Value of: Mikael Granlund

[biturbo19]

You are a bit harsch on his two-way game. I don't know if it is your intent, but to me it sounds a bit like you think that Boudreau let Granlund cherry pick and not pull his weight. Granlund always pulls his weight and is a good team player, several interviews with team mates and coaches attest to that.

I think he is more reliant on finding a place where he feels at home and can build up his confidence again, because if we disregard from lacking chemistry with his linemates in Nashville.. Then what we can see of his play of late is that he does not have that same confidence to do his cheeky moves and try creative things with the puck. His work in the corners was worse the last season, maybe because he has always picked odd ways of getting it out of there, akin to Tomi Kallio who in his brief career with the thrashers was one of the league's best at getting the puck out of the corner without being a physical player.

I think Mikael can still be a 55-70 point player in the NHL. But I do think he needs to be more confident in his ability. Being traded in such a crucial part of his life for sure must have rattled his confidence.

It's not so much that i think "Boudreau just let Granlund cherrypick and do whatever to get points" or that he's purely a "floater". So much as, i think...probably kinda party to the point you're making about things like his work in the corners and puck retrieval. Some systems (Boudreau's specifically in this case) seem to suit players like that more than others, and place more of the defensive burden on the pivot. Some coaches are far more rigid in the way they want a forecheck to happen...some are more flexible to interpretation. Some allow for more freelancing, others demand a more tactical or physical approach. Same goes for defensive zone play, where some systems are more permissive of "creative" backchecking and positioning on a breakout, while others might lean more on just staying in your lane and muscling it out on the wall when called upon, or just making the "safe play".

It's kind of hyperbole...but Granlund's career has kinda shown that he might be one of those weird, very talented players...who is very scheme and chemistry dependent. Hockey is a team game, and ultimately just "trying hard" isn't always enough, if the demands aren't something the play can do well, or are counter to what the player wants to do. The physical tools just aren't there with Granlund to play the way a lot of coaches want their wingers to. Like you sort of alluded to...his whole game is pretty much built around finding "creative" solutions and freelancing a bit. Which has been a bit of a hallmark of Boudreau teams and various wingers through the years.

 

[Stickpucker]

Am I missing something. This is a granlund thread.

I quoted someone talking about Hanifin but looks like it got removed and my msg got edits.

 

[Didalee Hed]

The Penguins should but won't sign him.

Zucker-Crosby-Granlund
Guentzel-Malkin-Rust

Would be a glorious top 6 as that Malkin line was unstoppable for a long stint last year and Zucker-Granlund have a documented chemistry.

Instead our GM signed a couple contracts off the trash heap that won't contribute much, if anything. We'd also face the hurdle of Sid giving up Guentzel which seems to be impossible unless he's hurt.

Imagine whining about a GM who has brought you two cups. Ingrate.

 

[Flying Dego]

Imagine whining about a GM who has brought you two cups. Ingrate.

Imagine blindly accepting your GM's moves when they have been erratic the past several years. JR helped construct good teams but let's not act like he is to be put on a pedestal.

If you made a 'let's rank GMs' how high is Mr. Rutherford currently?

 

[DingDongCharlie]

he actually turned it up pretty nice the 2nd half of last season so not real sure what you mean

Under a often criticized coach in Hynes no less.

 

[Brett44]

In a dream world Avs can have a good 3rd line a Finnish line

Granlund Haula Donskoi

JTC and Cole for 7th pick

 

[Armourboy]

Under a often criticized coach in Hynes no less.

Yeah but he was a no show for the playoffs. I think if anyone had any real confidence in his play he would have already been signed.

 

[teravaineSAROS]

Yeah but he was a no show for the playoffs. I think if anyone had any real confidence in his play he would have already been signed.

He's usually over-performed in the playoffs for the Wild and for Team Finland. For whatever reason he's just been a different player since joining Nashville, no idea if there's a correlation there or if something else is going on.


Edit:
This could be it:

It's kind of hyperbole...but Granlund's career has kinda shown that he might be one of those weird, very talented players...who is very scheme and chemistry dependent. Hockey is a team game, and ultimately just "trying hard" isn't always enough, if the demands aren't something the play can do well, or are counter to what the player wants to do. The physical tools just aren't there with Granlund to play the way a lot of coaches want their wingers to. Like you sort of alluded to...his whole game is pretty much built around finding "creative" solutions and freelancing a bit. Which has been a bit of a hallmark of Boudreau teams and various wingers through the years.