Hopefully. There is plenty of season left and we aren't in a hole. It can only get better.
I'm hoping that Yeo realizes that he needs to split up the top line by game 10 and we aren't already in the basement by then.
The Tippett coached Coyotes will check the hell out of Parise-Koivu-Heatley, just like Anaheim did. The entire reason why that line was "invisible" is that the Ducks played that line hard. Last change? Yeah, Boudreau used it effectively. Tippett will too.
Ten games in, I hope that Yeo will realize that he really needs to not be a one line team, which is what the Wild currently are...
Shut down that top line... game over.
Which is why I advocate moving Heatley to the 2nd...
Parise - Koivu - ?
Heatley - ? - Bouchard
Clutterbuck - ? - ?
Powe - Konopka - ?
Drop the following into the question marks; Setoguchi, Granlund, Brodziak, Cullen, Mitchell.
Play to the strengths of the question marks;
-Setoguchi still has a wicked wrister, but no one to get him the puck.
- Granlund is being out muscled, but still a gifted play maker.
- Brodziak is a strong defensive center and isn't scared of going to the net.
- Cullen is primarily a defensive center but with greater N-S speed than Brodziak
- Mitchell is also faster, and I would argue, underutilized.
Parise-Koivu-Setoguchi. Parise and Koivu could play the cycle game with the option of Setoguchi coming in from the RW side with his wrister. Seto is way more accurate with that shot than Miettinen ever was, and Brunette-Koivu made Miettinen a “first line option†in a barren system.
Heatley-Brodziak-Bouchard. Bouchard setting up Heatley and Bouchard picking up the rebounds from Heatley’s shot would add a significant secondary threat. Brodziak as the more defensive minded player on that team who can go cause havoc in front of the net makes this set up even more appealing.
Clutterbuck – Cullen – Granlund. This gets Granlund off out of the Center responsibilities, while providing Cullen with the backup in the faceoff. Inverse of what Yeo has tried in the first few games. This would also open up some time and space for Granlund, as most teams would be worried about what Clutterbuck was up to rather than focusing on Granlund 100%.
Powe-Konopka-Mitchell. While I still think this is a waste of Mitchell’s talents, this is really the only place for him.
For the games which would warrant scratching Granlund, Mitchell slides up to the third line RW, and Kassian or another grinder slots into the fourth line RW.
Just letting my brain run while typing this out.
/shrug