considering Yeo wanted them more engaged and tough to play against, and no one else in the top lines seems inclined to hit other than Heatley, I don't see hitting as an exclusively "grinder" thing to do. he does look like he's getting worse, but why is that surprising everyone who has been complaining that Cullen is not top six material himself, and Granlund has been very disappointing given the expectations that were built up. he isn't heatley who can produce at least a little all by himself (figuratively speaking). Like i said, Seto needs to play with good players. Cullen and Granlund are not good at this point in time. Sounds like the beef with Seto (as inferred from Russo's examples of why he's being sent a message) have more to do with attitude/effort than skill.
The thing with Seto is this:
Hitting is not the end-all be-all of physical play in the offensive zone. Sure a hit (body check on a player carrying the puck) is important to creating turnovers, but a big part is being able to TAKE a hit while maintaining puck possession, or taking a hit and still being able to make a play.
Koivu is KING of that. Parise too. Those guys can rag the puck while fighting off a defender, or take a bump and still keep the puck on their stick.
Granlund and Seto cough up the puck at the slightest bump, and that's causing a big-time issue on the second line. Can't maintain puck possession in the offensive zone. Now you combine that with poor defensive zone play and poor puck movement through the NZ and into the OZ, that's why people are getting sent a message.
I can't think of any guys outside Koivu and Parise that can consistently hang on to the puck in the face of physical play. Heatley's okay. Brodz a little but he's had brick hands this year. Cullen and Clutter struggle with the puck without contact. Seto should be better but he's been coughing it up this year. Granny just bites it upon contact.
Coyle PROJECTS to be a guy who can take a bump and keep the puck through his size and strength, and we'll see how his hands are.
That's what Latendresse brought to the lineup and it was HUGE for the team. Of course couldn't stay healthy.
Who cares if Coyle virtually wins every battle. We need him to realistically, which he doesn't do. Coyle has been barely able to put score on AHL teams and AHL goalies. What makes everyone so sure he can do it in the NHL? Yes, I'd love to see him do great. Yes, the Wild need a player like him. But is he really ready?
Does it matter? Wild have sputtered offensively and don't have time to turn it around. Give Coyle a shot. Worst case scenario, Wild continue to offensively sputter. There's no downside to it.
The problem with our offensive is we're dumping it in every time up the ice and then either not pursuing the puck or only sending one guy. Neither of those work. And then theres the chip it up from the defensive zone. This system has to go. Its absolutely terrible.
What system is this? Wild have been much better on the transition from the back end than in years past, and they've carried the puck in quite a bit. They've also turned it over at the blue line quite a bit, especially the games I've seen from Granlund recently.
Hey.. That was/is my number. I love it.
It actually doesn't look bad on the greens, but the numbers for the whites are awful. Might look good with some better fonts.