GDT: Game 9 • 10/27/15 • Wild vs. Oilers • 7PM CDT/2AM Suomi • FSN

[this providence]

It's almost like we're talking about one of the team's top scorers since he's arrived and will be right there again this year.

Weird I know.

 

[MNRube]

I have no idea.

Trends matter significantly to an NHL team. Yet when you talk about them, people get angry and hide their head in the sand.

Trends are especially important with guys in the 31-35 range. They can fall apart seemingly overnight. We've seen it first-hand with Heatley and Rolston.

Pominville has been a good addition and a very consistent producer of points with us, however the NHL is a cutthroat multi-billion dollar industry. If he can't cut it anymore, and the early returns this year suggest he might not be able to, then you have to be ruthless and make a change.

He also happens to play a spot we are deep at. If he was a two-way C this would be a completely different discussion. We have Nino, Zucker, Coyle, Vanek, and Fontaine below him on the depth chart. That's plenty of different skillsets and options, more than 90% of the teams in the league have at wing. We don't know who would mesh well with Parise and Granlund because Pominville has played with them for some time now. We have alternatives available and they won't cost a thing. Why not try it out?

**Nino makes the most sense the more I think about it. He's been buried by Yeo most of his time here and while he's rolling with Zucker and Mikko I think that line is fine without him. He just seems like an ideal fit with Parise and Granlund and he hasn't had a chance to play with two offensively geared players ever in his career. Zucker and Mikko are good offensively but they mostly grind; Parise and Granlund are much more creative and Nino is a great finisher and provides an element of size and physicality that line hasn't had in years.

 

[BusQuets]

It's almost like we're talking about one of the team's top scorers since he's arrived and will be right there again this year.

Weird I know.

That's the problem, You are talking about the player he was 2 years ago. We are talking about the player as he is now.

 

[this providence]

That's the problem, You are talking about the player he was 2 years ago. We are talking about the player as he is now.

Certainly. The guy who only had Parise score more last year and it will be near the same this year as well.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Certainly. The guy who only had Parise score more last year and it will be near the same this year as well.

Your problem, even assuming this is true for this season, is that you have to make that case for the 3 seasons that come after.

You and Pominville don't live in a vacuum where his age and contract don't matter. I wouldn't care if he was on a 1-year, 3.5 million per or a 2-year, 3 million per. But he's making 5.6 million per for the next 4 years.

 

[BusQuets]

Certainly. The guy who only had Parise score more last year and it will be near the same this year as well.

He's worse than last year where he scored 54 points while playing every game. I sure hope he isn't #2 with 50 points this season.

 

[this providence]

Ah, but I do live in a world where until someone other than the veterans on this team actually BEGIN to approach said veteran's "down years", I'll just continue to laugh at the hysterics.

 

[TJL48]

He gets more opportunity in prime spots than any of our young guys. He is tried with Granlund and Nino so far this year and Zucker has more points. I don't want him dumped for nothing but if he doesn't pick it up it would sure be nice to keep Spurgeon and get something good for Pominville..

 

[nickschultzfan]

Ah, but I do live in a world where until someone other than the veterans on this team actually BEGIN to approach said veteran's "down years", I'll just continue to laugh at the hysterics.

Nino scored 5 more goals than Pominville last year, without the PP time, so it's not as clear as you pretend that Pominville is even the #1 RW on this team. He's technically on the 2nd line this season, and Coyle playing out of position is looking better than Pomer, who is playing so poorly that Fontaine might beat him out at this pace.

 

[MNRube]

He gets more opportunity in prime spots than any of our young guys. He is tried with Granlund and Nino so far this year and Zucker has more points. I don't want him dumped for nothing but if he doesn't pick it up it would sure be nice to keep Spurgeon and get something good for Pominville..

Bingo. Of course he is going to outscore the young guys when he is gifted PP time and is stapled to Parise's hip. Points are important sure, but hardly the end all in evaluating players.

Nino last year spent most his time on the 3rd line with a still-adjusting and hurt Vanek and either Coyle or Brodziak at C. What could he do with Parise and Granlund? We will never know unless we try.

Same with Coyle. Sure he isn't Granlund as far as vision goes but it's hard to focus on scoring when you must assume so much defensive responsibility as centers do in Yeo's system.

It's the same thing every year with Yeo. He expects the kids to blow up while they play marginal roles. I like him as a coach but he's clearly either afraid of upsetting the veterans or the kids aren't as good as some of us think.

Alas the season is young and we are 6-2-1 but we aren't playing great and I'd like to see some of the young guys begin to take on bigger roles. I don't think it will hurt our team now and it will certainly help in the future.

 

[BagHead]

He gets more opportunity in prime spots than any of our young guys. He is tried with Granlund and Nino so far this year and Zucker has more points. I don't want him dumped for nothing but if he doesn't pick it up it would sure be nice to keep Spurgeon and get something good for Pominville..

We aren't going to get anything good for Pominville at this point. He's got 3 more years on his contract, and is on the decline. Note: I admit freely he's on the decline... but is still better than any other RW on this team at point production, which is the 1st line's job.

Maybe I should emphasize a bit, as well, that we aren't going to get anything good for Pominville, especially if he doesn't pick up the point production. But then, it sounds like if that happens, you don't want to trade him anyway, yeah? Either way, no dice on trading him.

Nino scored 5 more goals than Pominville last year, without the PP time, so it's not as clear as you pretend that Pominville is even the #1 RW on this team. He's technically on the 2nd line this season, and Coyle playing out of position is looking better than Pomer, who is playing so poorly that Fontaine might beat him out at this pace.

I hope you're right. I would love for our young guys to step up like that.

 

[TZM]

Pommer is the worst player on top 6 at the moment. Why wouldn't he get heat?

 

[nickschultzfan]

We aren't going to get anything good for Pominville at this point. He's got 3 more years on his contract, and is on the decline. Note: I admit freely he's on the decline... but is still better than any other RW on this team at point production, which is the 1st line's job.

Maybe I should emphasize a bit, as well, that we aren't going to get anything good for Pominville, especially if he doesn't pick up the point production. But then, it sounds like if that happens, you don't want to trade him anyway, yeah? Either way, no dice on trading him.



I hope you're right. I would love for our young guys to step up like that.

Selling a stock when it's lost 25 percent of its value is always better than when it's lost 50 or 75 percent.

Wild are actually a couple of months from Pominville having real negative value. What happens if Nino continues to be the 1st line RW, Coyle takes over the 2nd line RW, and Fontaine out plays Pomer defensively and in puck possession on that 3rd line? Legitimate scenario with no plan to address.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

It's the same thing every year with Yeo. He expects the kids to blow up while they play marginal roles. I like him as a coach but he's clearly either afraid of upsetting the veterans or the kids aren't as good as some of us think.

Alas the season is young and we are 6-2-1 but we aren't playing great and I'd like to see some of the young guys begin to take on bigger roles. I don't think it will hurt our team now and it will certainly help in the future.

Granlund, Zucker, Nino, Brodin and Dumba aren't in "marginal roles".

And any talk about Coyle in a top 6 RW role is irrelevant until Graovac a) gets healthy and b) shows himself to be a legit NHL player.

 

[nickschultzfan]

And any talk about Coyle in a top 6 RW role is irrelevant until Graovac a) gets healthy and b) shows himself to be a legit NHL player.

Or if Fletcher trades a Dman for a center at some point in the season.

Unlikely to happen but likely to be discussed.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Or if Fletcher trades a Dman for a center at some point in the season.

Unlikely to happen but likely to be discussed.

I'd be surprised if the coaches were comfortable with both Prosser and Folin locked into the lineup.

Anyway, it would just be shuffling pieces around, not really making the team better.

 

[57special]

Granlund, Zucker, Nino, Brodin and Dumba aren't in "marginal roles".

And any talk about Coyle in a top 6 RW role is irrelevant until Graovac a) gets healthy and b) shows himself to be a legit NHL player.

Coyle goes to #1 RW, Poms to #3 RW, Fontaine #4RW, Haula #3C, Carter #4C.

No Graovac needed.

 

[this providence]

That's some mind numbing stuff right there.

Elevate two players that are playing worse than the two you're moving down.

Can't make it up.

 

[Nino Noderreiter]

That's some mind numbing stuff right there.

Elevate two players that are playing worse than the two you're moving down.

Can't make it up.

It's a long season...to lock yourself into one type of thinking would be crazy. No one is doing anything but speculating and wondering what certain combos would be like and if you could be better. Why would you settle and not stop trying to get better just because we are playing well? We already know what these forwards groups look like...why not see if you can't make multiple players improve production by switching things around.

The forwards have been good, but there's room for improvement. Granlund and Pommer and Coyle have been average for what's expected out of them. The other guys are playing well enough and you're not breaking up the cores of any lines.

This is a message board for discussion. So that's what people are doing.