Granlund

[GelFlow]

How do you guys see is game translate to the NHL level ?

Aren't you guys worried like me of is concussions ? I'm starting to get the impression that with is size and is past injuries that he'll be a good NHL player for the games that he'll play ... but I see him more of an injury prone player that a pts producer in the NHL level.

Do you guys agree ?

Cheers

[rainydrinkwater]

Concussions unfortunately should be cause for some concern in any situation, involving any player.

Granlund has tremendous offensive instincts along with the traditional Finnish tenacity and compete level that usually does translate well to the NHL. Fantasy wise MINN may be a wasteland, but I see him as being a consistent 70+ points threat, with an upside of 80-90 points when he reaches his physycal maturity in about 2-3 years, as his mental maturaity and hockey IQ are well beyound his years already.

[golfguy1672]

as with concussions.. I think it is impossible and potentially pointless to avoid players purely based on concussion history. I dont say that cause there is no reason for worry, but more of nowadays concussions are getting diagnosed more and more than ever. So I just feel that it will be too hard to avoid them.

sure if u have 2 70 point players and 1 has concussion histroy and the other doesnt, take the non concust one. But to trade away players purely due to that will cause your team to get weaker and weaker with every trade.

I think that the Savard thing will prevent teams from rushing players back too quickly to prevent the same sort of issue. Its why i hope Sidney doesnt come back this year. Too important to hockey and fantasy teams everywhere!

[Shoeless]

I don't know if you can make the call yet on Granlund being more of an injury prone asset over a producing player at this point, GelFlow - I am certainly not ready to do so, but your post has me pondering whether I tend to sweep some news under the carpet to avoid letting it soil my rosy view of talented prospects.

Research indicates that players who have had a concussion are more susceptible to another than players who haven't. One study I read indicated that 3 concussions for a player is pretty damning in terms of the likelihood of them sustaining another.

I am not aware of Granlund's concussion history but if it is more than one then I think you likely have good reason to be concerned about his durability once he hits the big league.

[VincentVega]

I am not aware of Granlund's concussion history but if it is more than one then I think you likely have good reason to be concerned about his durability once he hits the big league.

Only one concussion diagnosed but it was a major one. He sustained it in October of 2010. He returned to action around March of 2011 only to suffer another injury (he was not showing concussion symptoms after this one) to his head from hitting the crossbar and post.

[Rrabbit]

Only one concussion diagnosed but it was a major one. He sustained it in October of 2010. He returned to action around March of 2011 only to suffer another injury (he was not showing concussion symptoms after this one) to his head from hitting the crossbar and post.

He only missed one game because of getting tackled to the crossbar and finished the playoffs with 16 points in 15 games, sharing the pointlead with his team mate Haataja. Now you could call missing one playoff game an injury, I'd however call it maintenance.

He's also continuing his season in the World Championship tournament in Slovakia, so don't really see any signs of past injuries bothering him, nor any signs of fatigue.

I'd fully count on seeing him in Minnesota jersey next season and he'll certainly lineup on their powerplay immediately.

[loco man]

I'd fully count on seeing him in Minnesota jersey next season and he'll certainly lineup on their powerplay immediately.

Why do you feel this way?

This interview makes it pretty clear that he won't be making the jump to the bigs just yet:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/119538214.html

[fantasyhockeygeek]

Loco man, to me that interview says that he won't be handed a spot. Lots of prospects aren't handed spots but force their way on to the team anyway.

Granlund is an exceptional player -- despite being just 19 years old he has been playing (and dominating) against full grown men for two years. He is feisty, smart, and hungry. I won't get into too much detail on it here, but I'll point you to a previous thread about the guy.

Granlund's adjustment to the NHL isn't in playing against tough, strong competition... it's about rink size. It also helps that his home rink in Finland is smaller than NHL rinks so he's used to playing without much space. Of any rookie likely to crack the main roster from camp next year, I like Granlund the best.

Hope this helps.

HPG

[loco man]

I'll be keeping an eye on him for sure. He may be swapping places with filatov as my token prospect

[Rrabbit]

Was just about to come post the same thing HPG said earlier. Ofc he won't be handed a spot on a silver platter, but in my opinion he's more than ready to make the jump. He will come to the training camp next year, and when Minnesota have the likes of Miettinen (seriously, Miettinen) in their top6. I really dont see how he wouldn't make it out of the camp.

He also has the perfect tutor in Mikko Koivu to make the transition easier, not only regarding the on ice differences of playstyle, rink size etc. But also the off ice issues like housing, language and culture.

That's just my two cents however and it could be that I'm proven wrong. After seeing what this kid can do with my own eyes, I'll still take my chances with the prediction.

[loco man]

Thanks - I wasn't going to bother with Granlund after reading that article, but it is really encouraging to hear that he has a legit shot.

hmmmn, I feel a Filatov vs. Granlund thread coming....

[Dean Youngblood]

A Mikael Granlund article released today

The Iceman Cometh

[franklin]

A Mikael Granlund article released today

The Iceman Cometh

Love the article! Thanks for posting Dean!

[Rrabbit]

Another fine display by Granlund at the World Championships today. Notched a couple of power play assists and was the most dangerous player on ice along with Aaltonen.

[telso]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk3xk0VWwFk