Line Combos: 2013 Minnesota Wild

[grN1g]

-trade Seto + for a decent top 4 dman with EXP!!! Pref a good amount of playoff exp.(trade Clutter in this package too for the right player)

-Send Scandella down(if he doesn't beat stoner out of last spot.)
-Waive Prosser


Parise Koivu Bouchard
Heatley Cullen Coyle
Mitchell Brodziak Granlund
Rupp Konopka Clutterbuck/?

Suter Brodin
? Gilbert
Stoner Spurgeron
Falk

 

[Jarick]

Again, it's the Minnesota Wild, not the Minnesota Dany Heatleys (as much fun as that would be). It wouldn't be the first time a top six player has gone in the bottom six. Kind of like last game with Setoguchi and Granlund.

Also, these four lines would get similar even strength TOI and Heatley would get his PP time in, so it's no big deal.

 

[goatvindaloo]

I thought Heatley was a lot slower these past few games then the first couple at the beginning of the season. I know he has surgery on his leg? knee? over the summer. I wonder if he isn't playing through some nagging re-injury.

 

[MuckOG]

Kind of liked the lines last night, but a couple tweaks...

Parise - Koivu - Bouchard
Butch is a dynamic player, Heatley is looking slower and slower...make a great line better. "BUT WHO'S GOING TO SHOOT???" All three of them.

Granlund - Cullen - Coyle
Still think Granlund with a big body like Coyle would be great. Cullen is what he is. Maybe next year Larsson?

Heatley - Brodziak - Clutterbuck
Just see what happens.

Mitchell - Konopka - Setoguchi
Same as above.

I'm OK with this....but it's awfully hard to stomach seeing a 4th line guy with a $3 million cap hit.

Someway, somehow, something has to be done with Setoguchi. Either figure it out on the ice or trade him for whatever you can get....

 

[Jarick]

Just pretend there's no such thing as a salary cap until the summer time. Is Seto on the 4th line a better option than say Veilleux or Dowell or Rupp? Then Seto.

 

[MuckOG]

Just pretend there's no such thing as a salary cap until the summer time. Is Seto on the 4th line a better option than say Veilleux or Dowell or Rupp? Then Seto.

Of course he's a better option....but you really can't ignore the cap until the summer as it can come into play with regards to trades, etc. Not good.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Don't read too much into labels of things. Sure, he was on the 4th line last night but him and Granlund played more than the '3rd' line.

 

[W75]

Parise-Koivu-Zucker
Bouchard-Brodziak-Coyle
Granlund-Konopka-Mitchell
Setoguchi-Cullen-Clutterbuck

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Zucker isn't getting called up until someone gets injured so I don't think there's any point in putting him in the line-up.

 

[MuckOG]

Zucker isn't getting called up until someone gets injured so I don't think there's any point in putting him in the line-up.

...and even then Larsson might get the call before Zucker.

 

[PariseSuterKoivu]

I'd like to see Granlund paired with a legit power forward with at least some offensive skill. He really needs that right now. Maybe Coyle would be that guy, but I'd like to see how he did on a line with Konopka and Rupp for a while while he adapts to the NHL.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

I'd like to see Granlund paired with a legit power forward with at least some offensive skill. He really needs that right now. Maybe Coyle would be that guy, but I'd like to see how he did on a line with Konopka and Rupp for a while while he adapts to the NHL.

While i think having one big guy that clears space for Granlund would/does help, putting him with Konopka AND Rupp would set him up for failure.

 

[MuckOG]

While i think having one big guy that clears space for Granlund would/does help, putting him with Konopka AND Rupp would set him up for failure.

I agree....Granlund has to have at least one other linemate with some scoring ability in order for him to be effective.

 

[Jarick]

Lines by even strength TOI:

Parise-Koivu-Heatley ~ 15:40 (15:07 - 16:12)
Granlund-Konopka-Setoguchi ~ 13:20 (12:25 - 14:16)
Mitchell-Brodziak-Clutterbuck ~ 13:15 (12:30 - 14:00)
Butch-Cullen-Coyle ~ 12:05 (11:40 - 12:37)

 

[W75]

Zucker isn't getting called up until someone gets injured so I don't think there's any point in putting him in the line-up.

...and even then Larsson might get the call before Zucker.

Maybe so. Must keep Heatley in the first line then. Can't find a decent place for him though..

 

[Puhis]

Trade Seto for Lats.

 

[keppel146]

Trade Seto and pick for a good young dmen and pick. then this: if yeo wants to change up the lines, then why cant this work??
11-9-16 (16 is Zucker)
15-64-3
96-7-22
17-28-?

20-25
46-77
6-4
44

 

[keppel146]

Zucker isn't getting called up until someone gets injured so I don't think there's any point in putting him in the line-up.

unless seto gets traded

 

[THEALLKNOWING*]

Contracts are sunk costs to the owners. High-priced athletes get fans into the doors, but winning is what keeps the stands filled. If the Wild's first line is made-up of three players making the league minimum, and they win the Stanley Cup, will anyone care that say Heatley is on the fourth line? Until the Wild are contenders for the Cup, line combinations should be flexible.

 

[Puhis]

Maybe so. Must keep Heatley in the first line then. Can't find a decent place for him though..

I had a crazy idea yesterday:

Heatley-Brodziak-Mitchell

Yes, it would be pretty much a carbon copy of our top line last year (Heatley-Brodziak-Johnson), but it worked, didn't it? And Mitchell is faster than Johnson. Might be just enough to create some offense and also good defensively. Gives Heatley room to do what he does best, which is to surf around the net.

So:

Parise-Koivu-Setoguchi
Bouchard-Cullen-Granlund
Heatley-Brodziak-Mitchell
Rupp-Konopka-Clutterbuck

Why Seto on first line? Well, Koivu and Parise are the kickers on that line, and shouldn't be separated. I'd rather have Setoguchi than Heatley there, because he's a righty shot, he has good release and will bury given the opportunity (unlike Miettinen).

2nd was tricky. I wanted to have Coyle there. I really did. But I also want to see Granlund at the wing.

I'd really like to see Setoguchi traded at this point, Bouchard replaces him on 1st line and roll with Granlund-Cullen-Coyle on the 2nd line.

 

[rynryn]

While i think having one big guy that clears space for Granlund would/does help, putting him with Konopka AND Rupp would set him up for failure.

that line also needs someone with wheels, IMO. Granlund looked better with a big guy? You want to see if Cullen fits that line better than seto? swap them next game. Figure out who the anchor on that line really is.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

that line also needs someone with wheels, IMO. Granlund looked better with a big guy? You want to see if Cullen fits that line better than seto? swap them next game. Figure out who the anchor on that line really is.

You know what he needs? Lats.

But lats that doesn't get injured, and doesn't come into camp out of shape.

 

[rynryn]

everyone is assuming Coyle played well enough to stay. how many minutes did he get? it seems as though everyone has in their head a cutoff on minutes needed to develop properly (see the Brodin arguments pre lockout). is 12 minutes a night enough for Coyle?

 

[rynryn]

You know what he needs? Lats.

But lats that doesn't get injured, and doesn't come into camp out of shape.

you have a 1 in 8 chance of getting that. not good odds to hang your hopes on.

 

[Haite]

You know what he needs? Lats.

But lats that doesn't get injured, and doesn't come into camp out of shape.

This year's Lats is currently 0+1 in six games in Ottawa.