GDT: G67: Ducks @ Wild | 7:00 pm CT

[Dr Jan Itor]

They need to remove Johansson from the Rossi-Zucc combo and get someone else there. I’m over him at this point.

The problem with that line is that Zuccarello's right spot is being the clear 2nd best player on a line, and Johansson's right spot is being the clear 3rd best player on a line, and Rossi hasn't yet reached the level where he should be the clear best player on a line. If they were playing with a qualified/over-qualified 2C, it would probably be fine, but that's not Rossi (yet).

 

[AKL]

The problem with that line is that Zuccarello's right spot is being the clear 2nd best player on a line, and Johansson's right spot is being the clear 3rd best player on a line, and Rossi hasn't yet reached the level where he should be the clear best player on a line. If they were playing with a qualified/over-qualified 2C, it would probably be fine, but that's not Rossi (yet).

I think Zuccarello's reached the point where he should be the third best player on a top six line. Johansson should probably be the third best player on a third line. Rossi should be the second best player on a top six line.

The other problem is ordering them in such a way would result in Zuccarello being back on the top line with Kaprizov, and I don't want that either.

Kaprizov-Ek-Zuccarello
Boldy-Rossi-Hartman
Foligno-Khusnutdinov-Johansson
Shaw-Gaudreau-L/L

Zuccarello is a big weak spot on that top line though. You want that line to be able to maintain possession no matter who has the puck, and Zuccarello isn't reliably capable of that anymore.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I think Zuccarello's reached the point where he should be the third best player on a top six line. Johansson should probably be the third best player on a third line. Rossi should be the second best player on a top six line.

The other problem is ordering them in such a way would result in Zuccarello being back on the top line with Kaprizov, and I don't want that either.

Kaprizov-Ek-Zuccarello
Boldy-Rossi-Hartman
Foligno-Khusnutdinov-Johansson
Shaw-Gaudreau-L/L

Zuccarello is a big weak spot on that top line though. You want that line to be able to maintain possession no matter who has the puck, and Zuccarello isn't reliably capable of that anymore.

I still think a little more highly of Zuccarello than you do. Not that I'm proposing any changes, just pointing out that the Rossi/Zuccarello pairing probably isn't going to be optimized without breaking up the top line, like you showed. Now, if there was a winger possibly available somewhere that is clearly better than Rossi and Zucc, and perhaps even right-handed to boot, that might something worth exploring.

And then just think about replacing Zuccarello with Yurov, eventually.

 

[Webster]

Zuccarello is a top playmaker who leads the team in assists. Certain people need to stop talking about him as a problem, he really isn't...

 

[TaLoN]

Zuccarello is a top playmaker who leads the team in assists. Certain people need to stop talking about him as a problem, he really isn't...

He's a top power play playmaker who leads the team in assists. Certain people need to stop talking about him as a great player at even strength and realize he's part of the even strength problem on the 2nd line. He really is.

 

[Sweetnut]

Zuke even strength points: 25
Johansson even strength points: 22
Not too sure about that

 

[Digitalbooya]

That's a strange thing to say after one of his best games in quite a while.

Oh, I didn’t watch, but I heard he was alright. JHS commenting that he “actually tried” is a giant red flag.

 

[TaLoN]

Zuke even strength points: 25
Johansson even strength points: 22
Not too sure about that

10 even strength points in 29 games since the start of 2024. Zucc really is not good at even strength right now.
Rossi also has 10... yet he's spent significant periods of that same time with AHL caliber linemates.

 

[AKL]

10 even strength points in 29 games since the start of 2024. Zucc really is not good at even strength right now.

That's without even considering the constant turnovers, lost puck battles, getting outworked along the boards, getting outskated, passes that should be shots, etc. He doesn't pass the eye test either.

 

[Sweetnut]

10 even strength points in 29 games since the start of 2024. Zucc really is not good at even strength right now.
Rossi also has 10... yet he's spent significant periods of that same time with AHL caliber linemates.

I can imagine Johansson didn't have much time playing with Kap, if any. Don't have the energy right now to dig into that. What I mean is that Zuke must have a big chunk of his EVS points playing with our 34 goal scorer and still Johansson is just 3 points shy of him.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Zucc generally brings more positive play than negative, last night was definitively in the negative for him in my eyes, both lacking in execution with fumbled pucks and extremely odd decision making that led to turnovers. The team still won, but he needs to be a lot better down the stretch here.

 

[TaLoN]

Zucc generally brings more positive play than negative,

Yes, but the vast majority of the positive comes on the PP. He was truly GREAT on last night's PP! He, Kap and Boldy along with Faber on the point... and "insert center here" was really dynamic and fast moving that puck around.

 

[Webster]

Again, Zucc leads the team in assists, has been all season...and last season. Doesn't matter where he gets them, obviously more on the pp where he plays with guys who can finish his feeds. That no-look pass to Boldy who then scored the game winner against the Preds is stuff you don't see from many others on this team. So Zucc's production is of course important for the Wild.

 

[AKL]

He's generally good when he doesn't need to create his own time and space and isn't under pressure. That's why he's generally good on the PP and in OT when those situations are baked in. And when he's at even strength where you don't get as many of those situations is when he struggles most with turnovers, losing puck battles, etc. Most of the game is played at even strength. Most of his good plays and points are generated on the PP, or from playing with other guys (Kaprizov) who can do the hard stuff, all Zuccarello has to do is touch the puck at some point.

 

[Sweetnut]

Yeah, I don't know. Getting outscored in EVS by a offensive black hole named Johansson while getting more TOI and paid 3 times more money just doesn't look that great. Proudly sporting a 8% shooting percentage. Even Jonas Brodin and Jake Middleton got more goals EVS, not to mention a career fourth line bruiser named Dewar

 

[f7ben]

Nothing Zucc does except powerplay passes the eye test. He’s cooked and simply a pp specialist at this point. He’s a slightly more productive Addison eating up a roster spot. I would prefer him to be a healthy scratch in the playoffs as his flaws are exposed significantly when other players are finding another gear that Zucc hasn’t had for 3-4 years now.

 

[Luceni]

I would double shift Zucc on both PP Units and I would park him onto the bottom 6 at even strength with limited TOI. Zucc is a PP specialist: He is slow and a lazy back-checker, his defensive awareness is bad too. But he is an elite passer on the PP. The game slows down on the PP and thats the reason why Zucc is still successful in those situations.

 

[f7ben]

I would double shift Zucc on both PP Units and I would park him onto the bottom 6 at even strength with limited TOI. Zucc is a PP specialist: He is slow and a lazy back-checker, his defensive awareness is bad too. But he is an elite passer on the PP. The game slows down on the PP and thats the reason why Zucc is still successful in those situations.

I wouldn’t say lazy backchecker at all.

 

[Digitalbooya]

10 even strength points in 29 games since the start of 2024. Zucc really is not good at even strength right now.
Rossi also has 10... yet he's spent significant periods of that same time with AHL caliber linemates.

Maybe if Rossi could score a goal with any of his bajillion shots they would both be putting points. 11 games without a goal and averaging almost 3 shots a game.

P-U-T
I-T
I-N

 

[Minnewildsota]

Maybe if Rossi could score a goal with any of his bajillion shots they would both be putting points. 11 games without a goal and averaging almost 3 shots a game.

P-U-T
I-T
I-N

 

[NHL1674]

View attachment 836785

Yeah, that was an slow pitch easy set-up.

 

[Minnewildsota]

Yeah, that was an slow pitch easy set-up.

And I certainly wasn’t going to miss it