minnesota Wild determine whether restricted free agent Kevin Fiala will be with the team next season?

Wild owner Craig Leipold told Sports Headliners “it’s likely we’ll come to some conclusion at the NHL Draft.” The event is July 7-8 this year in Montreal.

Why then? Leipold said: “We love him. He’s a good kid. It’s going to be really difficult to re-sign him. We likely will need to trade him for draft picks which will help our future, and hope that we can find a win-win for a good place for him and a good place for us.”

The Wild’s 25-year-old forward is one of the team’s best point producers but the franchise faces salary cap restrictions. Leipold said GM Bill Guerin, his management team and scouts work on the Fiala dilemma every day. “It’s their big project trying to find a way to keep him. He was a huge part of our success last year. We hope it will work but if it doesn’t we’ve gotta keep our options open.”

The Wild had a disappointing first round loss to the St. Louis Blues this spring. The outcome stung the team, the fans and the owner who stayed away from his St. Paul office for about a month following the series.

“Oh, yeah, that thing,” said Leipold who also lives in Racine, Wisconsin. “It was a hard loss. Probably the most difficult loss that I had to go through in sports as an owner in 24 years. We think we’re a better team than we played. We didn’t do our best, but we’ll make the changes that are necessary. We have one goal in mind and we’re going to get a Stanley Cup. We know what we need to do to do that, and we’ll make sure that we fix it.”

Liepold didn’t detail those changes but he did talk about pending superstar Kirill Kaprizov. In just two seasons the young Russian has convinced at least some Wild historians he is the most gifted and exciting player in franchise history.

“I mean he has no weakness,” Leipold said. “He is the total package. We’re glad we have him signed for four more years and hopefully when those are getting close to ending we’ll sign him for eight more.”

Karprivov set a team record last season scoring 108 points. He also came up big in the 4-2 playoff series loss to the Blues, producing seven goals and one assist.

Leipold described the 25-year-old forward as not only a “bundle of excitement and energy and passion,” but remarkably humble. “His English is probably better than he might let on but players love him. He’s great in the locker room.”

Fans feel anxiety about Kaprizov returning to his homeland in the offseason, with Russia involved in war with Ukraine. But Leipold doesn’t seem overly concerned and pointed out many Russian hockey players have been able to get in and out of the country.

The Wild played before raucous sellout crowds at home this year, much different than the pandemic restrictions that in the past forced NHL teams to compete in empty arenas. With success in 2022 and an economy rocked by inflation, the Wild is implementing about a five percent increase in ticket prices. “We hate to do it but we gotta stay competitive,” Leipold said.

Single game tickets aren’t on sale yet but Leipold said season sales are close to 13,000 because of increased interest in the team. The total for 2022-2023 will likely be capped at 13,000 or 13,500, so that inventory for several more thousand seats is left for single game and group tickets.

“We’re an exciting team,” Leipold said. “We think we’re going to get a lot of fans that will come in and buy season tickets. …”

Worth Noting

The best of birthday wishes to former University of Minnesota athletics trainer Jim Marshall who turns 92 on July 3. He served Gophers athletes and coaches for 42 years before retiring.

Defending champion Juli Inkster is returning to play in the second annual Land O’Lakes Legends Classic presented by The Meadows at Mystic Lake, an official tournament on the Legends of the LPGA schedule. She is a 31-time LPGA Tour champion with seven major championship titles on her resume.

The August 12-14 event will be a 36-hole tournament and feature a field of 40 Legends of the LPGA—ages 45+. There is no cut in the tournament. Four top senior women amateurs from the region will play alongside the Legends and fill out the field of 44. https://www.legendsclassicmn.com

Wayzata High School alum Karl Gregor is the Wilson Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III National Coach of the Year after his Tufts men’s team made the NCAA “Final Four” this spring for the first time in program history.

Caleb Truax, the former IBF super middleweight champion from Osseo, is the latest guest on the “Behind the Game” TV show with hosts Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. Truax, 38, wants to continue boxing for awhile before retiring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnrdQAA70H8

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Can Twins Create Wow in NY Series?

Posted on June 7, 2022June 7, 2022 by David Shama

Starting tonight the Twins have a three-game home series against the Yankees, probably the best team in baseball. The series will be the biggest challenge yet for the surprising Twins who lead the AL Central Division with a 32-24 record and are 4.5 games up on the second place Guardians.

Winning two of three against the mighty Yankees would be the best credibility development yet for the Twins who finished last in the division in 2021. Is Minnesota a playoff contender that can hang with the Yankees? Or is this year’s Twins club a pretender that has improved but also benefitted from a comfy schedule?

It’s r-e-s-p-e-c-t when talking about the Yankees who have won six straight and have MLB’s best record at 39-15. As every follower of Abner Doubleday’s game knows, pitching dictates success and New York’s is lights out this season.

The Yankees have the best team ERA in the majors, 2.74. New York has given up the fewest runs (156) among all 30 clubs. The Yanks’ runs differential of +102 is second best to the Dodgers (the Twins’ are +27).

New York’s starting pitching staff has a gaudy 2.55 ERA. While the Twins have yet to announce their starter for tonight, the Yankees will use Jameson Tallion. In his last start he pitched seven perfect innings against the Angels before allowing a lead-off double in the eighth. Tallion is 6-1 with a 2.30 ERA.

Wednesday the Yankees will go with Nestor Cortes (5-1, 1.50 ERA) vs. Minnesota’s Chris Archer (0-2, 3.89). The series finale Thursday matches Gerrit Cole (5-1, 2.78) vs. Dylan Bundy (3-3, 5.57.)

The Yankees lead the majors in home runs, partially because of 21 from Aaron Judge who is on pace to hit more than 60. In the team’s recent 6-0 homestand New York out-scored opponents 38-7!

Worth Noting

The Yankees won in extra innings Sunday against the Tigers on former Twin Josh Donaldson’s sac fly. He is hitting a lowly .229 with five home runs. Ex-Twin Aaron Hicks is struggling, too, with a .213 average.

If the Twins were a stock, today could be a savvy time to sell. While dealing with COVID, plus injuries to key personnel and inconsistent performance, Minnesota is 3-5 in its eight games. Not only are the Yankees immediately ahead on the schedule, but also the Rays, 31-23, come to town this weekend.

If the Twins miss the playoffs—or exit in a hurry from the postseason—the results won’t set well with fans. A Sports Headliners reader recently emailed a critical assessment: “In many ways they are the classic Minnesota pro sports team—rarely bad, never great, always kinda hovering in the middle with an occasional year of breaking through a bit and (offering) hope. Then occasionally playing in the playoffs and being kicked to the curb by other teams who really have serious (pitching) talent.”

The reader pointed out the Twins were last in the World Series in 1991, while all the other Central Division clubs have been to the Fall Classic more recently. He also wrote that while the Twins are working on a 0-18 playoff record since 2002, his research shows the Tigers have won 25 post season games, the Royals 22, the Guardians 16 and White Sox 14.

Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson recently talked about the growing ticket buying interest in the team. “We sold more single game tickets this year than we ever have in the history of the franchise,” he told Sports Headliners.

Interest is carrying over to new sales for the 2022-2023 season. “…We’re top five in the NBA today in total new season tickets sold for next year,” he said last week.

Casson declined to provide specific totals about new and past season tickets. He acknowledged sales have been “significantly down” in recent seasons because of the pandemic and disappointing team performance.

Who replaces Dave Benz as TV play-by-play voice of the Wolves? Casson said the selection will be “driven” by Bally Sports.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if the choice is a female broadcaster? Is longtime Wolves courtside reporter Marney Gellner interested?

New Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez considers this a basketball town and said fans are “starving for winning and stability.” He told Sports Headliners the organization is dedicated to making this a model franchise in every way. A place where the vision, capital and resources convince players they want to be here.

“I understand what it takes to be a champion,” he said. “I understand…(what) champions look like. I also understand that it is very, very difficult to win. …”

Mike Nowakowski from Ticket King said recently the hottest ticket for an upcoming event in town is the June 11 Eric Church concert at U.S. Bank Stadium. Floor seats were selling for $250 each late last week.

The basketball Gophers have players settling into dorms this week. Next week team practice with the coaches begins.

Reid Travis, the DeLaSalle alum, has played pro basketball in Japan the last two years.

Minnesota hockey authority Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners the “only chance” the Wild has to retain restricted free agent forward Kevin Fiala is to move on from defenseman Matt Dumba and his reported salary of about $5.2 million. The guess here is that without Dumba and some tweaks to the payroll, the team salary cap can work allowing a new deal for Fiala.

It’s a direction Nanne would go if the former North Stars president was running the Wild. A gifted playmaker, Fiala was second on the team in points during the regular season. “I think Dumba is easier to replace than Fiala,” Nanne said.

Tongue-in-cheek offseason advice from Nanne to Kirill Kaprizov, the Wild’s gifted scorer: “Stay healthy.”

Tony Sanneh, the former international soccer star and founder of The Sanneh Foundation, is the latest guest on the “Behind the Game” TV show. He talked about his path from youth soccer in his native St. Paul to being a key contributor for the United States in the World Cup, and also his foundation’s work to improve lives and opportunities for Twin Cities youth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVztKwZ5gYc

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Lou Nanne: Wild Need Goalie Change

Posted on May 11, 2022May 11, 2022 by David Shama

Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners this morning he believes the Minnesota Wild should change goaltenders for tomorrow night’s Game Six against the St. Louis Blues.

The Wild trail three games to two in the best of seven NHL playoff series and will be on the road Thursday night in a must-win situation. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has started the previous five games for Minnesota including last night’s 5-2 loss at Xcel Energy. “He just looked like he was fighting the puck a little bit and not controlling rebounds like he could have,” Nanne said.

In the series the 37-year-old Fleury, a former Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, has a 3.04 GAA and .906 save percentage.

Goalie Cam Talbot was clearly the No. 1 goalie until Fleury was acquired in a late season trade from the Chicago Blackhawks. Nanne believes it’s overdue to insert Talbot into the lineup. “I just think maybe he might give them a shot in the arm,” Nanne said.

Talbot hasn’t played since April 28 and Nanne hopes a layoff won’t impact the 34-year-old if Wild coach Dean Evason makes a change at goalie. Can Talbot play at a high level Thursday night?

“You can never tell until he does it, but what are your choices?” Nanne said. “…I just wish he would have played earlier, that’s all. I just think Talbot was a guy that earned the spot…the way he played.”

Talbot started 48 regular season games for the Wild and was more than solid with a 2.76 GAA in a year that saw him play in the NHL All-Star Game. In the view of Nanne and others, Talbot’s season earned him the opportunity to start the series. But Nanne admires Fleury, too, and he realizes it’s difficult to decide on goalies when resumes of success are similar.

“I just like to see when you’ve got two good goaltenders, try to find the one that is really going to bring you through. It’s a tough decision. Nobody knows when it’s going to be right.”

Kevin Fiala, the Wild’s No. 3 goal scorer during the regular season and second in points, hasn’t found the net in the series. Nanne referred to Fiala as a “gigantic” key in tomorrow night’s game. “They need his help,” Nanne said.

Fiala appears to be pressing and not playing like himself. “He’s so anxious he’s not playing as smoothly as he did,” Nanne said. “I still believe in him. …Hopefully he’s going to come through next game.”

In the loss last night, second-year left wing Kirill Kaprizov scored Minnesota’s two goals on power plays. He was in the mix most of the night with potential goals and playmaking despite St. Louis players trying to knock him on his butt or shoving a stick toward his face. “He was absolutely spectacular,” said Nanne who labels Kaprizov the franchise’s best player ever.

Considering the quality of the opponent, the pressure of the playoffs, the physicality and strategies of the game, Nanne said he’s never seen a player perform better than the 25-year-old Kaprizov did last evening.

Nanne has closely followed the NHL for more than six decades. Now the godfather of Minnesota hockey, he was an All-American defenseman for the Gophers, and later a player, coach, GM and president with the Minnesota North Stars who relocated to Dallas after the 1992-1993 season.

Worth Noting

Shortly after the Twins signed shortstop Carlos Correa to the highest average annual salary for an infielder in MLB history, team president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners how impressed he is with the All-Star’s character. The Puerto Rico native cares about his teammates and wants to help them, including young players he can influence.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote Monday about the great start to the season Jeremy Peña is having as the rookie replaces Correa as the Astros’ shortstop. “Carlos has been great to me since the first day (two years ago) I met him,” Peña told Nightengale. “He helped me out so much. A mentor to me. …”

The 2022 Vikings’ draft has been second-guessed but received some praise Monday from Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz also with USA Today. He wrote about top 10 steals from the 2022 NFL Draft and he first profiled cornerback Andrew Booth, whom the Vikings selected late in the second round. Injuries have slowed Booth since high school but he could have the skills worthy of going in the first round.

Condolences to the family and many friends of former Golden Gophers defensive end Leon Trawick who passed away Friday. The Washington D.C. native was a sophomore contributor to the 1967 team that won the Big Ten championship and he later became a Minneapolis attorney.

A 1969 Academic All-Big Ten selection, Leon battled brain cancer and was in hospice before passing. An email trail from former U athletes praised him as a great friend.

Former Minnesota Mr. Basketball Tyus Jones, who has a home in the Minneapolis area, could be a coveted free agent this summer after impressing in the playoffs this spring and averaging a career-best 8.7 points in the regular season. The seven-year point guard makes minimal mental and physical mistakes. He could start tonight for the Grizzlies in the absence of Ja Morant, with Memphis trailing the Warriors 3-1 in their playoff series.

Lindsay Whalen, the U women’s basketball coach who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame September 10 for her legendary career as a player, turned 40 on Monday.

Legendary Gopher baseball coach John Anderson, now in his 41st season, will be 67 next Monday.

Anderson’s redshirt junior right-hander, Aidan Maldonado, is the co-Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. The Rosemount, Minnesota native pitched a career-high seven innings Sunday, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out eight in a 3-1 win over Nebraska.

Peter King and his identical twin Richard were the first batboys for the Twins in 1961 after the franchise relocated from Washington D.C. Sorry to learn that Peter, from Prior Lake, recently passed away.

Phil Anderson, GM at North Oaks Golf Club and Dave Tentis, PGA head pro at Troy Burne Golf Club, offer their views on the Upper Midwest golf industry as the latest guests on the “Behind the Game” program seen on local cable markets and YouTube. The show is co-hosted by Agile Marketing owner Patrick Klinger and USHL commissioner Bill Robertson. https://youtu.be/fZsxVOVmoFk

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