2013/2014 Minnesota Wild News and Notes - New Division and New Expectations

[TZM]

Church of Russo

E: No but really... I've been pleased with Yeo's decisions so far.

 

[Avder]

Russo for coach.

Can't be much worse than Yeo is now.

 

[Hall of Faber]

Zucker recalled, Coyle out 3 weeks. Via: Wild and Russo twitter. Coyle has a sprained knee

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

I don't have a problem with how Backstrom has played so far, and I don't blame him for many of the goals other than the SO, but darn I still wish we could've gotten Bernier. Guy has looked good so far and Toronto was able to sign him to a very reasonable deal. Hopefully Kuemper or Gustafsson is ready within two years at the most or this could get ugly.

 

[Sportsfan1]

I would not put Heatley on the Granny, Zucker line if for the very reason that would be the worst defensive line in the NHL, that doesn't speak much volumes of Nino's two way game at this point but at least he can skate. Heater can score, but boy he needs other people picking up the slack for him defensively and Brodz and Cookie can at least do that.

 

[DeuceMN]

Having Coyle gone is going to hurt but it will give Granlund, and the rest of the line, some time to practice and play with each other, which cannot hurt at all - especially with Granlund getting more time on a more offensively focused line.

I do wish Fletch could do something about Heatley, as he is just a giant ****ing weight on any line he plays on. There has to be some team we could arrange something with, Yotes maybe? We need him gone if at all possible.

This year is going to be challenging to a degree, with all the kids learning the ropes and the gaffs they will make, but they will ultimately mature (hopefully sooner rather than later), and imo, it will be worth the pain we will deal with now.

 

[57special]

What team would be stupid enough to take Heatley, unless we get something equally stupid in return? Wild would've dumped him last year if they could've, and kept Cullen. We are stuck with him for this year( which should be his last). At this point all he brings is size, and a slot presence on the PP(debatable).

 

[nickschultzfan]

What team would be stupid enough to take Heatley, unless we get something equally stupid in return? Wild would've dumped him last year if they could've, and kept Cullen. We are stuck with him for this year( which should be his last). At this point all he brings is size, and a slot presence on the PP(debatable).

Heatley for Luoungo was about the only think that probably could have happened, but Fletcher was probably concerned about re-signing the kids in a few years.

 

[kegstandbyme]

Ballard Postgame Video

This might have already been mentioned in a thread but...

Anyone surprised the Wild posted the video without censoring it?

 

[Nsjohnson]

Koivu has 1 shot through 2 games, Parise has 14. Suter has 6. I know he's not our shooter but c'mon Mikko. I won't start to care until we've played all our games this week. We need some goals to start going in, and that's by committee.

 

[Minnesota]

Can't be much worse than Yeo is now.

What has he done wrong so far?

 

[Gaps]

https://twitter.com/russostrib/status/387258159108067328

Parise is sick, they might recall another forward.

 

[TZM]

https://twitter.com/russostrib/status/387258159108067328

Oh ffs...

Russo tweet:

Granlund says he's ready to assume no 2 center role. Zucker excited to be back, says he has to be better. Yeo watched video w Heatley today

I guess they didn't need to watch his play in slow motion.

 

[rynryn]

wonder if he's watched video with Scandella. pile of puke in what is actually a more critical position. maybe afraid his ego is so fragile now they'd destroy him by sitting him.

 

[Avder]

What has he done wrong so far?

Hes just terrible in general. I've put out so much "whats wrong with Yeo" material ever since I jumped on the Fire Yeo bandwagon last season that I don't think it's really necessary to repeat most of it because it is still valid.

 

[TZM]

I think the new polished system looks great.

 

[rynryn]

Hes just terrible in general. I've put out so much "whats wrong with Yeo" material ever since I jumped on the Fire Yeo bandwagon last season that I don't think it's really necessary to repeat most of it because it is still valid.

valid is the wrong word.

 

[TZM]

Russo tweet:

Parise flew to Nashville and is expected to play tomorrow. No callups #mnwild

 

[tyratoku]

Notes on the lineup from Russo

Stoner in, Dumba out. Scandella/Spurgeon still a thing. Yeo has worked one on one with Heatley to try and get him going.

“I watched some video with him [Monday] morning and it’s safe to say there’s another level, there’s another gear there,” Yeo said. “We talked about that, we showed it. He had a great practice [Monday]. I see him doing extra skating after practice. That’s a good sign. It’s not uncommon to see a lot of bigger bodies take a little longer to get up to full stride.”

Article about Zucker's call up/attitude and Granlund's promotion to 2nd line center

“It’s unfair to expect Granny to be perfect right off the hop, especially given the fact he’s played a couple games on wing now and he’s got to get back into that center position,” Yeo said. “I have no reason to believe that he won’t go in and be really good for us because that’s the way he’s been playing all camp.

“This is a good opportunity for him to bite off a little bit more.”

 

[DeuceMN]

Does anyone else think it's strange that Fontain is getting moved up and down the lineup the way he is, like now he's on the "top" line? This kid is, at best, a fourth line player, and a small one at that, why is Yeo putting him in the top 6 at all, for any reason, when we then have a guy like Neiderreiter on our third line.

Yeo does seem to favor certain players over others, but his reasoning why he does just makes no freakin sense to me, and no top of that, he doesn't get good results from his weird decisions either.

 

[tyratoku]

Does anyone else think it's strange that Fontain is getting moved up and down the lineup the way he is, like now he's on the "top" line? This kid is, at best, a fourth line player, and a small one at that, why is Yeo putting him in the top 6 at all, for any reason, when we then have a guy like Neiderreiter on our third line.

Yeo does seem to favor certain players over others, but his reasoning why he does just makes no freakin sense to me, and no top of that, he doesn't get good results from his weird decisions either.

It was because Parise went home sick. And our extra guy at practice, Rupp, is a fourth liner.

Better to move a 4th liner to plug into the top line and move the extra to the fourth line rather than moving a 3rd line guy to the top line to move a 4th line guy to the 3rd line and moving the extra to the 4th. It cuts out extra steps and keeps the other lines together.

Plus it was a practice. It's not a big deal. Fontaine is on the 4th line on this team for now and the foreseeable future.

 

[Victorious Secret]

It was because Parise went home sick. And our extra guy at practice, Rupp, is a fourth liner.

Better to move a 4th liner to plug into the top line and move the extra to the fourth line rather than moving a 3rd line guy to the top line to move a 4th line guy to the 3rd line and moving the extra to the 4th. It cuts out extra steps and keeps the other lines together.

Plus it was a practice. It's not a big deal. Fontaine is on the 4th line on this team for now and the foreseeable future.

It took a few reads, but I think I caught what you're throwing.

 

[tyratoku]

It took a few reads, but I think I caught what you're throwing.

Haha I can see how that'd be confusing.

 

[Jarick]

New top 2 lines today at practice. Like the look of them as it hopefully gets the second line going a little bit.

Parise-Koivu-Nino
Heatley-Granlund-Pominville
Cooke-Brodziak-Mitchell
Vielleux-Konopka-Fontaine

Also new D pairings
Suter-Brodin
Ballard-Spurgeon
Stoner-Dumba

Scandella out

That's pretty close to what I'd like to see up front. Nino is faster than Pominville and has been stronger along the boards, which is the game Parise and Koivu play. He'll be like Coyle was last year. Pominville plays a bit slower which is fine with Granlund and Heatley. I'm worried though that 64 and 29 will be either ineffective or get tossed around too much.

Also, Ballard gets put with the third best defenseman on the team and Dumba back in the lineup. Very nice.

 

[Fel 96]

Zach Parise—Mikko Koivu—Nino Niederreiter
Dany Heatley—Mikael Granlund—Jason Pominville
Matt Cooke—Kyle Brodziak—Justin Fontaine
Torrey Mitchell—Zenon Konopka— Stephane Veilleux

Ryan Suter—Jonas Brodin
Jared Spurgeon— Keith Ballard
Clayton Stoner—Mathew Dumba

Marco Scandella—Nate Prosser

Yeo indicated that moving Pominville down to the second line is not a slight against him in any way, really it’s a compliment as Yeo hopes the winger can help spark some more scoring opportunities with Granlund and Heatley.

“We need something from somebody else,” Yeo said. “In looking at that game last night, our top line has probably 90 percent of our scoring chances. Certainly they should lead the way, but we need something somewhere else.”

http://wild.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=21235