Wild – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Don’t Bet Against John McKay as Vikings Next General Manager

Posted on May 10, 2026May 10, 2026 by David Shama

It won’t be long until Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf hire a general manager. Don’t be surprised if it’s Rams assistant GM John McKay.

McKay, reportedly 36, checks a lot of boxes for the job. Despite his young age, he has an impressive 10 years of experience with the Rams including previous positions as director of pro personnel and assistant director of scouting.

McKay has evaluated college players for the draft, scouted opposing teams, and evaluated rosters of all NFL teams prior to free agency. Failure in the college draft haunted the Vikings in recent years led by former GM Kwesi-Adofo Mensah who was fired in January.

McKay comes from an innovative organization led by GM Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay. The front office excels in “outside-the-box” thinking. The Rams, for example, have drawn praise for their roster construction and salary cap management. The Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022 and in the 2026 playoffs lost a close NFC Conference title game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

Mensah reportedly had communication and relationship problems with the Vikings. His analytics-heavy and non-traditional football decision making approach may well have contributed to those reports.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell image by David Shama — Kevin O’Connell

McKay doesn’t fit that profile and clearly has been a collaborative colleague based on his rise to prominence in the organization. He and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell are reportedly close friends. The two worked together when KOC was with the Rams during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Their friendship could be a point of distinction in the selection process as the Wilfs contemplate a hire. The Wilfs clearly believe in O’Connell, who in his four years so far had two superlative seasons of 13-4 and 14-3. Their head coach is a quarterback whisperer and a likable leader who has created a strong culture with the Vikings.

O’Connell is 40, four years older than McKay. The Wilfs could ponder the advantage of having two young leaders for decades to come.

McKay presumably is intrigued by the Vikings job. The opportunity to work with a trusted friend in O’Connell could be huge. The roster has flaws, but this is not a rebuild, with multiple prominent players in place led by superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Not to be dismissed either is the track record of ownership. The Wilfs have historically shown a willingness to spend money on the roster and facilities, including the franchise’s headquarters in Eagan. They have also shown a commitment to patience and loyalty.

Rick Spielman, the predecessor to Adofo-Mensah, spoke about his experience in a statement after he was dismissed in 2022 after 16 years with the organization. “… I want to thank Zygi & Mark Wilf and the entire Wilf family for believing in me and consistently providing the resources for us to be successful as a football operations staff. It is not common in the NFL to be in a position for this long, which goes to show how this ownership group believes in stability and supports their leaders.”

Rob Brzezinski is the interim GM and has been with the franchise for 27 years. He’s a candidate for the permanent job but it’s fair to wonder if the Wilfs wanted to promote him why are they doing a search? And with a search firm leading the way, TurnkeyZRG.

Worth Noting

Brock Faber scored a goal and had two assists last night in the Wild’s 5-1 win over the Avalanche. The defenseman’s production was vital as the Wild, aided also by the return of goalie Jesper Wallstedt, pulled closer to the Avs in the best of seven games playoff series, now trailing 2-1.

Wallstedt had 35 saves, playing against perhaps the NHL’s best team. Wallstedt showed a lot of emotion and after the game Faber, talking to TNT, spoke light heartedly about his teammate noting “he’s pretty normal for a goalie.”

The game was in St. Paul and Faber wasn’t complaining about not being in Denver where the first two games were played. Faber described playing in the Mile High City as “like breathing through a straw.”

Tony Oliva experienced min-strokes last year. The stroke issue included hospitalization but now the 87-year-old Twins legend is in much better health. “I am feeling pretty good,” he told Sports Headliners recently.

Oliva exercises at a suburban Minneapolis health club a few times per week. He is also attending Twins games.

The club has been much maligned this season, but Oliva sees developing talent and likes the coaching staff and manager Derek Shelton. “I believe that we’re going to surprise a lot of people this year,” said Oliva who turns 88 in July.

Comments Welcome

NFL Authority: Don’t Look for Vikings to Trade McCarthy

Posted on May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 by David Shama

Rumors are ongoing that the Vikings might or should trade quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The 23-year-old struggled with performance and injuries last season, his first as the team’s starter.

Now the Vikings have bolstered their quarterback roster with likely starter and veteran Kyler Murray. There is depth with not only McCarthy but also veteran Carson Wentz and second-year QB Max Brosmer. All three were with the Vikings last season and have valuable experience in the offensive system.

The reasoning for rumors about trading McCarthy is he may never be more valuable in attracting return value. The Vikings might be able to obtain a future third-round draft pick or perhaps even a third and fifth. If Minnesota keeps him and he struggles next fall as a replacement for an injured Murray, his market value diminishes.

J.J. McCarthy, Vikings QB, image by David Shama — J.J. McCarthy

The million-dollar question with the young quarterback is how much will he improve in the coming seasons? Has Vikings head coach and quarterback guru Kevin O’Connell already seen the ceiling for McCarthy? NFL history is filled with both quarterback busts and those who find success, even stardom, as the years pass and experience develops.

McCarthy played for and won a national championship under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Now in the NFL coaching the Chargers, Harbaugh could be in the market for another primary backup to starter Justin Herbert. That guy now is Marshall, Minnesota native Trey Lance who was the No. 3 first round pick in the 2021 draft and is playing for his third NFL team.

A trusted NFL authority, speaking on condition of anonymity, predicts McCarthy will stay in a Vikings jersey this year. “They won’t give up on J.J. this year and they shouldn’t. I expect J.J. to play at least a few games when Murray likely misses a couple,” the authority texted Sports Headliners.

Murray, playing with the Cardinals, has struggled during his career with injuries including an ACL tear and he missed most of last season with a foot injury.

Worth Noting

The source, who was a front office leader with two NFL franchises, believes Minnesota’s draft selection of defensive tackle Caleb Banks was” too risky with foot issues for (the) first round unless team doctors truly believe he’ll be fine.”

He also texted Minnesota should have drafted a center before the seventh and final round when the club selected Cincinnati center Gavin Gerhardt. Another miss, he thinks, was not acquiring a day three wide receiver to compete with Tai Felton for the third receiver position now that Jalen Nailor left as a free agent.

The source likes “the big run stuffing” potential of third round defensive lineman choice Domonique Orange and another pick in that round, safety Jakobe Thomas. He’s also positive on the potential of cornerback Charles Demmings (fifth round) and speed of running back Demond Claiborne (sixth round). He added it’s necessary to wait “at least a year” to know how any draft turns out.

The authority was also critical of trading outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles, referring to him as the Vikings’ “best pass rusher when healthy.” The Vikings received a third round pick this year and third rounder in 2027. He texted the Vikings, who made the move for financial concerns, should have received at least a second-round draft choice.

Former Vikings and Bucs linebacker Pete Najarian has an optimistic take on Minnesota’s selection of the 23-year-old Banks who is listed at an imposing 6-6, 327 pounds. “I understand the risk but in this case, I think he was the best defensive tackle/edge rusher in the draft,” Najarian texted.

“I love his size. He’s an absolute beast but I do understand that he has had an issue with his foot. That does bother me but he’s not 28 years old, he’s closer to 21 years old guys that …tend to come back from injury much faster.”

Among the storylines tonight when the Wild plays in Denver against the Avalanche is who plays in goal. Rookie Jesper Wallstedt was terrific in the team’s first round series against the Stars but he gave up eight goals in Minnesota’s second round series opener Sunday night.

After that performance Blue Jackets coach and TNT analyst Rick Bowness suggested replacing Wallstedt with veteran Filip Gustavsson. Such a move, he said, could be protective of Wallstedt’s confidence. Reports today are that it will be Gustavsson replacing Wallstedt.

The Avs reportedly found weaknesses in Wallstedt’s game, including his glove side. Fatigue may be another factor after he played the equivalent of seven games against the Stars including three overtime periods.

The Avs, who won the Presidents’ Trophy for having the NHL’s best regular season record, have the healthier roster. The Wild will be without key injured players in defenseman Jonas Brodin and center Joel Eriksson Ek.

Tonight’s game almost feels like a must-win for the Wild who can’t afford the luxury of being down 2-0 before coming home to Minnesota to play on Saturday evening.

A piece of trivia Wild fans like is that in the last 40 years, the Presidents’ Trophy winner has only eight times gone on to win the Stanley Cup.

Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, returning from injury, came off the bench last night to score 18 points in helping Minnesota to a Game 1 second round playoff win over the Spurs in San Antonio. Edwards is one of five players since the NBA-ABA merger (in 1976-77) to average at least 26 points per game, five plus rebounds and five plus assists through the first 25 road games of their postseason career.

The lead changed 19 times in Minnesota’s 104-102 upset win over the Spurs who are behind only the Thunder as the wagering favorite to win the NBA championship. The Wolves’ largest lead was nine, the Spurs’ seven.

Comments Welcome

Wild Skate, Wolves Hoop but Both on Common Ground

Posted on May 1, 2026May 1, 2026 by David Shama

The Wild be skatin’ against the Avalanche next week, while the Timberwolves will be hoopin’ versus the Spurs. Minnesota’s NHL and NBA teams both advanced to the second round of their playoffs last night by closing out the Stars and Nuggets in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The Wild play on ice in a game invented in Canada while the Wolves play on a hardwood court in a sport created by American James Naismith. It might seem the two franchises have little in common but think again.

From the trivial to the significant, there is common ground:

Both teams won their opening best of seven games playoff series by 4-2 margins. Both did so in raucous arenas that are building reputations this spring as among the loudest in the NHL and NBA.

In beating the Stars, the Wild took down a prize rival from its division that just happens to be the franchise once known as the North Stars and was based in Bloomington until moving to Dallas after the 1992-1993 season. The Nuggets, who have lost in the playoffs to the Wolves twice in the last three years, have an intense rivalry with Minnesota and this spring players from both teams lost their cool on the court.

Both teams advanced in the playoffs with textbook defense. The Stars managed just 15 goals over six games, with Dallas frustrated by Minnesota’s team defense and rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt. The Wild showed why its defense might be the best of any team in the playoffs.

The Wolves held the Nuggets under 100 points in three of the last four games, bothering Denver with their team length and athleticism. Offensive production was slowed and even stopped at times with Jaden McDaniels’ shutdown of Denver All-Star guard Jamal Murray who made four of 17 shots last night. Center Nikola Jokic, revered as one of the NBA’s all-time greats, struggled to score at times because of Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert.

The Wild and Wolves are playing in front of adoring fans who have long known frustration and are treasuring the good times of 2026. Since the Wild’s inception in 2000 this is a franchise that can claim just one deep playoff run, losing in four straight games in the conference finals to the Ducks in 2003. Last night’s win was the first time Minnesota has won its opening playoff series since 2015.

The Wolves have been to the conference finals three times, including twice in the last two years, but the franchise historically has been known more for losing than winning. From 2005-2017 the Wolves didn’t make the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons.

Both franchises have known their ups and downs in front office decision making but now have the right leaders in place. Bill Guerin, hired in 2019, had to escape the financial burden of long-term deals with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter but now has assembled a roster with several players who rank among the NHL’s best. This, of course, includes the in-season acquisition of star defenseman Quinn Hughes who scored two goals last night in the 5-2 victory over the Stars. Guerin also persuaded franchise record setting scorer Kirill Kaprizov to commit long-term to the franchise.

Tim Connelly, hired in 2022, has been calculated but at the right times aggressive in building the Wolves roster. His historic 2022 trade involving players and draft picks with Utah brought defensive savant Gobert to Minneapolis. He also maneuvered a difficult financial situation before the season in 2024, trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks in return for two key contributors in Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. A savvy in-season 2026 move acquired guard Ayo Dosunmu who is the team’s leading scorer in the playoffs at 21.8 points per game.

Timberwolves owner Marc Lore — Marc Lore

The Wild and Wolves, both expansion franchises, have solid owners. Wild owner Craig Leipold is a personable leader who has plenty of NHL experience, previously owning the Predators and now being the boss in Minnesota. It was Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, when they were minority owners back in 2022, who pushed for hiring Connelly. Sitting at courtside, fans can see the passion of the two men who are now majority owners and reveled in last night’s 110-98 win.

The owners of both franchises are lobbying for improved or new arenas. Leipold hopes to complete a major renovation of Grand Casino Arena that may include money from the Wild, city of St. Paul and state. The Wolves want a new arena in Minneapolis with many details yet to be confirmed.

Both teams are moving on to play second round foes against whom they will be underdogs. The Avalanche is the wagering favorite to win the Stanley Cup. The Spurs are considered by authorities to be second only to the Thunder in likelihood to win the NBA title.

Last evening the Wolves and Wild became the seventh pair of NBA and NHL teams from the same metropolitan area to win out in a seven-game playoff series on the same day, per the Timberwolves PR Department. The duo is the third pair to do it at home and the first twosome to accomplish that in Game 6.

Wild and Wolves play vastly different sports, but the St. Paul and Minneapolis teams have enough in common to be “kissin’ cousins.”

6 comments