Will the Wild make the Playoffs?

[2Pair]

Looks like he was close.

I agree, I actually almost posted the exact comment about the SOG stat.

I was curious on who the last high-scoring players were for Iowa/Houston, and it looks like Haula had 27 in 31 games, otherwise Granlund, Zucker and Fontaine were all .88 PPG+ in '12-'13 for Houston. Schroeder had a few good seasons down there. Anas is at 37 points in 40 games this year. Pretty impressive.

Law - Westrum - O'sullivan was a decent line

 

[Wabit]

Just out of curiosity where is Kunin playing in the AHL? Center/wing, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd line, PP/PK time?

I do know Iowa isn't a high shot volume team, they are outshot pretty regularly.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I believe last I heard he was playing right wing for Iowa on the 1st line with both PP and PK time.

From The Athletic (Wild prospect Luke Kunin on path back to NHL after...):

But his head coach has no worries about whether he'll get back to the NHL and become the player the Wild hoped for. He's now on the top power play and penalty kill units, and the primary carrier on breakouts, opportunities he was not afforded in the NHL.

 

[absolute garbage]

7 points and 23 shots in 11 games is not impressive in the AHL.

Never said it was "impressive". But a ~50 point pace like that is not bad either for a guy who just turned 20. It's pretty good. Agreed that needs to find ways to shoot more.

With re-signing Koivu to another couple of years, Fletcher has signaled that he wants to stay the course, and that he thinks he has the talent in the room to win a Cup. I hope he's right, but if something doesn't happen this year then we are only going to be a year older next year, not better.

Wouldn't say quite that. Assuming there's no big moves, if Ek takes a step forward (like he should) and ups his production to that 40 point range, it's going to give the team 3 capable lines with Koivu eventually moving into the 3rd line spot away from better producing players like Granlund. This should make the team better. Then there's also Kunin and Greenway who both could be top 9 players next season.

Whether that results in a Cup or not, most likely not. But you can say that about every good team. Having a winning, consistent playoff team is a positive thing that fans on communities such as HFBoards sometimes forget.

 

[2Pair]

Never said it was "impressive". But a ~50 point pace like that is not bad either for a guy who just turned 20. It's pretty good. Agreed that needs to find ways to shoot more.


Wouldn't say quite that. Assuming there's no big moves, if Ek takes a step forward (like he should) and ups his production to that 40 point range, it's going to give the team 3 capable lines with Koivu eventually moving into the 3rd line spot away from better producing players like Granlund. This should make the team better. Then there's also Kunin and Greenway who both could be top 9 players next season.

Whether that results in a Cup or not, most likely not. But you can say that about every good team. Having a winning, consistent playoff team is a positive thing that fans on communities such as HFBoards sometimes forget.

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that he's a dissapointment or anything, but if that's his "hot streak" then he has a long way to go.

 

[Wabit]

Wouldn't say quite that. Assuming there's no big moves, if Ek takes a step forward (like he should) and ups his production to that 40 point range, it's going to give the team 3 capable lines with Koivu eventually moving into the 3rd line spot away from better producing players like Granlund. This should make the team better. Then there's also Kunin and Greenway who both could be top 9 players next season.

Whether that results in a Cup or not, most likely not. But you can say that about every good team. Having a winning, consistent playoff team is a positive thing that fans on communities such as HFBoards sometimes forget.

If the Wild signed Koivu to $5.5mx2 deal to play 3C then it's awful cap management. They expected him to pick up where he left off last season and be a top-6 center for the next 3 years. A 35+ contract with a full NMC, there isn't any getting out of that

As a 3C I don't see JEE getting 40p. Granny hovered around 40p as a 2C with loads of PP time. Haula had 25p last year and 34p the year before as a 3C.

I really don't understand why people think that 3rd liners should be putting up 40p a season and 4th liners should be at 30p.

 

[absolute garbage]

If the Wild signed Koivu to $5.5mx2 deal to play 3C then it's awful cap management. They expected him to pick up where he left off last season and be a top-6 center for the next 3 years. A 35+ contract with a full NMC, there isn't any getting out of that

As a 3C I don't see JEE getting 40p. Granny hovered around 40p as a 2C with loads of PP time. Haula had 25p last year and 34p the year before as a 3C.

I really don't understand why people think that 3rd liners should be putting up 40p a season and 4th liners should be at 30p.

I don't think it's controversial to say that Koivu will slide into a smaller role over the course of his new contract as he gets older. At least that should be happening, as it's difficult to see Koivu keeping up with Granlunds and Zuckers in a year or two. Still a useful player, still a guy who does the defensive heavy lifting and chips in on offense too, just not as prominent as currently. Whether that makes his contract bad, that's a different debate.

And I'm sure the hope is that JEE is the guy who will grow into that more offensive top 6 center role and take Koivu's spot, if not next season then the season after that. Of course with Staal being an older guy too, things are a bit open and Koivu could continue in top 6 as well.

And yeah, absolutely, usually 3rd or 4th liners don't put those kind of numbers, but here the question was "enough talent to win the Cup". And that, 3rd liners putting those kind of numbers, is one way to be a very good team. Again, if JEE takes a step forward and is capable of that type of production, and if one of Kunin/Greenway becomes a quality contributing top 9 player (replacing Ennis), the Wild will attack in waves with a lot of quality depth. That's going to be the key to success for this team assuming they can't pull off a Seguin-type of trade somehow where send a bunch of good players for an elite player.

 

[NHL1674]

Absolutely not. They only play at home. Unless they do a 180 and learn to play on the road, it'll be golfing in April.

 

[57special]

I understand that your bottom six is not going to be filled with good scorers, but I do expect them to be smart, good defensively, not make giveaways, and not allow goals against.

 

[Bazeek]

I'm 50/50 at this point. If they can't win on the road they won't make it, but I don't want to put too much stock in the Dallas game (back end of a back-to-back in an arena we always suck in for some reason). They're out of excuses at this point though. They're going to have to figure out ways to win on the road against tough teams, regardless of the schedule, injuries, etc.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I'm 50/50 at this point. If they can't win on the road they won't make it, but I don't want to put too much stock in the Dallas game (back end of a back-to-back in an arena we always suck in for some reason). They're out of excuses at this point though. They're going to have to figure out ways to win on the road against tough teams, regardless of the schedule, injuries, etc.

This month is it. Starts with the Blues Tuesday and ends with the Blues on the 27th. All should-win games, including the road portion. If it is a mediocre month, they're cooked. The end of March is brutal.

 

[Uberdachen]

They're definitely not out, but they've shown about as much chance of success there as the Rudy sequel where he had Crohn's and entered a suckerpunch contest.

 

[Bazeek]

This month is it. Starts with the Blues Tuesday and ends with the Blues on the 27th. All should-win games, including the road portion. If it is a mediocre month, they're cooked. The end of March is brutal.

Agreed. If there's any lemonade in that lemon it's that the situation should resolve itself by the trade deadline.

 

[57special]

Even if the Wild are in a bad spot come the TDL, they don't have the type of pieces that you sell for younger assets, except for minor players like Reilly and Prosser. Koivu, Parise, and Suter can't be moved, and it would be stupid to move Staal unless you get serious assets coming back the other way. We don't have enough G depth to move a Dubnyk, or even Stalock.

Don't see the point of moving a Coyle, Nino, Brodin, etc., unless someone is going to pay through the nose for them.

It's unlikely that Ennis can be moved, except for another negative value piece.

 

[Bazeek]

Even if the Wild are in a bad spot come the TDL, they don't have the type of pieces that you sell for younger assets, except for minor players like Reilly and Prosser. Koivu, Parise, and Suter can't be moved, and it would be stupid to move Staal unless you get serious assets coming back the other way. We don't have enough G depth to move a Dubnyk, or even Stalock.

Don't see the point of moving a Coyle, Nino, Brodin, etc., unless someone is going to pay through the nose for them.

It's unlikely that Ennis can be moved, except for another negative value piece.

You might get a late pick for Stewart, but otherwise I agree. I think they'll explore the options with Olofsson and Reilly, but I don't know that that'll go anywhere worthwhile. There seem to be a lot of teams selling and not many buying.

 

[Nharris31]

If the Wild signed Koivu to $5.5mx2 deal to play 3C then it's awful cap management. They expected him to pick up where he left off last season and be a top-6 center for the next 3 years. A 35+ contract with a full NMC, there isn't any getting out of that

As a 3C I don't see JEE getting 40p. Granny hovered around 40p as a 2C with loads of PP time. Haula had 25p last year and 34p the year before as a 3C.

I really don't understand why people think that 3rd liners should be putting up 40p a season and 4th liners should be at 30p.

I don’t expect them too be at 30p I prefer four scoring lines instead of a bunch of grinders.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

I'm 50/50 at this point. If they can't win on the road they won't make it, but I don't want to put too much stock in the Dallas game (back end of a back-to-back in an arena we always suck in for some reason). They're out of excuses at this point though. They're going to have to figure out ways to win on the road against tough teams, regardless of the schedule, injuries, etc.

Exactly my opinion.

 

[Wabit]

I have the Hawks now out of the Playoff picture. 10p behind the 2nd WC with 27 games left, and no Crawford return in sight.
-Too bad for the Wild they are done with Chi for the season
-Hawks play Avs, Blues, and Jets 3 more times each.

 

[Wabit]

Avs got MacKinnon last night, and looks they lost Johnson (their #1D) indefinitely. Hawks are in sell mode.

Looks like it's a 7 team race for 5 Playoff spots right now.

 

[MNNumbers]

Central:

For #3:
Dal +13
StL + 12
Min + 12
Col +8

Pacific:
For #3:
Cal +9
LA +9
Ana +9

All 3 Pacific teams have a better chance of being Pac3 than WC1 or WC2.

StL: Usual Yeo fall off that happens most seasons.
Dallas: Going strong
Colorado: Had a 10 game winning streak. Without that, an average team.

I would say the Wild have a very good chance to qualify right now.

 

[kfan22]

Central:

For #3:
Dal +13
StL + 12
Min + 12
Col +8

Pacific:
For #3:
Cal +9
LA +9
Ana +9

All 3 Pacific teams have a better chance of being Pac3 than WC1 or WC2.

StL: Usual Yeo fall off that happens most seasons.
Dallas: Going strong
Colorado: Had a 10 game winning streak. Without that, an average team.

I would say the Wild have a very good chance to qualify right now.

I always love that when people say the annual Yeo collapse, I get a chuckle because they apparently havent seen 2 other coaches collapse with the Wild since

 

[tomgilbertfan]

I always love that when people say the annual Yeo collapse, I get a chuckle because they apparently havent seen 2 other coaches collapse with the Wild since

2? Not fair to include Torch in his interim role of 27 games.

 

[Wabit]

2? Not fair to include Torch in his interim role of 27 games.

15-11-1 under Torch, but the Wild did back into the Playoffs: losing their last 5 games of the season, and then the first 2 Playoff games. First round exit in 6 games to Dallas.

 

[MNNumbers]

It doesn't really matter to me how common that 'swoon' is. And, really, I wouldn't call the present downturn for St Louis a 'swoon'. I simply mean that I think that the first part of the year, when they were playing very very well, was a bit of an outlier. I expect them to struggle to keep up with Dallas and Minnesota from here on out.

Same with Colorado. That win streak has their overall record better than they probably are. I also think they will struggle to keep up with Dallas and Minnesota.

 

[W75]

It surely looks more possible now than in early january. Still struggling, but CHI+COL are dropping off and MIN is still in. So less competition if that trend is going to stay.