Jason Zucker is gone and the Minnesota Wild could be featured in more trades over the next 13 days before the Feb. 24 NHL trade deadline strikes. As General Manager Bill Guerin made clear Tuesday, "if there is quit, there will be more trades." The pressure is on despite trading away Zucker, who just two years ago scored 33 goals and was rewarded with a long-term contract that paid him $5.5 million annually. Zucker is gone and so is his contract, which Gopher great and Minnesota hockey analyst Pat Micheletti thinks is a big win for the Wild. "With the number of no-move contracts that this organization has, the ability to free up money is really, really important for them," Micheletti said in an interview on Bring Me The News' High 'Opes podcast. 

High 'Opes

Pat Micheletti on who won the Jason Zucker trade

What happens first: Jared Allen is elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame or he's competing on the USA men's curling team at the winter Olympics? Allen has moved on from the NFL and is now chasing a dream to become an olympian. 

Jared Allen: From NFL great to Olympic hopeful

Just how good is the Gopher men's basketball team? Declan Goff is joined by Mathew Goldstein, who covers the Gophers for the Bring Me The News. At 10-7 entering play Friday, Minnesota has a few marquee victories and could be on the up-and-up in the eyes of the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Also, is Daniel Oturu the best player in the Big Ten? What does that mean for his future with the Gophers and the NBA?

Daniel Oturu's rise and the Gophers' NCAA tourney chances

Did the 49ers play a soft schedule to boost their defensive numbers? Can Jimmy Garoppolo rise to the occasion in his first career playoff game against a hot Vikings defense? Those are just a couple of the questions raised in the latest episode of the High 'Opes podcast, a Bring Me The News production. 

49ers an easier playoff opponent for Vikings?

Declan Goff goes solo on this week's edition of the High 'Opes Podcast on the path for victory for the Vikings against the Saints. He also cuts open a vein on the Twins' lack of moves in free agency.

Why the Vikings can beat the Saints?

First, the podcast finally has a name. We're going with the "High 'Opes" podcast. It's a play on "high hopes" and Minnesotans love of saying "ope" whenever they bump into each other. It'll catch on, eventually! Meanwhile, the Vikings will learn their playoff opponent this weekend, but is it best to travel to Green Bay, New Orleans or Seattle? Declan Goff and Joe Nelson break down the pros and cons of each, plus look at the future of Dalvin Cook in Minnesota as he could be in line for a contract extension. 

Best playoff matchup for the Vikings

The debut podcast from Bring Me The News (Sports) focuses on the Week 16 border battle between the Vikings and Packers. Declan Goff and Joe Nelson explain why Green Bay is a soft 11-3, while the Vikings appear to be superior in nearly ever facet of the game. So long as Kirk Cousins is protected and the Vikings don't have four turnovers the way they did in a Week 2 loss, the Vikings should leave U.S. Bank Stadium with a chance to win the division in Week 17. 

Vikings are superior to Packers entering Week 16

Like Minnesota sports fans, we've got high hopes. Of course, why use "hopes" in the title when you can insert Minnesotan culture with an "ope" pun instead? The High 'Opes podcast is about Minnesota sports, focusing on the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Wild, Lynx, Gophers and everything else that is worth talking about in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Visit www.bringmethenews.com for the latest in Minnesota news, sports and lifestyle content.

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High 'Opes

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