Earlier in the year Brodin used that great skating to join the rush but it seems he’s reluctant to do that later in the year. Perhaps he’s not confident yet with his partner to step up? Either way his stick and gap control are very valuable.
I don't think it's that Brodin and/or Seeler can't do it, they just don't have the puck skills, creativity, and mobility with the puck on their stick that Dumba/Spurgeon and also Suter have. If Brodin and/or Seeler do step up (I haven't seen enough of Seeler to really comment on whether or not he's at Brodin's level or better or worse or whatever) it's going to be a very north-south type movement. Brodin isn't going to deke a player 1 on 1 so he's gotta pick and choose his spots. If Brodin sees a bunch of open ice in front of him he's gonna take it and eat that space, but Brodin isn't a better option leading the rush entering the zone than most of the forwards he's on the ice with or the majority of minutes he plays with Dumba/Spurgeon/Suter as his D partner. Headmanning the puck to a more skilled puck carrier and following the play as a trailer is a better play most of the time.
That's not really a knock on Brodin, if headmanning the puck leads to a positive zone entry and numbers off the rush with Brodin as a trailer that's a plus play outcome. Hockey is a team game and plus outcomes lead to winning hockey. Playing within ones game and putting the team on the ice in plus situations on the ice is how you play winning hockey. This is an example of a decision by Brodin and how small plays he makes leads to his team scoring more goals than the opposing team when he's on the ice despite not potentially factoring in on the score sheet. An inexperienced player or a minus player would try and do too much and get himself into a situation where the puck is turned over. This kind of scenario is while Brodin is a minus offensive point producer he's not a minus puck mover.
Suter is a little bit more north-south/straight-line/methodical/less creative than Spurgeon and Dumba, but he makes it work in the methodical way that he seems to make everything work. Spurgeon and Dumba can operate entering in the zone and leading the rush in a way that most NHL defenders can't. They can really tilt games putting pressure on teams this way, but it takes a really high skill-set to do this. Brodin and Seeler not being at this level isn't so much a knock on them as players, but rather an example of what makes Spurgeon and Dumba so good.
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As long as Seeler can play within his game and make positive small positive plays that lead to bigger positive results from the 5 man unit he's on the ice with he'll be able to be a really solid player anchoring the Wild's 3rd pairing with the ability to step up and play equally as solid of minutes on a 2nd pairing if called upon.
Seeler's done that so far and it's what has made him look so solid and like a veteran thus far despite being a rookie. Most young players, especially at the NHL level when the pace of play is sped up and the quality of skill is much higher, struggle to make quick decisions at high speeds and/or lack an understanding of how to play within their games which leads to mistakes, TOs, and minus plays. The fact that Seeler has been able to step in from day 1 and show the maturity and IQ to be able to process all of this at the NHL level of play and an understanding of how to play within his game and make all of this small little positive plays is something that shouldn't be ignored.
Further, not only has he shown this type of hockey IQ, but he's also been able to find something he can excel at at the NHL level--clearing the crease and limiting 2nd chance opportunities. Finding a skill that you can excel at allows you to be a plus hockey player and provide something that others can't. Seeler, at least thus far, has shown that not only can he process the game at an NHL level and not make many mistakes, he's found an area he can differentiate himself in from the average player.
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