GDT: G3: Wild @ Jets 7pmCT/3am Finland (FSN)

[BlackBusa24]

I just found this. I had to share.

 

[Wabit]

Guys, Paul Fenton's best trade was a Brad Hunt and 6th for one of our two 5th rounders.

No, getting anything for Hendricks was his best trade.

 

[Wabit]

I liked the way the team played for most of the night; which is a big improvement over the first 2 games.

Home opener against Pit should be an interesting game with how many players Pit has out.

 

[57special]

I mean, Staal was better, and Zucker had his usual missed breakaway... blows my mind that we didn't shred that Defense. The amount of shots was misleading... most of our forwards don't go to scoring spots, and when they do, they don't know what to do.

The lack of skill and ability or desire to score by our forwards is extremely disheartening.

Ek, Donato, Greenway, Kunin...meh. Fiala did his little skating around thing with the puck, but ended up nowhere most of the time. I guess if he doesn't make a really stupid TO I'm supposed to applaud? Give me Mayhew and Sturm. They can't be worse.

 

[TaLoN]

Donato hasn't been great so far this year, but he's been better than, say, Parise. Mostly he's weak along the boards, which is where this team spends about 40 minutes a game, so it stands out.

Right or wrong, Good Granlund is going to cost $7m+ and Bad Granlund is going to be more like $6m. Either way he isn't the guy that's going to turn this team into a winner. Fiala, while raw and frustrating, is cheap and has some tread on the tires. It's exactly the sort of gamble that most on here were clamoring for right up until the trade happened and reality set in.

No, what we were clamoring for was to add to what Granlund brings to the lineup, not try to replace with someone inferior.

 

[NHL1674]

Home opener against Pit should be an interesting game with how many players Pit has out.

The home crowd is going to be a bit restless after a season without a postseason birth and all the home losses last year. If the team doesn't put in a strong effort or completely collapses like they did late in the game like last night, it wouldn't shock me if the crowd chimes in. The leash has gotten very short lately.

 

[Bazeek]

No, what we were clamoring for was to add to what Granlund brings to the lineup, not try to replace with someone inferior.

Fair enough, I might've been projecting there

I still think that moving on from Granlund was healthy. For a team that's been stuck in a rut as badly as Minnesota, making Granlund our highest-paid forward just seems like committing to more of the same. Despite the quality of the player, it would've been clinging to something that obviously hasn't worked. The overall return on that trade wasn't good, either because Fenton was hung up on one-for-one deals, or because he was no match for his old boss, or both, but Fiala still seems like a good "Reset Button" to get back.

I sort of feel the same way about Spurgeon, though our blueline is enough of a strength that it doesn't bother me that much. Committing to him as our highest-, longest-paid player carries the same sort of risk though: it's committing to the rut.

The grass isn't always greener, but sometimes you still need to move on.

 

[63firebird]

Is it too soon to conclude we're not going to get the breakout we needed from any of Donato, Fiala, Kunin, JEE, Greenway?

Kunin has some potential perhaps.
Unfortunately the rest of the central division will bury the wild in the basement. It looks like old timer hockey with their sons right now.

 

[P10p]

Donato looks to have really come down to earth. Very ineffective so far this season.

 

[Wild11MN]

Donato looks to have really come down to earth. Very ineffective so far this season.

I wonder what the deal is. He has been invisible and apparently had a bad training camp/preseason too.

 

[Bazeek]

I wonder what the deal is. He has been invisible and apparently had a bad training camp/preseason too.

When we traded for him the impression I got from Bruins fans was that he had a poor start to last season as well. I like some of what he's doing in the offensive zone, but he's been weak on the puck and sort of invisible.

 

[Wabit]

Donato has played 3 games on 3 different lines.
G1: Kunin/Greenway, wasn't bad a bad line.
G2: Staal/Zucc. Staal was a zombie, and Zucc hasn't found any sort of groove here. Had a nice breakaway chance.
G3: JEE/Hartman. He's not a 4th line player, it's not his game. The grind it out, physical play is not something he is good at.

He's kind of the odd man out right now while they are trying to get Parise, Staal, and Zucc to do good things on the ice.

I'm not impressed by his game so far either; sending him to Iowa, while they still can, is probably what needs to happen. He'll get more than 11 mins a night and PP time there. More puck touches might be what he needs.

 

[Wild11MN]

From Russo's story. Yikes.

• Zach Parise has one goal and has taken three shots in three games and is minus-5. He didn’t score for a ninth consecutive game in Winnipeg.
• Eric Staal has no points, has taken three shots and is minus-7.
• Mats Zuccarello has no points, is minus-5, has taken two shots, has taken the first penalty in each game before the first TV timeout and in his own words has indeed been “terrible.”
• Jared Spurgeon, who had an absolutely nightmarish game and finished minus-4, has no points and is minus-8 this season.
• Kevin Fiala has no points, and despite looking pretty on a number of offensive-zone possessions Thursday, turned the puck over nine different times.
• Greenway has no points. Kunin has no points. Ryan Donato has no points. Joel Eriksson Ek has no points.

 

[Mickey the mouse]

Well, I guess it can only get better!!!

 

[Wabit]

From Russo's story. Yikes.

• Zach Parise has one goal and has taken three shots in three games and is minus-5. He didn’t score for a ninth consecutive game in Winnipeg.
• Eric Staal has no points, has taken three shots and is minus-7.
• Mats Zuccarello has no points, is minus-5, has taken two shots, has taken the first penalty in each game before the first TV timeout and in his own words has indeed been “terrible.”
• Jared Spurgeon, who had an absolutely nightmarish game and finished minus-4, has no points and is minus-8 this season.
• Kevin Fiala has no points, and despite looking pretty on a number of offensive-zone possessions Thursday, turned the puck over nine different times.
• Greenway has no points. Kunin has no points. Ryan Donato has no points. Joel Eriksson Ek has no points.

JEE got an assist last night on Hunt's goal.

The 4th line has 4p combined; which is more than the other 9 FWDs out the team combined.

 

[Webster]

Here's our real problem

 

[DANOZ28]

well another loss, the boyz worked hard but the talent isn't there. maybe trade for a new goalie?

 

[Wild11MN]

Here's our real problem

This is one of my all time favorites.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

well another loss, the boyz worked hard but the talent isn't there. maybe trade for a new goalie?

Yeah cause the new goalie is going make our forwards score an actual goal.

 

[57special]

So, getting a new goalie will help us score?

Firing Boudreau will help us score?

 

[Wabit]

So, getting a new goalie will help us score?

Firing Boudreau will help us score?

Well they have tired playing without a goalie for a few mins the last few games, all that did was help the other team score. So we can scratch that one off the list of possible ways to help the scoring.

 

[W75]

Stalock actually could score

 

[Mookie Blaylock]

Didn't Bruce install a trap system in Anaheim one year? IIRC kind of the same situation they couldn't score or keep up, speed wise.

 

[StanleyCup55]

It's been clear the past couple years this team needs a rebuild now it's blatantly obvious. Looking forward to seeing Mayhew get the call.

 

[TaLoN]

Fair enough, I might've been projecting there

I still think that moving on from Granlund was healthy. For a team that's been stuck in a rut as badly as Minnesota, making Granlund our highest-paid forward just seems like committing to more of the same. Despite the quality of the player, it would've been clinging to something that obviously hasn't worked. The overall return on that trade wasn't good, either because Fenton was hung up on one-for-one deals, or because he was no match for his old boss, or both, but Fiala still seems like a good "Reset Button" to get back.

I sort of feel the same way about Spurgeon, though our blueline is enough of a strength that it doesn't bother me that much. Committing to him as our highest-, longest-paid player carries the same sort of risk though: it's committing to the rut.

The grass isn't always greener, but sometimes you still need to move on.

Disagree that moving on from Granlund was healthy. He was our best forward, and would have been the perfect complimentary piece next to Kaprizov when he comes over, someone who would give him his best chance to put up great numbers.

Long term, Granlund at $7m should not be the most expensive. Koivu signed for $7m a decade ago, that used to be a number to fear as it was such a high percentage of the cap, but inflation has been very rampant since the cap has gone up. I'd have been happier with Granlund at $7 than the much older Zucc for $6.