Minnesota Wild General Discussion IV

[AKL]

I’d like to see

Zucker-Staal-Granlund
Parise-Ek-Niederreiter
Greenway-Koivu-Coyle

I don’t know that I love Greenway in the NHL on the third line, but I know I hate Foligno there.

Also I’m assuming Ek takes a big step forward offensively here, and we’ll go back to having “two second lines” like we did with Haula.

I also at the same time don’t really care about who plays on whose wing, I just would like to roll three scoring lines if we can.

 

[Wabit]

I do wonder if he plays with Ek just because it makes sense to spread out your defensively sound veterans. Rather than having a potential Foligno-Ek-Coyle line. I’m spitballing. I’m sure line combinations will be tweaked as the season goes.

Who isn't a defensively sound that's back from last year's team? I'm curious.

 

[AKL]

Who isn't a defensively sound that's back from last year's team? I'm curious.

You’re right, Coyle, Zucker and Nino are all defensively sound. What I meant by it was that Parise is the best, as well as most experienced guy who can help Ek the most.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

You’re right, Coyle, Zucker and Nino are all defensively sound. What I meant by it was that Parise is the best, as well as most experienced guy who can help Ek the most.

I'd love to see a Parise-JEE-Coyle line and I think it could have success.

Zucker-Staal-Granlund
Greenway-Koivu-Nino
Parise-JEE-Coyle
Foligno-Fehr-Brown

and/or an amazing acquisition

 

[Wabit]

You’re right, Coyle, Zucker and Nino are all defensively sound. What I meant by it was that Parise is the best, as well as most experienced guy who can help Ek the most.

Parise needs someone that will get him the puck to be the most effective. JEE isn't that guy imo.
Nino is the guy that makes his line better wherever he is, and he's thrived on the 3rd line in the past.
Coyle would be nice to have with JEE because of FOs and he's played quite a bit of center and can point out where things went right and wrong on a shift by shift basis.
Foligno seemed to have some chemistry with JEE at the end of the season. Sometimes that's more important than skill on a line.
Greenway I don't want with JEE. I'm just afraid it'll end up making JEE ultra conservative to try and cover for any mistakes. I want JEE to become a more offensive oriented Koivu, not a more defensive oriented Koivu.

This is all just on paper, things can/will change once camp starts.

 

[nickschultzfan]

I would like to see a Greenway-JEE-Kunin line in Iowa for a year. Just let those guys work through every speed bump and develop some real chemistry. Then bring them up together.

 

[Mickey the mouse]

I would like to see a Greenway-JEE-Kunin line in Iowa for a year. Just let those guys work through every speed bump and develop some real chemistry. Then bring them up together.

There's a really good chance that you will get to see that.

Fenton loves to keep guys down in minors

 

[2Pair]

There's a really good chance that you will get to see that.

Fenton loves to keep guys down in minors

Unless Fenton is able to trade a Brodin or Spurgeon for a couple of forwards, I don't see any chance that all 3 of those guys are in Iowa. I would expect 2 of the 3 to be with the big club to start the year.

 

[AKL]

There's a really good chance that you will get to see that.

Fenton loves to keep guys down in minors

Unless Ek is worse than he was last year or gets injured, there is a 0% chance he spends any meaningful time in Iowa

 

[nickschultzfan]

Zucker - Staal - Granlund
Parise - Coyle - Nino

As a top 6. Would like to see that. Let Koivu handle the bottom 6.

 

[Dickie Dunn]

I'd love to see a Parise-JEE-Coyle line and I think it could have success.

Zucker-Staal-Granlund
Greenway-Koivu-Nino
Parise-JEE-Coyle
Foligno-Fehr-Brown

and/or an amazing acquisition

That 2nd line looks slow to me but i’m not sure any of these combinations dont result in one line looking slow.

 

[Wabit]

Zucker - Staal - Granlund
Parise - Coyle - Nino

As a top 6. Would like to see that. Let Koivu handle the bottom 6.

What has Coyle done to earn a top-6 "C" over Koivu? Coyle's not in the same league defensively, and that's what the 2nd line's job is to go against the other teams best on a shift by shift basis. Coyle gets late game shifts in close games because he's a RHS and can take FO's so Koivu doesn't have to on his weakhand side.

If he takes a center spot in the top-6 it'll be Staal's scoring line role.

 

[nickschultzfan]

What has Coyle done to earn a top-6 "C" over Koivu? Coyle's not in the same league defensively, and that's what the 2nd line's job is to go against the other teams best on a shift by shift basis. Coyle gets late game shifts in close games because he's a RHS and can take FO's so Koivu doesn't have to on his weakhand side.

If he takes a center spot in the top-6 it'll be Staal's scoring line role.

What has Coyle done to earn a top-6 "C" over Koivu? Coyle's not in the same league defensively, and that's what the 2nd line's job is to go against the other teams best on a shift by shift basis. Coyle gets late game shifts in close games because he's a RHS and can take FO's so Koivu doesn't have to on his weakhand side.

If he takes a center spot in the top-6 it'll be Staal's scoring line role.

Coyle deserves a shot because he is still in his prime, and Koivu is not. He may yet still grow, where Koivu is known.

 

[Wabit]

Coyle deserves a shot because he is still in his prime, and Koivu is not. He may yet still grow, where Koivu is known.

Coyle "deserves" nothing. He needs to "earn" everything.

Swap Brodin for Coyle and Suter for Koivu in your statement... Same logic.

 

[HollaHaula]

Looking at these free agent "signings," it's like our GM is the second coming of Bob Murray. Not expecting much of a change in results for next season compared to last.

 

[2Pair]

Zucker - Staal - Granlund
Parise - Coyle - Nino

As a top 6. Would like to see that. Let Koivu handle the bottom 6.

What's your 3rd line?

 

[Wild11MN]

Looking at these free agent "signings," it's like our GM is the second coming of Bob Murray. Not expecting much of a change in results for next season compared to last.

Who did you expect them to sign? The market was not great for FAs.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

That 2nd line looks slow to me but i’m not sure any of these combinations dont result in one line looking slow.

All you have to do is play fast. I'm surprised they didn't kick the tires on a guy like Jason Chimera over Hendrickson or Fehr. Cap is so tight for the Wild but I wouldn't be surprised if they considered a Coyle for Hagelin deal or signing Toby Rieder. Just a little more north-south speed.

 

[gphr513]

Who did you expect them to sign? The market was not great for FAs.

Yeah other than Tavares this doesn't seem like a great UFA crop.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Zucker - Staal - Granlund
Nino/Parise - Koivu - Coyle
Parise/Nino - Eriksson Ek - X
Foligno - Fehr - Brown - Hendricks

I'd have Anas in the driver's seat for the #3 RW spot. Doesn't mean he'd take hold of it, but if you want to talk about "earning" a spot, I think 61 points in 70 games earns him a shot.

I fully expect Greenway or Kunin in that spot though.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Coyle "deserves" nothing. He needs to "earn" everything.

Swap Brodin for Coyle and Suter for Koivu in your statement... Same logic.

Imagine you have 2 employees. One has been with you longer and is older. The other less. The older one has had great success in driving sales, but less so recently. The other one you maybe had great promise for, but he's kind of been somewhat disappointing, never reaching his potential. Your problem is that you have a really important potential client that you have tried to bring in as a customer for years and years, and you have always brought along the older employee in your pitches. And you have always been unsuccessful.

So, you try to get a 3rd employee, but you cannot.

Now, that potential client has just granted you another dinner together.

At what point do you say "what the heck, I'm going to bring the kid, even though he may flop worst than my older guy, because something has to change"?

 

[nickschultzfan]

What's your 3rd line?

I admit it's going to be a little scary at first, but I would try Koivu with Foligno and Anas, and Rau also in the mix.

Because if we don't do a big trade, then my goal would be development. Coyle at center. Nino given a chance to rebound in the top-6. JEE, Greenway, and Kunin in Iowa being top dogs and lots of PP time.

 

[2Pair]

I admit it's going to be a little scary at first, but I would try Koivu with Foligno and Anas, and Rau also in the mix.

Because if we don't do a big trade, then my goal would be development. Coyle at center. Nino given a chance to rebound in the top-6. JEE, Greenway, and Kunin in Iowa being top dogs and lots of PP time.

So, you want to match up against other teams best lines with Foligno and Anas? Yeah, might want to rethink that one.

 

[nickschultzfan]

So, you want to match up against other teams best lines with Foligno and Anas? Yeah, might want to rethink that one.

Depends on the match-up.

Wild have been running their 2nd line as their shut-down line for the last 2 seasons. So it's not like we'd be breaking up some awesome checking 3rd line that the Wild have.

 

[Wabit]

Imagine you have 2 employees. One has been with you longer and is older. The other less. The older one has had great success in driving sales, but less so recently. The other one you maybe had great promise for, but he's kind of been somewhat disappointing, never reaching his potential. Your problem is that you have a really important potential client that you have tried to bring in as a customer for years and years, and you have always brought along the older employee in your pitches. And you have always been unsuccessful.

So, you try to get a 3rd employee, but you cannot.

Now, that potential client has just granted you another dinner together.

At what point do you say "what the heck, I'm going to bring the kid, even though he may flop worst than my older guy, because something has to change"?

What does this have to do with hockey? I'm really having a hard time drawing a parallel between the two.

I can't really can't agree, disagree, of make a valid argument either way here. You're way beyond anything I know anything about here. I'm just smiling, nodding, and wondering if I'm too old to join Space Force.

Throw me a bone here. I'm the guy that works with my hands and builds/fixes things with tools. I'm pretty sure my idea of a business dinner would involve boobies and beer at the local strip club.