2014-15 General Wild Discussion Thread

[Avder]

It's finally time for some actual hockey stuff!

Click to read more...

 

[TaLoN]

Hockey? What's that? Someone broke their foot I hear...

 

[TaLoN]

Vanek is already learning the Wild lingo...

From the Strib...

You don’t win it on paper, but I felt there’s plenty of good guys in here on and off the ice that we can grow as a team that come January and February become a team that will be tough to play against and have a chance to win.”

First day with the team at the X, and he's already touting the team's tag line... tough to play against.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Zucker and Folin need to have big camps.

 

[BusQuets]

Zucker and Folin need to have big camps.

I think they will have one. Confident Zucker would be so nice to have in the top9.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I think they will have one. Confident Zucker would be so nice to have in the top9.

Tell that to Yeo.

Cooke is in the group with Haula and Nino. Zucker/Karenen are in the group with Brodziak, Almond, Fontaine, Brussiers.

It would appear at the moment Yeo doesn't want to see an all skill 3rd line.

 

[Minnesota]

Today's lineups:

• Notably, no Kuemper
• Love the Dumba - Oloffsson pairing
• Typical NHL pairings we'll likely see Suter/Brodin, Scandella/Spurgeon, Ballard/Folin
• Cooke - Haula - Niederreiter looks like a likely NHL pairing
• Hopefully Vanek eventually ends up on Granlund's wing; Vanek/Granlund/Pominville would be sweet
• As expected, Koivu and Coyle are joined at the hip. Parise/Koivu/Coyle would be a great grinding 2nd line
• Never heard of that Gudbranson fella... Not the Florida Gudbranson, correct?

 

[DrPP]

Cooke-Haula-Nino reminds me of Kelly-Soderberg-Eriksson. Would be an awesome third line.

 

[Minnesota]

Never heard of that Gudbranson fella... Not the Florida Gudbranson, correct?

Did some research, it's Alex Gudbranson (Erik's brother).

 

[DrPP]

One more thing. It looks like Phillips has fallen off the depth chart. Is he on the outs with the organization?

 

[Minnesota]

One more thing. It looks like Phillips has fallen off the depth chart. Is he on the outs with the organization?

I think this next year in Iowa will be very important for his development; he really needs to put up huge numbers if he hopes to have an NHL career.

 

[BusQuets]

So the depth chart so far according to those lines looks something like this:

Wild:

Parise-Granlund-Pominville
Vanek-Koivu-Coyle
Cooke-Haula-Nino
Zucker-Brodziak-Fountaine

Suter-Brodin
Scandella-Spurgeon
Ballard-Folin

Backstrom
Kuemper
Bryz

Iowa:

Keranen-Schroeder-Mitchell
Bussieres-Graovac-Phillips
Velleux-Almond-Bulmer
Gogol-Sutter-Gabriel

Falk-Blum
Olofsson-Dumba
Labbe-Bickel

Gustafsson
Curry


So zero surprises for me so far.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Tell that to Yeo.

Cooke is in the group with Haula and Nino. Zucker/Karenen are in the group with Brodziak, Almond, Fontaine, Brussiers.

It would appear at the moment Yeo doesn't want to see an all skill 3rd line.

Yeo's comments seem to suggest the opposite. He is going to give Zucker a legitmate chance to make the top-9.

I think the 2nd half of last season demostrated to Yeo the value of moving away middling vets (Brodziak, Heatley, Cooke, Ballard, etc.) and giving young players with higher ceilings a chance.

I am of the strong option that Cooke is only effective for 25% of the season. He is no longer a 3rd line regular on a good team. As much as people said he was awesome during the playoffs, people forget that the Wild were just as good without him when he was suspended. He's better fitted for 4th line, PK duty, as a guy who can slot up when there is injuries.

 

[ThatGuy22]

So the depth chart so far according to those lines looks something like this:

Wild:

Parise-Granlund-Pominville
Vanek-Koivu-Coyle
Cooke-Haula-Nino
Zucker-Brodziak-Fountaine

Suter-Brodin
Scandella-Spurgeon
Ballard-Folin

Backstrom
Kuemper
Bryz

Iowa:

Keranen-Schroeder-Mitchell
Bussieres-Graovac-Phillips
Velleux-Almond-Bulmer
Gogol-Sutter-Gabriel

Falk-Blum
Olofsson-Dumba
Labbe-Bickel

Gustafsson
Curry


So zero surprises for me so far.

I'd bet Almond and Falk are lined up for press box duty. Especially Almond with his 1 way deal. Someone's gotta eat popcorn.

 

[Minnesota]

@mnwild:

Parise speaks to media after skating today #mnwild "Seeing Bryz walk in the room puts a smile on everyone's face."

 

[gphr513]

Michael Russo ‏@Russostrib
Bryz on how many offers he got this summer: "To be honest, ..............zero." The delivery was hysterical. #mnwild

I really hope Bryz sticks around. Just for the lulz

 

[BGFalconHawks]

Coming in peace from Blackhawks camp but in your circle of life moment of the day the Hawks are rolling a Nick Leddy-Cam Barker pairing.

Also I love Bryz

 

[ThatGuy22]

Michael Russo ‏@Russostrib
Bryz on how many offers he got this summer: "To be honest, ..............zero." The delivery was hysterical. #mnwild

I really hope Bryz sticks around. Just for the lulz

Lets can Nordy and just make Bryz the mascot. He can walk around with his Siberean husky and talk about the universe

 

[nickschultzfan]

Coming in peace from Blackhawks camp but in your circle of life moment of the day the Hawks are rolling a Nick Leddy-Cam Barker pairing.

Also I love Bryz

That defense pairing will cause, and be, a black hole.

 

[Sharppi]

Lets can Nordy and just make Bryz the mascot. He can walk around with his Siberean husky and talk about the universe

I'm all for that. I was one of the guys who supported signing Bryz looooong time before he got signed, due to the fact that I love his personality. I believe he makes the team better just by tagging along. I don't care if he plays or not, but keep him around. He can be serious and a leader, but he is a comical relief in a good way.

 

[gphr513]

Especially if there's a schism in the locker room!

Sign Bryz so nobody heff to be mad!

 

[jnk96]

I'm really hoping Bulmer can make the team. He should definitely have a shot at a bottom 6 / 4th line spot. If his bad luck with injuries is finally over, he should certainly get in after a few games in Iowa at the latest.

 

[Scoutguy77]

One more thing. It looks like Phillips has fallen off the depth chart. Is he on the outs with the organization?

I read nothing into these line ups--its September 19th.

 

[TaLoN]

So the depth chart so far according to those lines looks something like this:

Wild:

Parise-Granlund-Pominville
Vanek-Koivu-Coyle
Cooke-Haula-Nino
Zucker-Brodziak-Fountaine

Suter-Brodin
Scandella-Spurgeon
Ballard-Folin

Backstrom
Kuemper
Bryz

Iowa:

Keranen-Schroeder-Mitchell
Bussieres-Graovac-Phillips
Velleux-Almond-Bulmer
Gogol-Sutter-Gabriel

Falk-Blum
Olofsson-Dumba
Labbe-Bickel

Gustafsson
Curry


So zero surprises for me so far.

Except it has been said by Fletcher and Yeo that it doesn't make sense to keep Zucker with the squad if he's only on the 4th line. He needs to be 3rd line or higher to make the team. He's got work to do still. We'll see if he can win the spot over Cooke.

 

[FVM]

Just one pic... but man, Phillips is still thin like a frozen sled rope.