Stuff I hope happens this week

Lot of stuff coming down the pike this week with MLB trade speculation heating up, World Cup continuing, NBA and NHL drafts happening, so I know you're dying to hear how my perfect week would play out.  We'll taking this from likely to extremely remote:

USA beats whatever former Communist republic is next on the docket - I certainly hope this is the lock of the week, need a win to get into the knockout round, pull it together and win one, will you guys?  I mean it's friggin Albania or Algeria or whatever, unless the competition involves herding goats, America should notch a W.

Twins take the series from the Brewers - The Twins are pretty good, Brewers are pretty awful, the interleague springboard has been going pretty well so far, winning 2 of 3 should be easily attainable (don't even say the word sweep).  Why the baseball schedule makers put this series in the middle of the week for the second straight year is beyond me, particularly when the team has to go from Philly to Milwaukee to New York for 3 games against the Mets this weekend.  Twins fans should be afforded the same courtesy that Brewer fans were when the two teams played a weekend series at Target Field a couple of weeks back, that six month baseball schedule too tight to find a workable weekend?  Given the bragging rights dominance that Wisconsin holds in professional (at least historically) and college football, as well as superior hoops teams at both levels, us Minnesotans need an opportunity to invade one of THEIR stadiums and hassle them about THEIR terrible team.  The Brewers fill that niche nicely, and now those in attendance will have to pick up the razzing slack for the few thousand fans who would've made the weekend trip, but can't beg out Tuesday-Thursday.  Sad to think about all those poor people who will have to make do without their polka fix this year.

Wild draft a player I've heard of/can follow this Friday - Probably pretty remote actually, given the team's draft position and needs, but it's always fun when the team drafts someone who will be playing in college next season, preferrably the WCHA.  Given the team's past history with college players, I'm not too sure they even like them, last year's first round pick was Minnesota Golden Gopher Nick Leddy, but he was shipped to the Blackhawks this season, and it's a different crew of people making the selections this time around.  Obviously the first priority is to get somebody who's going to help the team, but drafting a guy, then watching him disappear into the Canadian wilderness for the next 2-3 years always leaves me a bit cold.  At the very least, they could pick someone who ends up on the Canadian World Junior team, so we can at least get a look at them next December.  The list of guys who fit my profile is pretty short: Cam Fowler played for the US in last year's WJC and was great, but the Wild don't really need more defensemen and he'll be gone before the 9th pick comes around.  Future UND Fighting Sioux Derek Forbort is slotted in the 8-12 range in most rankings, but again, defense is not going to be a top priority.  Minnesota's Mr. Hockey Nick Bjugstad is projected in the upper teens and would be an intriguing center prospect, but given the rumors that have swirled around the last couple of years regarding NHL opinions on the University of Minnesota program (including one stating the Wild were unhappy with Leddy's progress), it's difficult to see the team picking another Gopher.  Warroad native Brock Nelson, also a North Dakota signee, would be a fun addition in the second round if he slips a few picks from his current projection, as would Jared Tinodi (son of former North Star Mark and a Notre Dame signee) and a few other CCHA players.

Timberwolves move up and draft Evan Turner - I'm not saying you should sell the farm Dave, but everything I hear points to things in this year's NBA draft getting pretty murky beyond the top 3.  It would be interesting if Turner were to slip to the third spot, but there seems to be no chance of him getting to the Wolves at #4.  While any top 5 pick is going to be a good player, I've seen a lot of Turner and would really like to get him, even if it means giving up the 16th pick to move up two slots.  Fallback plan here is doing whatever it takes to get James Anderson with that 16th pick.  I'm no NBA draftnik, frankly I haven't seen half of the guys play; but I have seen Anderson a few times and he can flat-out score, both inside and outside, which is something this team has been severely lacking.  Take Wesley Johnson at #4, then do what has to be done to make sure you land Anderson, even if it means dealing pick #23.  If you draft a 7-foot European center, I'm done with this team.

Twins trade for Cliff Lee - Am I deluding myself with this one?  Most likely.  Many a grand Twins rumor has emerged over the years, only to be exposed as a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.  Normally I wouldn't even allow myself to get sucked in to this degree, but this has been a surprising season so far, and for the first time it seems believeable that this team could be capable of a coup-de-grace move of this type.  The fit would seem perfect for both teams, given the Twins surplus of young pitchers and expendable prospects, laid out in excellent fashion here http://www.ussmariner.com/2010/06/14/trading-cliff-lee/. If the price to do this is Slowey/Ramos/prospect-not-named-Hicks-or-Revere, then I'm on board wholeheartedly.  Less enthused about giving up Baker (who I hate just as much as Slowey, but see greater potential in), but even that would not be a deal breaker.  I've said many times it's time to take a shot, and we're talking about replaceable parts here, time to get something big done and turn this team into a legit contender overnight.

More in-depth thoughts on how to overhaul the Wild coming later this week, as for the Wolves, it's a simple two-step process: Hope and Wait.  Or Wait and Hope, if you prefer.