Recalled/Assigned: Mikael Granlund (4/16: Assigned to Houston... now recalled on emergency basis)

[mikko1995]

Crap, Russo and others are right, Granlund is much better at wing.

Now where is our 2nd top-6 center of the future going to come from?

Haula and Phillips need some more minor league seasoning.

Well, I'm Draft eligible this year.

 

[Jarick]

I thought Granlund mostly looked very good last night. STILL NOT 100% NHL READY. He was still getting tossed around and that boarding could have been really bad.

Crap, Russo and others are right, Granlund is much better at wing.

Now where is our 2nd top-6 center of the future going to come from?

Haula and Phillips need some more minor league seasoning.

Exactly what I've been worried about since we moved Larsson, but nobody seems to care.

 

[Gaps]

Crap, Russo and others are right, Granlund is much better at wing.

Now where is our 2nd top-6 center of the future going to come from?

Haula and Phillips need some more minor league seasoning.

I've wanted us to draft a pure center prospect for the longest time. No more wingers or center/wingers, but a freakin' decent-sized center who will stay at center and has a high upside (and no, I don't think Larsson was the answer to those prayers). In this regard, this may have been the year to tank, but oh well.

 

[Mumbler*]

Granlund looked like a boss last night. But where do we put him and who sits out for the playoffs? Can't dump the size on the 4th with Rupp and Keno in a 7 game series.

 

[MuckOG]

Crap, Russo and others are right, Granlund is much better at wing.

Now where is our 2nd top-6 center of the future going to come from?

Haula and Phillips need some more minor league seasoning.

Cullen plays the next two seasons, while Graovac gets his seasoning in Houston.

 

[Minnesota]

Perhaps management has faith in Phillips? Nobody's considering that?

 

[urho]

Granlund looked like a boss last night. But where do we put him and who sits out for the playoffs? Can't dump the size on the 4th with Rupp and Keno in a 7 game series.

I wouldn't even think twice choosing between Bouchard and Granlund - in Granlund's favor.

 

[nickschultzfan]

I thought Granlund mostly looked very good last night. STILL NOT 100% NHL READY. He was still getting tossed around and that boarding could have been really bad.



Exactly what I've been worried about since we moved Larsson, but nobody seems to care.

Well, Fletcher & Co. clearly view Granlund as a center. And they are clearly leaning towards re-signing Cullen at this point.

I just don't know if we can just keep patching that freaking 12-year hold on our roster for a few more season and pray that Phillips/Haula/Graovac are going to be fill it.

 

[Mumbler*]

I wouldn't even think twice choosing between Bouchard and Granlund - in Granlund's favor.

I'm sure you would. But, he's a rookie new to the N/A style of play and things are about to get much harder with the playoffs.

I really hope he does take butch's spot next year though.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Well, I'm Draft eligible this year.

The more Fins the better.

 

[Averman]

Crap, Russo and others are right, Granlund is much better at wing.

Now where is our 2nd top-6 center of the future going to come from?

Haula and Phillips need some more minor league seasoning.

Doesn't the very nature of the "of the future" label imply seasoning is required?

 

[urho]

I'm sure you would. But, he's a rookie new to the N/A style of play and things are about to get much harder with the playoffs.

Bouchards syle of play suits good for playoffs? From what I've seen, I'd say that Granlund is by far the more physical of the two and also more willing to go to the dirty areas.

 

[Puhis]

The more Fins the better.

I'm a free agent this summer.



In other words, single.

 

[Dudicles]

I thought Granlund mostly looked very good last night. STILL NOT 100% NHL READY. He was still getting tossed around and that boarding could have been really bad.



Exactly what I've been worried about since we moved Larsson, but nobody seems to care.

It's not that no one cares, it's just fruitless to worry, whine, and/or moan about Larsson not being here anymore...because he's not here anymore and no one can change that.

 

[TZM]

I'm 21 and undrafted but I was a sleeper to begin with. I still have lots of potential. I don't own skates now so I think I need some investments. Not in a need of much seasoning; I play floorball every week (atleast almost every week). I gotta learn to skate backwards again, but hey, you can't be perfect.

 

[Mumbler*]

Bouchards syle of play suits good for playoffs? From what I've seen, I'd say that Granlund is by far the more physical of the two and also more willing to go to the dirty areas.

Yep. he is more physical and more likely to blow a defensive assignment.

 

[mnwildgophers]

I agree that we did create a hole in the prospect pool by trading Larsson away as we don't have a lot of center depth, but this is where a Graovac, Haula, and Phillips have a chance to prove what they can do. Every prospect is different and takes a different path. Phillips was a 1st rounder for a reason.

As far as Granlund goes, great to see him get a goal last night. What a nice play by Stoner and Mitchell and Granlund going to the right spot to get rewarded. It's nice to see. I also agree with many others that he may not be quite ready for the NHL yet, but he is close. I think we'll see a bigger impact with him on the squad next year and hopefully playing a wing spot. Bring back Cullen on a 2 year deal and there's our stopgap while we hope one of those 3 guys that I mentioned earlier develop. Or maybe we trade for an ideal 2nd line center, who knows?

As far as Granlund goes, he's much better as a winger and he should stay in that spot.

 

[Oan]

Send Granlund to AHL now and keep him in there for the rest of the season, then he could still win Calder next season

 

[nickschultzfan]

I guess Fletcher will probably see Cullen + Granlund as respectable enough for next year. After that, somebody from the AHL might challenge for a spot.

 

[eme]

This has been said about Granlund before, but just wanted to remind you guys. Granlund played his first SM-Liiga season as a winger because, according to coach Kari Jalonen, they wanted him to get adjusted to SM-Liiga game without that much of a defensive responsibility. After that he returned to play center and eventually centered the first line of IFK who won the championship in 2011.

I think similar solution could have or even should have taken place from the start of the season, would have helped him a lot in adjusting and point producing. Then again this is a lot shorter season than usual, so experimenting could cost some crucial points. I also think the lack of NHL pre-season did no good to Granlunds adjustment to the NHL.

 

[ThatGuy22]

This has been said about Granlund before, but just wanted to remind you guys. Granlund played his first SM-Liiga season as a winger because, according to coach Kari Jalonen, they wanted him to get adjusted to SM-Liiga game without that much of a defensive responsibility. After that he returned to play center and eventually centered the first line of IFK who won the championship in 2011.

I think similar solution could have or even should have taken place from the start of the season, would have helped him a lot in adjusting and point producing. Then again this is a lot shorter season than usual, so experimenting could cost some crucial points. I also think the lack of NHL pre-season did no good to Granlunds adjustment to the NHL.

Agreed, I think Granlund's season could have gone a lot better(in the NHL) If they would have attempted to shelter him a little bit, as opposed to starting him on the 2nd line and expected him to be the offensive catalyst for that line from the get go.

Coyle got the chance to play with Koivu and Parise, and while he has certainly come around the last couple weeks and developed into a difference maker, early on he was a passenger on that line. Granlund easily could have done the same thing had he been given the opportunity to be sheltered like that.

 

[Jarick]

So Granlund played C when they won the IFK? He was the #1 center, right? Was he on wing when they won the WC? What line was he on?

 

[ThatGuy22]

So Granlund played C when they won the IFK? He was the #1 center, right? Was he on wing when they won the WC? What line was he on?

If I remember correctly he played wing at the WCs with Jarkko Immonen as the center.

 

[TZM]

Janne Pesonen - Jarkko Immonen - Mikael Granlund

was the line.

And yes, he was the #1 C for HIFK.

 

[Lapa]

He was the #1 center in IFK when they won FEL. He was on our 2nd line in the WC 2011 Championship team with Jarkko Immonen and Janne Pesonen. Immonen was the center.

Granlund-Immonen duo was one of the keys to our championship. Pesonen didn't do much.