Speculation: Off Season - Or this is where we say goodbye!

[WildFinn*]

Anyone else like Horton?

Im thinking Rask playing himself to a mega deal, they might let Horton go?

I think they will win so they might be full and maybe not keep everyone around.

Edit. I checked the Bruins boards, they are speculating this also, they want him but it is tight after Rask gets his raise.

 

[rynryn]

i like him but he probably isn't going to be as good as he's looked outside the Boston ecosystem. might be a Penner type situation.

 

[WildFinn*]

i like him but he probably isn't going to be as good as he's looked outside the Boston ecosystem. might be a Penner type situation.

True but we need someone like him.

Parise- Koivu- Pominville

Granlund- Coyle- Horton

Hoping with Granlund but Zucker fits there also.

If Granlund doesnt work with those linemates you can declare him a bust, that is just ideal.

Someone will say Coyle is not a center but Russo is also in the same camp and i dont think he got the idea from these boards.

 

[nickschultzfan]

True but we need someone like him.

Parise- Koivu- Pominville

Granlund- Coyle- Horton

Hoping with Granlund but Zucker fits there also.

If Granlund doesnt work with those linemates you can declare him a bust, that is just ideal.

Someone will say Coyle is not a center but Russo is also in the same camp and i dont think he got the idea from these boards.

I also think Coyle is going to be tried at center. Somebody has to do it and Granlund will probably fit better replacing Bouchard on the team or possibly playing with Koivu.

 

[Jarick]

Whenever I think about Coyle at center, I get a little bit more comfortable with the team. Not that I think he's a #1C to displace Koivu, but because he'd be more competent at that position than any other choices. 1A and 1B I guess.

I would love for Granlund to become the next Datsyuk, but I think it's far more likely Coyle becomes the next David Backes, hopefully with a little more consistency.

Coyle ~ 30-30
Koivu ~ 15-50

 

[nickschultzfan]

Whenever I think about Coyle at center, I get a little bit more comfortable with the team. Not that I think he's a #1C to displace Koivu, but because he'd be more competent at that position than any other choices. 1A and 1B I guess.

I would love for Granlund to become the next Datsyuk, but I think it's far more likely Coyle becomes the next David Backes, hopefully with a little more consistency.

Coyle ~ 30-30
Koivu ~ 15-50

As much as I want Granlund to work out as a center, he might be better used if molded to be like the next Patrick Kane. They have comparable abilities, although Kane's main attribute is his confidence, which is why he's a star.

 

[WildFinn*]

As much as I want Granlund to work out as a center, he might be better used if molded to be like the next Patrick Kane. They have comparable abilities, although Kane's main attribute is his confidence, which is why he's a star.

And skating, he needs speed, i hope that is his priority.

Granlund does not need power more or hit anything, i dont think Kane is very strong but he is elusive.

In the wing Granlund has always performed best, he needs at least one big body in the same line.

 

[DeuceMN]

I've liked the idea of basically swapping Granlund and Coyle's roles for a while. I'm glad the idea is warming to more people these days.

Their skillsets just seem to fit those particular roles better, as well as their builds for the most part.

I think Coyle is going to turn into a solid and reliable player for us.

I believe Granlund still has the potential to be an extraordinary player in this league. He has an amazing combination of skills; he just needs to develop them a bit more, put on a bit more muscle, and gain a bit more of that confidence back that he once had. I also believe he will do this.

I have a concern in regards to Yeo, in that Granlund should not be out there constantly grinding away and body checking guys. He is just going to get hurt doing that. Granlund would be best used as a sneaky, scoring and playmaking threat. He needs some complimentary guys that will do the grinding, like Coyle.

I also hope Yeo pulls his head out of his ass about this whole excessive dump and chase notion that he is stuck on. If you watch all the teams that have succeeded, even in the post season, they are very puck-control dependent. Hell, just look at Boston, which is a team we are trying to emulate to a degree: they pretty much always cross the blue line and maintain control. Granlund would be very good for this play style; Koivu as well is pretty good at playing this way.

 

[FVM]

And skating, he needs speed, i hope that is his priority.

Granlund does not need power more or hit anything, i dont think Kane is very strong but he is elusive.

In the wing Granlund has always performed best, he needs at least one big body in the same line.

I don't think Granlund will ever really become an elusive skater. I think it's an underrated skill, as is skating in general. Mikke already improved his speed and is now NHL average in that department, I'd say. I don't see much room to grow there at 21 years of age. It seems he is now especially focused on getting stronger which is wise as there he has potential. He is a naturally stocky build so he should be able to hold his own on the board battles when he grows into his "man body". He has the right attitude and great work ethic so I'm confident it won't be an issue much longer. His stocky build also prevents him from ever being a ballerina on the ice so it's wiser to concentrate on things where he has room to grow. Kane is a skinny build, those type of guys can dance around on the ice.

I'm sure the confidence will come back when he finds out he can do his thing in the NHL too. I remember when he played with supreme confidence the whole year 2011 pretty much, and he looked unstoppable at times.

 

[Jarick]

I don't think Granlund will ever really become an elusive skater. I think it's an underrated skill, as is skating in general. Mikke already improved his speed and is now NHL average in that department, I'd say. I don't see much room to grow there at 21 years of age. It seems he is now especially focused on getting stronger which is wise as there he has potential. He is a naturally stocky build so he should be able to hold his own on the board battles when he grows into his "man body". He has the right attitude and great work ethic so I'm confident it won't be an issue much longer. His stocky build also prevents him from ever being a ballerina on the ice so it's wiser to concentrate on things where he has room to grow. Kane is a skinny build, those type of guys can dance around on the ice.

I'm sure the confidence will come back when he finds out he can do his thing in the NHL too. I remember when he played with supreme confidence the whole year 2011 pretty much, and he looked unstoppable at times.

I agree 100% that Granlund's skating has and will hold him back, although I don't think it's his build.

Skating is something that just cannot be overrated in the NHL. Granlund's lack of success is almost completely that his skating is below average for NHL players and well below average for skilled players.

Kane is one of the most elusive players on the ice but also has the speed and puck skills, that's why he's so dangerous. Datsyuk is incredibly agile and does have above average speed. If you are undersized, you HAVE to be above average in terms of speed and agility. Otherwise you are a Pierre Marc Bouchard, just a hair too slow to be a breakout star and prone to injury.

Look at the success of Brodin this past year, obviously he's extremely high hockey IQ and has crazy amounts of composure on the ice, but it's his skating that allows him to get to the puck first, defend 1-on-1, skate the puck out of trouble, catch up on the backcheck, etc.

Granlund has ELITE hand-eye coordination and puck skills with above average wrist shots and creativity. But he has below average speed. His ceiling IMO is PMB unless he somehow finds a way to improve that skating dramatically. Something like a second or third line winger who needs to be paired with a faster two-way forward who can crash the net and draw defenders.

 

[WildFinn*]

I agree 100% that Granlund's skating has and will hold him back, although I don't think it's his build.

Skating is something that just cannot be overrated in the NHL. Granlund's lack of success is almost completely that his skating is below average for NHL players and well below average for skilled players.

Kane is one of the most elusive players on the ice but also has the speed and puck skills, that's why he's so dangerous. Datsyuk is incredibly agile and does have above average speed. If you are undersized, you HAVE to be above average in terms of speed and agility. Otherwise you are a Pierre Marc Bouchard, just a hair too slow to be a breakout star and prone to injury.

Look at the success of Brodin this past year, obviously he's extremely high hockey IQ and has crazy amounts of composure on the ice, but it's his skating that allows him to get to the puck first, defend 1-on-1, skate the puck out of trouble, catch up on the backcheck, etc.

Granlund has ELITE hand-eye coordination and puck skills with above average wrist shots and creativity. But he has below average speed. His ceiling IMO is PMB unless he somehow finds a way to improve that skating dramatically. Something like a second or third line winger who needs to be paired with a faster two-way forward who can crash the net and draw defenders.

+1

And not just speed but changing directions and turning fast, if he tries only to get stronger he will just be slower..

The mistakes have been made in Finland but Wild maybe should have stepped in after the draft.

I think he came to the NA a year too late but there is still time to fix it.

I wonder how Phillips has been doing with improving his skating?

Huberdau won the Calder and Phillips was not that far behind in the last level they played.

I hope Wild knows what they are doing with these kids.

 

[Gaps]

Right now I don't have much confidence in Coyle becoming a center in the long-term, but we might as well try it if Cullen walks. It's not like we have many better (realistic) options.

 

[WildFinn*]

I've liked the idea of basically swapping Granlund and Coyle's roles for a while. I'm glad the idea is warming to more people these days.

Their skillsets just seem to fit those particular roles better, as well as their builds for the most part.

I think Coyle is going to turn into a solid and reliable player for us.

I believe Granlund still has the potential to be an extraordinary player in this league. He has an amazing combination of skills; he just needs to develop them a bit more, put on a bit more muscle, and gain a bit more of that confidence back that he once had. I also believe he will do this.

I have a concern in regards to Yeo, in that Granlund should not be out there constantly grinding away and body checking guys. He is just going to get hurt doing that. Granlund would be best used as a sneaky, scoring and playmaking threat. He needs some complimentary guys that will do the grinding, like Coyle.

I also hope Yeo pulls his head out of his ass about this whole excessive dump and chase notion that he is stuck on. If you watch all the teams that have succeeded, even in the post season, they are very puck-control dependent. Hell, just look at Boston, which is a team we are trying to emulate to a degree: they pretty much always cross the blue line and maintain control. Granlund would be very good for this play style; Koivu as well is pretty good at playing this way.

This!

Im not sure what he thinks he will be???

Why didnt they trade him and keep Larsson if this is what they want??

 

[WildFinn*]

Right now I don't have much confidence in Coyle becoming a center in the long-term, but we might as well try it if Cullen walks. It's not like we have many better (realistic) options.

Its just about trying it out, if it does not work nothing is lost.

 

[FVM]

I agree 100% that Granlund's skating has and will hold him back, although I don't think it's his build.

Skating is something that just cannot be overrated in the NHL. Granlund's lack of success is almost completely that his skating is below average for NHL players and well below average for skilled players.

I don't mean his build limits his skating in itself, it limits his elusiveness. I would say Granlund's straight line speed is average in NHL, but his agility and balance are below average. That is the problem and that limits his ultimate ceiling as I don't think he can dramatically improve those qualities.

Kane is one of the most elusive players on the ice but also has the speed and puck skills, that's why he's so dangerous. Datsyuk is incredibly agile and does have above average speed. If you are undersized, you HAVE to be above average in terms of speed and agility. Otherwise you are a Pierre Marc Bouchard, just a hair too slow to be a breakout star and prone to injury.

I agree that it's vital to be a good skater when you're a small skill player. I think Granlund has enough speed to succeed, agility and elusiveness will remain a bit doubtful. But he can get a lot stronger and he has the hockey IQ to make up for skating deficiencies in some capacity. Of course he needs to get better accustomed to North American game.

Look at the success of Brodin this past year, obviously he's extremely high hockey IQ and has crazy amounts of composure on the ice, but it's his skating that allows him to get to the puck first, defend 1-on-1, skate the puck out of trouble, catch up on the backcheck, etc.

Granlund has ELITE hand-eye coordination and puck skills with above average wrist shots and creativity. But he has below average speed. His ceiling IMO is PMB unless he somehow finds a way to improve that skating dramatically. Something like a second or third line winger who needs to be paired with a faster two-way forward who can crash the net and draw defenders.

Brodin is a great example of how hockey IQ and skating together is a killer combo.

I disagree with PMB as Granlund's ceiling. First of all Granlund is a lot more willing to go into corners and drive to the net. Second, I think he'll become stronger and more physical than Bouchard. Third, he has that "it factor" which is so hard to define but can be seen on the ice. World Championships this year were very reassuring to me: in the big games he rose up to the occasion and carried the play, like in the good old times. Back when his hype reached the high water mark his ceiling was thought to be a PPG or more. Now I think his lack of skating skill will hold him down, but I still believe he can become a very good player. A player with 20-50 type of seasons in his prime. Whether that is on wing or center will left to be seen. But for a 9th overall pick that would be a very good impact.

 

[Lapa]

If Briere is bought out, wouldn't mind if the Wild tried signing him.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Patrick Kane is actually so elusive because he is more quick than fast. He's not a burner like Sharp, or even Hossa. He's got decent top-end speed, but he normally doesn't need to go there.

Rather, he's very shifty, and he actually has really good core strength that allows him to get body position to where he can use his hands.

 

[WildFinn*]

Patrick Kane is actually so elusive because he is more quick than fast. He's not a burner like Sharp, or even Hossa. He's got decent top-end speed, but he normally doesn't need to go there.

Rather, he's very shifty, and he actually has really good core strength that allows him to get body position to where he can use his hands.

Very well put, this is what is missing in Finland often.
Kekäläinen started some project over this in Jokerit before he moved to Columbus.

Im convinced that Finland is behind is learning skating and conditioning the young players.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

I'd love the Wild to get him. I have always liked him, even if he took longer to develop and did not turn out to good as I thought he would when he was drafted.

Have not been following a lot of the free agency stuff so he may be out of the Wild's price range but I know GMCF has always liked him.

As much as I enjoyed Cullen over the short season...and his mentorship of Zucker...I'd rather have Weiss as the 2nd C.

No opinions on any trades or free agents for D. Think 2nd C (gotta have more than one line going next year), a more experienced shutdown D for Spurg, and obviously a starting goalie are crucial. I am hoping Backs comes back for a year or two until Kuemper and Gustaffson platoon in out. Yes, I do think Kuemper and Gustaffson both of NHL starter potential.

Parise-Koivu-Coyle
Zucker-Weiss-Pominville
Setoguchi-Brodziak-Clutter
Rupp-Z-Mitchell


Still don't see Granlund as being ready. If he demonstrates differently in camp and preseason, then I am fine. But nothing should be given to him this time.

 

[nickschultzfan]

I say sign Roy to a short-term deal and go with him and Coyle as the 2nd line center.

Seto-Roy-Pominville could be a decent 2nd line.

 

[mnwildgophers]

With Streit being signed in Philly, that means 2 things...the UFA D-corp is that much thinner, however, it also means that Bryzgalov is likely released into the goalie pool. I'm starting to think that we have a lot of flexibility in goal.

 

[WildFinn*]

I would still look at Lydman and Scuderi, they come at 3 mil range and really might do good paired with Gilbert.

Looking at the Streit deal i say lets take them both.

 

[Fel 96]

RE: Healtey and buyout

@Spicoli3 can't be bought out. Read tomorrow's paper

http://twitter.com/Russostrib/status/346764477154344960

RE: Gilbert and buyout

@tyjohn47 more so fact Heatley can't be

http://twitter.com/Russostrib/status/346764961869078529

 

[mnwildgophers]

Well that would be rather rough if we can't buy out Heatley because we would probably have to add to a deal to get a team to take him. I wonder if a team would trade us a conditional 7th or something like that for him to get to the floor since he can still be a threat on the PP.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Well that would be rather rough if we can't buy out Heatley because we would probably have to add to a deal to get a team to take him. I wonder if a team would trade us a conditional 7th or something like that for him to get to the floor since he can still be a threat on the PP.

Crap if we can't buy out Heatley, that means we are getting some nightmare contract back that is either a position of need or somebody we can buyout.