Player Discussion Mikko Koivu (Part II)

[TaLoN]

I don't want him to come back too soon and injure it more. If the Wild's medical staff say he's ready sit him for at least 1 more game.

Meh. Again, just a minor MCL sprain. Mikko will likely feel when he's ready himself.

 

[Wabit]

Meh. Again, just a minor MCL sprain. Mikko will likely feel when he's ready himself.

Trusting a hockey player to say when he's ready is worse than trusting the Wild's med staff.

Plus I'd rather keep him away from the CGY game on Sat. I think there will be some carryover shenanigans from the last game.

 

[TaLoN]

Trusting a hockey player to say when he's ready is worse than trusting the Wild's med staff.

Plus I'd rather keep him away from the CGY game on Sat. I think there will be some carryover shenanigans from the last game.

Mikko Koivu isn't Charlie Coyle. There's a reason Koivu hasn't had any injury issues in years. He knows how to stay within himself, and minor MCL sprains are not a big risk to reinjure, especially in hockey. (Unless you think he's going to get a knee on knee again soon, but even a player without this injury would be at the same risk in that situation)

As for carry over, usually the first game after such a game has like zero fireworks because players know the league is paying extra attention.

I don't expect any carry over... THIS time. The next meeting down the road would be more likely.

 

[Wabit]

Mikko Koivu isn't Charlie Coyle. There's a reason Koivu hasn't had any injury issues in years. He knows how to stay within himself, and minor MCL sprains are not a big risk to reinjure, especially in hockey. (Unless you think he's going to get a knee on knee again soon, but even a player without this injury would be at the same risk in that situation)

As for carry over, usually the first game after such a game has like zero fireworks because players know the league is paying extra attention.

I don't expect any carry over... THIS time. The next meeting down the road would be more likely.

If the games were further apart then I'd agree. But with it being just over a week, players just coming off a suspension, and players out injured; one good or bad hit and the 0 fireworks thing is forgotten. CGY does have a Tkachuk that plays the same way as his daddy on their roster.

 

[TaLoN]

If the games were further apart then I'd agree. But with it being just over a week, players just coming off a suspension, and players out injured; one good or bad hit and the 0 fireworks thing is forgotten. CGY does have a Tkachuk that plays the same way as his daddy on their roster.

Still not concerned. The players know the microscope is on them in this one. Seen it too many times, the first meeting even if days later, often is rather bland in altercations and extras.

 

[57special]

I kind of like the sneak preview thing that happens when Koivu is out. Gives us a view of what it's going to be like in the not too distant future.

 

[DANOZ28]

we really don't have any answers for future C needs yet. someday if we lose koivu & staal we be in trouble.

 

[2Pair]

Still not concerned. The players know the microscope is on them in this one. Seen it too many times, the first meeting even if days later, often is rather bland in altercations and extras.

I would expect Foligno to have a chat with Giordano, but he would most likely bitch out. Dumba might be willing to tune Lomberg, if he's still in the league.

 

[SomethingGeneric]

I was actually surprised when I heard 3-4 weeks on a minor MCL sprain in the first place. In the NFL that same injury is usually only 1-2 weeks. Skating is generally easier on the knees than open field cuts while wearing cleats (Bruno finished a season and the playoffs with a known torn ACL, never would happen in a million years in the NFL).

This seems to fit more with what is more typical of minor MCL sprains.

Played with a dude my junior year of high school and he finished the year on a torn acl (-2 months or so) it was his senior year and the doctor said well it's already torn so it can't get worse.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Played with a dude my junior year of high school and he finished the year on a torn acl (-2 months or so) it was his senior year and the doctor said well it's already torn so it can't get worse.

ya, I don't think that's terribly uncomon. Bruno did it one of his final years.

 

[TaLoN]

 

[Wabit]

This shouldn't make me happy but it does. Give the new Parise line a chance against real competition to see how they do. It also takes away the chance that Coyle plays like he's looking over his shoulder. Plus there isn't the safety net of just slotting Koivu back in if things for sideways early in the game. It really would be good to see how both Nino and Coyle respond that happens.

 

[Digitalbooya]

 

[Wild11MN]

Saw there was a new post in this thread and assumed the worst. Bummer.

 

[TaLoN]

Brian Rolston still remembers Koivu’s first day of training camp.

It was September 2005 and the free-agent Rolston walked into the locker room and was greeted by this blonde-haired, 22-year-old rookie with wide, steely blue eyes.

“He was quiet and reserved, respectful of everybody and just had this ‘it’ factor,” said Rolston, who not-so-coincidentally was assigned the stall next to Koivu.

Fast forward, and Koivu’s now in his 15th season, has played alongside 207 different teammates, is the Wild’s all-time leader in several statistical categories, the fourth-longest-serving captain in the NHL and set to become the first Wild player to play 1,000 games with the franchise when Minnesota hosts the Dallas Stars on Sunday afternoon.

In fact, Koivu will become only the 55th NHLer in history to play his first 1,000 games with the same franchise.

Some insight into the Darcy incident early this season... apparently he was smack talking Staal, which Koivu did NOT appreciate!

“You have to respect how much he hates to lose and how much pride he takes in his role as a captain on a team and how much pride he takes on being a captain in the NHL. And the best example, I think, is the way that whole Darcy Kuemper thing just happened in Arizona where he said, ‘Look, there’s a right way and a wrong way to act in this game. We’re struggling right now, and (Kuemper’s) talking smack to guys like Eric Staal, who’s achieved a lot more in this league than Darcy Kuemper has. You just don’t talk to people that way. We know we’re struggling. He’s on a good run right now, so do you want to be a hockey player or do you want to be a donkey?’

 

[Digitalbooya]

"Do you want to be a donkey?"

 

[HwT]

"Do you want to be a donkey?"

Donkey (aasi) is a family friendly slang word for an idiot in Finnish language btw. May be a stronger word in English?

https://www.nhl.com/news/mikko-koivu-to-play-1000th-game-for-minnesota-wild/c-311987196

"When you think Minnesota Wild, the first thing that comes to anybody's mind in the hockey world is [Koivu]," goalie Alex Stalock said. "He's been here, he's had the 'C' on for years now; No. 9, that's what you think of."

It will be hard for me to think of the Wild without Koivu, he is a big reason why the team became my favourites a decade ago. And sadly, fair or not, many will think of the Koivu era as the era of mediocrity. Good enough to win some games but not good enough to win championships. Which is hardly Koivu's fault even though he might be the symbol of that for some people. Hopefully people will instead remember him as a great defensive forward and loyal workhorse when it's time for him to retire (hopefully as a Wild).

 

[TaLoN]

Donkey (aasi) is a family friendly slang word for an idiot in Finnish language btw. May be a stronger word in English?

Polite way to say jackass.

 

[SupremeNachos]

Looking back at the drafts from 00-09 is so frustrating. 00-03 we got good to great players and then 04-08 we may as well have been picking with a blindfold and 09 we didn't even keep the player even though he has put up decent points. Don't know if that would have amounted in winning a cup, but the quality of players missed that could have played with Koivu always makes me a bit sad.

 

[57special]

so happy for him tonight. His line scored all three goals.

 

[TaLoN]

so happy for him tonight. His line scored all three goals.

It was Mikko's day through and through! Couldn't have worked out better! Good to see good things like this to good people too, he's such a class act!

 

[Nsjohnson]

Looking back at the drafts from 00-09 is so frustrating. 00-03 we got good to great players and then 04-08 we may as well have been picking with a blindfold and 09 we didn't even keep the player even though he has put up decent points. Don't know if that would have amounted in winning a cup, but the quality of players missed that could have played with Koivu always makes me a bit sad.

And Koivu knows this. He knows damn well that there was something like five or six years where we literally picked the worst players. Hit on one player in the 1st in those years and hit on one player in the 2nd round in those years, and you have a totally different roster. Imagine a Giroux, N. Foligno, Pacioretty, Perron, Subban, Simmonds, Carlson, Allen, Josi, Nyquist, Brodie.

Obviously what I'm not saying is we could have picked all these guys, but more like, all these guys were in our reach, not off the board and we never picked one of them.

I know drafting is a crapshoot in the end, especially after the 1st round, and especially out of the top 10.

But really, we never, ever, ever picked someone that made any real difference for YEARS. I will say it until I die, it was the league's worst drafting (us) and not getting a single player or draft pick for Gabby that sent us into the fugue state of the league.

At the same time, we paid for FA's and had a roster just good enough 06-08 to make the playoffs, and then lost Gabby for nothing.

So no high picks, no extra picks, nothing. Then it was four years of not making the playoffs. We picked up 3/4 players that would later help us in those years but then unnaturally signed two giant players and contracts which yes helped us immediately, but due to 'win now' mode we made bad trades, had some questionable draft choices, didn't have 1sts in 13 and 17, and look now we are almost in a PO position, ripe to have the 15th pick OA.

 

[SupremeNachos]

And Koivu knows this. He knows damn well that there was something like five or six years where we literally picked the worst players. Hit on one player in the 1st in those years and hit on one player in the 2nd round in those years, and you have a totally different roster. Imagine a Giroux, N. Foligno, Pacioretty, Perron, Subban, Simmonds, Carlson, Allen, Josi, Nyquist, Brodie.

Obviously what I'm not saying is we could have picked all these guys, but more like, all these guys were in our reach, not off the board and we never picked one of them.

I know drafting is a crapshoot in the end, especially after the 1st round, and especially out of the top 10.

But really, we never, ever, ever picked someone that made any real difference for YEARS. I will say it until I die, it was the league's worst drafting (us) and not getting a single player or draft pick for Gabby that sent us into the fugue state of the league.

At the same time, we paid for FA's and had a roster just good enough 06-08 to make the playoffs, and then lost Gabby for nothing.

So no high picks, no extra picks, nothing. Then it was four years of not making the playoffs. We picked up 3/4 players that would later help us in those years but then unnaturally signed two giant players and contracts which yes helped us immediately, but due to 'win now' mode we made bad trades, had some questionable draft choices, didn't have 1sts in 13 and 17, and look now we are almost in a PO position, ripe to have the 15th pick OA.

Giroux and Kopitar are the big ones for me.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Giroux and Kopitar are the big ones for me.

Sheppard and Giroux is an interesting and painful one to look at. I don't really like doing the "we should've picked this guy" thing, but it seems more applicable since we were obviously looking at QMJHL centers and Giroux had much better numbers in the same league in the draft year (103 in 69 vs. 84 in 66). The next year, the production evened out (112 in 63 for Giroux vs. 96 in 56 for Shep). Then, Giroux stays in the Q and explodes (106 in 55 in the regular season, 51 in 19 in the playoffs) while Shep jumps to the NHL and stalls.

 

[SupremeNachos]

Sheppard and Giroux is an interesting and painful one to look at. I don't really like doing the "we should've picked this guy" thing, but it seems more applicable since we were obviously looking at QMJHL centers and Giroux had much better numbers in the same league in the draft year (103 in 69 vs. 84 in 66). The next year, the production evened out (112 in 63 for Giroux vs. 96 in 56 for Shep). Then, Giroux stays in the Q and explodes (106 in 55 in the regular season, 51 in 19 in the playoffs) while Shep jumps to the NHL and stalls.

There is no way we could have kept all 3, but having Kopitar and Koivu as your 1/2 Cs would be in the top 10 for sure.