Player Discussion Ryan Donato

[nickschultzfan]

He should be rounding out his game playing 20 minutes a night in Iowa. His weaknesses - puck protection, defense, and skating - are the very skills that the AHL is great at bringing out of young players.

 

[57special]

He needs to find that offensive drive that he had last year. I'd love for the team to get that in general. Our forwards aren't the most skilled, and there isn't much they can do about that, but they can control how much they drive the net and get into scoring areas. Too often I see them hanging around the perimeter, though Ek, Foligno, Zucker, and Greenway are doing a decent job in that regard. A healthy/ younger Parise was a master at it.

Donato seems to be trying to be a better two way player, but it might be at the expense of his offense. Either that, or he just isn't that good.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Why the he wasn't Donato sent down to the AHL and someone like Dumont kept up?

 

[Wabit]

Why the he wasn't Donato sent down to the AHL and someone like Dumont kept up?

Donato would have to pass though waivers now.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Donato would have to pass though waivers now.

He is but earlier in the season he wouldn't.

 

[Wabit]

He is but earlier in the season he wouldn't.

They had a lot of FWD injuries so they almost had to play him.

 

[thestonedkoala]

They had a lot of FWD injuries so they almost had to play him.

Dumont. Anas. We had other players in the AHL we could call up.

 

[Wabit]

Dumont. Anas. We had other players in the AHL we could call up.

Dumont was already up. Anas is worse than Donato at defense and puck protection.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Dumont was already up. Anas is worse than Donato at defense and puck protection.

Bitten. Hell put Hunt at forward and call up a defenseman.

Also Kyle Rau has some experience in the NHL.

 

[Wabit]

Bitten. Hell put Hunt at forward and call up a defenseman.

Also Kyle Rau has some experience in the NHL.

Donato is better than anyone they can call up from the AHL. He has some flaws in his game, yes, but he still gave the Wild the best chance to win games.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Donato is better than anyone they can call up from the AHL. He has some flaws in his game, yes, but he still gave the Wild the best chance to win games.

That's like saying losing a toe is better than losing a finger. At this point, we're quibbling over bottom 6 forwards. Mayhew hasn't been terrible. Who knows, Bitten or Rau might have helped. Hell Rau is a center as well. Who knows how well he might have fit in on the bottom 6.

 

[AKL]

That's like saying losing a toe is better than losing a finger. At this point, we're quibbling over bottom 6 forwards. Mayhew hasn't been terrible. Who knows, Bitten or Rau might have helped. Hell Rau is a center as well. Who knows how well he might have fit in on the bottom 6.

Donato is a better player than those guys.

And Rau has taken 7 faceoffs in his 42 career NHL games so... I don't know what else to say about that.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Donato is a better player than those guys.

And Rau has taken 7 faceoffs in his 42 career NHL games so... I don't know what else to say about that.

He's listed as a center. What about Nico Sturm?

 

[Wabit]

I'm not a fan of Donato, and said he should have started the season in the AHL. But he would have been the first FWD I called up if there was an injury to someone in the top-9.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I'm not a fan of Donato, and said he should have started the season in the AHL. But he would have been the first FWD I called up if there was an injury to someone in the top-9.

I have no idea why Sturm is still in the AHL.

 

[Wabit]

I have no idea why Sturm is still in the AHL.

He's in his first pro season, Dumont/Mayhew outplayed him in Iowa, and he's not better than anyone currently in MN. It's not like MN is running with Brown and Hendricks on their 4th line and Read somewhere in the top-6.

 

[2Pair]

I have no idea why Sturm is still in the AHL.

That's not a surprise. Kids been a professional hockey player for a handful of games.

Your argument makes even less sense, if that's even possible, when you're also bitching that Donato should be in Iowa.

 

[thestonedkoala]

That's not a surprise. Kids been a professional hockey player for a handful of games.

Your argument makes even less sense, if that's even possible, when you're also *****ing that Donato should be in Iowa.

Donato SHOULD be in the AHL. The NHL isn't a development league and yet the Wild think it is; guys like JEE, Kunin and Donato should have had at least a full season in the AHL. They should be getting 20 minutes a night instead of 9 minutes.

As for Sturm, he had a good camp and a call up wouldn't hurt him. Dumont and Mayhew are also older players, but Dumont didn't even stay that long. Yes, there is a limit of how many times you can call up players, throughout the season, but keeping Sturm on for 20 games in the NHL and scratching him is better than keeping Donato up in the NHL and having him play bottom 6 minutes.

 

[nt3005]

Donato SHOULD be in the AHL. The NHL isn't a development league and yet the Wild think it is; guys like JEE, Kunin and Donato should have had at least a full season in the AHL. They should be getting 20 minutes a night instead of 9 minutes.

As for Sturm, he had a good camp and a call up wouldn't hurt him. Dumont and Mayhew are also older players, but Dumont didn't even stay that long. Yes, there is a limit of how many times you can call up players, throughout the season, but keeping Sturm on for 20 games in the NHL and scratching him is better than keeping Donato up in the NHL and having him play bottom 6 minutes.

I can understand why you would think he should have been sent down. But the injuries prevented that from happening. Also the bolded makes absolutely zero sense. How would calling up Sturm to sit in the pressbox be better than him playing in the AHL (developing), and Donato also getting minutes playing?

 

[thestonedkoala]

I can understand why you would think he should have been sent down. But the injuries prevented that from happening. Also the bolded makes absolutely zero sense. How would calling up Sturm to sit in the pressbox be better than him playing in the AHL (developing), and Donato also getting minutes playing?

Honestly Sturm doesn't appear to be figuring in the long term. He signed a one year contract. Sturm is also a center. If Donato was in the AHL and Sturm in the NHL it would have been better.

 

[Wabit]

Donato SHOULD be in the AHL. The NHL isn't a development league and yet the Wild think it is; guys like JEE, Kunin and Donato should have had at least a full season in the AHL. They should be getting 20 minutes a night instead of 9 minutes.

As for Sturm, he had a good camp and a call up wouldn't hurt him. Dumont and Mayhew are also older players, but Dumont didn't even stay that long. Yes, there is a limit of how many times you can call up players, throughout the season, but keeping Sturm on for 20 games in the NHL and scratching him is better than keeping Donato up in the NHL and having him play bottom 6 minutes.

Kunin did have a bunch of AHL time. The MN Wild put their best players on the ice in the top-4/top-9, weather it be a rookie or a vet. They haven't been hiding talent in the AHL by any means.

How does Strum in the pressbox help him or the Wild at all compared to him playing in games for Iowa and learning how to be a pro?

When Dumont was called up the stat lines were: Dumont 3g/2a +5, Strum 1g/1a -5. If the stat lines were reversed Strum would have likely gotten called up. MN called up the hotter player. Remember the FWDs for MN couldn't buy a goal to start the season too.

But in short should Donato have started the season in the AHL: Yes. Should Strum should have started the season in the pressbox (or playing 9 mins a night) for MN: No. Both of them would have been better off in Iowa to start the year then get called up for injuries. Rask wasn't healthy (big surprise) so Donato stayed up to start the year.

 

[57special]

Wabit's right.

 

[nt3005]

Honestly Sturm doesn't appear to be figuring in the long term. He signed a one year contract. Sturm is also a center. If Donato was in the AHL and Sturm in the NHL it would have been better.

I don't think a 1 year contract says they have no plan for him down the line. Didn't Fenton sign that contract? That could be wrong. I think they are probably going to plan around what happens with Koivu and Staal the rest of the season.

 

[Bazeek]

The term on the contract probably has more to do with ELC rules than any plans Minnesota has/had: Sturm signed a month before his 24th birthday, which (I think) required a 1 year ELC.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

I think it was just part of the timing and his age - ELC rules are different for undrafted college free agents, pretty sure. He signed a two year deal I think? And the first year was burned playing at the end of last year. It is a an incentive they used so he would sign with us. He'll still be an RFA so we will have the rights regardless. Boudreau really seemed to like him in camp.