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Thread: Minnesota Wild

  1. #91
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    Quote Originally Posted by grindin griers View Post
    Soooo, been awhile since I have been on here.

    Anyone think Granlund starts out in the AHL next year?

    Very good question that I'm following closely.

    As of yesterday Rob Russo's thoughts about the depth chart are as follows:


    "Left wing Center Right wing

    Zach Parise ($7.5+M) Mikko Koivu (6.75M) **Jason Pominville (4.505M)
    *Jason Zucker ($833,333) *Charlie Coyle (975K) Dany Heatley (7.5M)
    Matt Cooke (2.5M) Kyle Brodziak (2.83+M) *Nino Niederreiter (2.795M)
    Mike Rupp (1.5M) Zenon Konopka (925K) Torrey Mitchell (1.9M)
    Extra: Jake Dowell (700K)

    Some vying for spots: *Mikael Granlund, * Erik Haula, Justin Fontaine (close to re-signing), Stephane Veilleux, *Brett Bulmer, *Zack Phillips.

    * Entry-level deals that don't require waivers to be sent to the minors.

    Note: The depth chart is my opinion. Maybe a guy like Haula performs so well in camp, he gets the No. 2 center job. Maybe Granlund outperforms Niederreiter. Or, maybe Fontaine is so good, he makes the team and a guy like Mitchell moves up and plays third-line RW."

    In a prior post on July 12th, Russo said this:

    "Chuck Fletcher has lately said in his mind, only two of the young prospects really “need” to make the team. That puts Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund and Erik Haula in that pool of “vying for spots” players. It’ll be fun to watch that battle in training camp. If only two of the young kids really end up making it, perhaps Torrey Mitchell moves to the third line and a right wing like 25-year-old Justin Fontaine, who had a terrific year for the Aeros last year, challenges for a spot on the fourth line."


    Russo certainly knows best, but here's my take.

    Clearly guys like Zucker and Coyle outplayed Granlund last year, certainly they brought aspects that the Wild really liked, especially Coyle (it showed in terms of how he was used in the playoffs). They're the real threat to Granlund. I think Neidereiter is a threat too but Granlund should be able to outplay him in camp.

    But I have to think the Wild are looking to Granlund as the future 1/1A centerman on this team, and to me that doesn't mesh with him spending the entire season in the AHL next season. He might spend some time there, but my feeling is he spends most of the season in the NHL and never sniffs the AHL again as of 2014.

    For 2013/14, my gut is I think you end up seeing both Coyle and Granlund win top 6 spots, with Parise/Pominville/Heatley/Koivu rounding things out and Zucker and Neidereiter called up when injuries hit.

    Will certainly be an interesting camp in Minnesota.

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    Yes, definitely going to be an interesting camp. Out of the 5 main forward prospects I would put the order for most likely to make the roster out of training camp as follows:

    Coyle
    Granlund
    Nino
    Zucker
    Haula

    I have seen a lot of people on a variety of websites that think Granlund won't make it but I get the feeling he will. I have also seen a lot of people thinking Zucker is a lock but for some reason I get the feeling he won't make the cut. There are so many different scenarios how this can play out as well due to some position flexibility. I think the only position locks are as follows:

    Parise - Koivu - xxxx
    xxxx - xxxx - xxxx
    Cooke - Brodziak - xxxx
    Rupp - Konopka (unless traded) - xxxx

    Now Pominville, Mitchell, and Heatley will be in there somewhere but where depends on who makes the team out of the youngins and who gets that 2nd line C spot.

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    Quote Originally Posted by grindin griers View Post
    Yes, definitely going to be an interesting camp. Out of the 5 main forward prospects I would put the order for most likely to make the roster out of training camp as follows:

    Coyle
    Granlund
    Nino
    Zucker
    Haula

    I have seen a lot of people on a variety of websites that think Granlund won't make it but I get the feeling he will. I have also seen a lot of people thinking Zucker is a lock but for some reason I get the feeling he won't make the cut. There are so many different scenarios how this can play out as well due to some position flexibility. I think the only position locks are as follows:

    Parise - Koivu - xxxx
    xxxx - xxxx - xxxx
    Cooke - Brodziak - xxxx
    Rupp - Konopka (unless traded) - xxxx

    Now Pominville, Mitchell, and Heatley will be in there somewhere but where depends on who makes the team out of the youngins and who gets that 2nd line C spot.
    Considering what they paid to acquire Pominville from Buffalo, I don't see how you can be uncertain where he will play. This guy scores goals and will be expected to do that on the top line on the right side. You can write that one in with a pen.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Axeman33 View Post
    Considering what they paid to acquire Pominville from Buffalo, I don't see how you can be uncertain where he will play. This guy scores goals and will be expected to do that on the top line on the right side. You can write that one in with a pen.
    I would say that is most likely where he will end up but it isn't a for sure thing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by grindin griers View Post
    I would say that is most likely where he will end up but it isn't a for sure thing.

    Call me crazy but I dont believe in ANY sure thing. I guess I am just a lot more confident that is where he will end up then you are. I wouldn't have to think twice about putting him in on that top line.
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    G- Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Oettinger


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    Yeah, that's fair. I just want to see how training camp goes first. Not sure how I would feel about an entire line made up of young guys who haven't even played a full NHL season yet or two young guys and a slow ass Heatley. If they look good together in training camp then I am all for it, otherwise Pominville could be the guy to provide some experience without the deficiencies of Heatley on that line.

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    interesting thoughts here guys. while I don't know much about MIN I would think Nino gets a definite NHL start. the whole reason he was pushing for a trade was to get into the NHL. NYI's didn't give him that chance last season. I would think the motivation behind that move was to bring him into the NHL asap. in MIN he has that chance due to lack of depth. while they seem to have a lot of nice youngsters id think nino has the top chance to make it.
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    Quote Originally Posted by newper114 View Post
    interesting thoughts here guys. while I don't know much about MIN I would think Nino gets a definite NHL start. the whole reason he was pushing for a trade was to get into the NHL. NYI's didn't give him that chance last season. I would think the motivation behind that move was to bring him into the NHL asap. in MIN he has that chance due to lack of depth. while they seem to have a lot of nice youngsters id think nino has the top chance to make it.
    Yeah, Nino is a wild card for me. I am not sure what to expect. I know Fletcher and Co. were really high on him during his draft year and still are so it will be interesting to see how much of chance he is given and if he can capitalize on this opportunity.

    I would think he has a higher offensive potential than Coyle which may bump Coyle down to the 3rd line RW spot. That spot for Coyle would actually be a perfect fit for him with Cooke and Brodziak, showed the ability for a two-way type of game last season. Could be a good shutdown line with the ability to score a goal here and there.

    Can Nino play the left side as well?

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    The new white jersey.

    http://imgur.com/a/ekqV7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shakedown View Post
    The new white jersey.

    http://imgur.com/a/ekqV7
    I like them a lot more than their last road ones. Very sharp looking, only gripe would be the logo in front instead of the minnesota lettering like they have on their alternates. Still looks good though and I can see why they would want to keep that as a unique feature for their alternates.

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    Some interesting comments from Mike Yeo re Heatley.

    A number of gems came via the Minneapolis Star Tribune from Wild coach Mike Yeo headed into training camp, including an answer to the question of whether or not Dany Heatley will get top-line action again.

    Yeo: “Some of the best hockey that that line [with Parise and Koivu] played, Heater was on the line. Those guys were putting up points. A big reason why we switched it is we needed to balance things out. We were getting scoring from that line and nobody else. I would be awfully surprised if you didn’t see them together at some point this year. For Dany, it’s a big year for him (contract year), and I know that he’s really motivated and I want to put him in a spot where he can be successful because I think he’s going to have a good year. I really do. He’s been working hard this summer and we missed him big time last year. When he got hurt, his size and scoring ability and his hands — those are all things we were lacking. We have to make sure he’s playing with guys that can help get him the puck and put him in position where he can score goals.”

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    Yeah, that was a good interview. Like I previously thought Yeo is going to be trying anything and everything this training camp. Should be a good camp to follow to see who ends up where and what could be tried later in the season as well.

    Love that they are going to be more aggressive. They signed Steckel to a PTO today, hopefully he can come in and put pressure on the other guys in the bottom six and win the fourth line center job from Konopka.

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    This is the time of year everyone is motivated, working out hard, and ready for the season to begin.

    Heatley is too slow to be effective anymore. I think anyways.

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    Yeah, I don't expect much from him but if the Wild can put him in favorable situations and if he has chemistry on the top PP then I think he will provide some secondary scoring.

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    A couple quick notes about Heatley, Granlund, and Scandella from Russo at camp:

    Michael Russo ‏@Russostrib 1h
    Yeo said today was "great day" for Granlund; looked much quicker. Yeo said Scandella was flawless today w the habits #mnwild wants to see.

    Michael Russo ‏@Russostrib 1h
    Yeo said Dany Heatley, whom I wrote about in tomorrow's paper and is in great shape, "gained a step, at least." #mnwild

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