Minnesota Wild General Discussion Part VII

[Lapa]

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[Nsjohnson]

I just keep trying to imagine what this team looks like if Koivu and Dumba are out there right now.

 

[57special]

I wonder if Ek looks less good. He might never be a scoring demon, but i do like they way he is starting to play out there. Shades of a young Mikko.

 

[BigT2002]

I wonder if Ek looks less good. He might never be a scoring demon, but i do like they way he is starting to play out there. Shades of a young Mikko.

I would like to see what he could do in a Top 6 role. At some point the team HAS to move on from Koivu doing anything other than being a defensive-minded center.

 

[SupremeNachos]

I would like to see what he could do in a Top 6 role. At some point the team HAS to move on from Koivu doing anything other than being a defensive-minded center.

I like how assertive he has become since MK went down. He always seems to float around unsure of what to do most of the time.

 

[AKL]

I would like to see what he could do in a Top 6 role. At some point the team HAS to move on from Koivu doing anything other than being a defensive-minded center.

That’ll be when Ek proves he can play at a relatively significantly higher level offensively than Koivu. If that ever happens. Or if Kunin can do it at center. Koivu will be a top 6 guy on this team until he’s replaced.

 

[2Pair]

That’ll be when Ek proves he can play at a relatively significantly higher level offensively than Koivu. If that ever happens. Or if Kunin can do it at center. Koivu will be a top 6 guy on this team until he’s replaced.

Kunin is really struggling at center. Too bad because he was just starting to get things going at wing.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

That’ll be when Ek proves he can play at a relatively significantly higher level offensively than Koivu. If that ever happens. Or if Kunin can do it at center. Koivu will be a top 6 guy on this team until he’s replaced.

Go run the 5v5 numbers, the shots and shot attempts. He's there. Koivu's days as an offensive threat were short-lived and they are over.

 

[AKL]

Go run the 5v5 numbers, the shots and shot attempts. He's there. Koivu's days as an offensive threat were short-lived and they are over.

Oh wow, shots and shot attempts. They determine who wins games with those stats now? How could I have been so blind.

Ek’s “torrid” pace recently amounts to 35 points over a full season if he can manage to keep it up. Koivu had 29 after 48 games (on pace for 50).

You’re really going to sit here and tell me Ek has passed Koivu up?

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Oh wow, shots and shot attempts. They determine who wins games with those stats now? How could I have been so blind.

Ek’s “torrid” pace recently amounts to 35 points over a full season if he can manage to keep it up. Koivu had 29 after 48 games (on pace for 50).

You’re really going to sit here and tell me Ek has passed Koivu up?

When he starts getting pp time, he will. He does just about as much with his ice-time - and again he played zero minutes with Granlund - as Koivu. Koivu is still the better player, sure. But the gap is not large and it is closing - especially since we don't know what Koivu will be IF he plays next season. It's no disrespect to say that Koivu's in the end of his career, while JEE's is just beginning. And if you can watch these games and not feel optimistic well I feel bad for you - seek help.

 

[MuckOG]

What's been shown is that for Ek to take the next step in his development, he needs top 6 minutes....meaning Koivu's ice time will need to be reduced. It might be a moot point anyways because there's no guarantee that Mikko will be ready to play at the start of next season.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

I just looked up stats - I had forgotten Mikko had a 71 point season (long time ago).

 

[Bazeek]

I just looked up stats - I had forgotten Mikko had a 71 point season (long time ago).

Back when his wingers were Brunette and Miettinen (and maybe Havlat/Latendresse, though I don't remember him playing with them much). What a waste.

 

[57special]

Koivu was a terrific player at one time, and is still a very useful one. I'm hoping that Ek can develop a bit better puck skills so he can become Koivu v2, and see some PP TOI. He's already good defensively, and I think his FO skills will improve.

 

[Wild11MN]

Back when his wingers were Brunette and Miettinen (and maybe Havlat/Latendresse, though I don't remember him playing with them much). What a waste.

Latendresse was awesome. Wish he never caught the injury bug.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

Latendresse was awesome. Wish he never caught the injury bug.

Man - I forgot about him, too! That dude was a beast in front of the net. Was so disappointed when he left.

 

[TaLoN]

Latendresse was awesome. Wish he never caught the injury bug.

Or do you mean the fat and lazy offseason bug that caused his injuries in the first place?

Talented player that never wanted to do the off ice work to keep in shape.

 

[Wild11MN]

Or do you mean the fat and lazy offseason bug that caused his injuries in the first place?

Talented player that never wanted to do the off ice work to keep in shape.

Or the six concussions in three years?

 

[DeagleJenkins]

So with our current Forward depth, what would you do trade wise?

LW: Zucker, Greenway, Parise, Donato, Fiala, Foligno
RW: Kunin, Aberg, Brown
C: Staal, Koivu(?), Ek, Fehr, Rask

i understand we can play some left wings on the right side but that looks like a massive log jam.

 

[TaLoN]

Or the six concussions in three years?

His first full season in Minnesota, he played only 11 games because of hip, groin and hernia issues, two of which required surgery. The concussion issues happened his second full season in Minnesota, after already missing games due to groin issues again.

So, you say 6 concussions over 3 years like that's what did him in, but no it wasn't. He missed over 90% of his games already due to being out of shape and getting injured because of it. The concussions started late in his time here after it was clear when when called out by management/ ownership that he didn't care to try to put in the work in the first place.

The concussions his last season here were just icing on the cake that he was going to be gone when his contract ended after the season.

He had such a promising start after the trade in the season prior to those two... only to have Montreal's gripes about him show to be true.

 

[Wild11MN]

His first full season in Minnesota, he played only 11 games because of hip, groin and hernia issues, two of which required surgery. The concussion issues happened his second full season in Minnesota, after already missing games due to groin issues again.

So, you say 6 concussions over 3 years like that's what did him in, but no it wasn't. He missed over 90% of his games already due to being out of shape and getting injured because of it. The concussions started late in his time here after it was clear when when called out by management/ ownership that he didn't care to try to put in the work in the first place.

The concussions his last season here were just icing on the cake that he was going to be gone when his contract ended after the season.

He had such a promising start after the trade in the season prior to those two... only to have Montreal's gripes about him show to be true.

Blame whatever you want, I don't really care. He was a great player and fun to watch when healthy. That's really all I care about at this point.

 

[TaLoN]

Blame whatever you want, I don't really care. He was a great player and fun to watch when healthy. That's really all I care about at this point.

I agree, he was a good player when healthy... even Montreal thought so, I was just pointing out that his health issues were his own fault, not some unlucky thing like Tyler Cuma and his knee injuries.

That's why his career fizzled, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[BigT2002]

I hate this team so much sometimes. Just when you think they are doing something to leverage the draft to try and get younger/faster/better, they go out and basically beat 3 of the Top 10 teams on the road and take it to a shootout against another Top 10 team on a Home/Home.

Unreal...

 

[Engebretson]

I hate this team so much sometimes. Just when you think they are doing something to leverage the draft to try and get younger/faster/better, they go out and basically beat 3 of the Top 10 teams on the road and take it to a shootout against another Top 10 team on a Home/Home.

Unreal...

Yeah, I'd agree that being shutout twice at home by the Ducks and then shutting out the Lightning in their own barn does cause a whirlwind of emotions and confusion.

 

[Digitalbooya]

So with our current Forward depth, what would you do trade wise?

LW: Zucker, Greenway, Parise, Donato, Fiala, Foligno
RW: Kunin, Aberg, Brown
C: Staal, Koivu(?), Ek, Fehr, Rask

i understand we can play some left wings on the right side but that looks like a massive log jam.

Looking at this depth chart it’s pretty clear to me we need more left wingers. I just don’t think we have enough.