Thomas Vanek

[nickschultzfan]

Vanek is a frank person and he tells things through his own bias perspective.

But I don't know how that can anything to do with whether he gets 30 goals this year, which is all I care about. (Ok, maybe he also needs to stop the turnovers on the blueline).

 

[BusQuets]

Easily bottom 10 in the league and more than likely bottom 5. It is that bad. Hopefully Granlund and Coyle can take a step forward this year. I thought Coyle was decent last night, and it sounded like Granlund was pretty good on Monday.

We are talking about Koivu and Coyle as they are the depth who Vanek mostly played with. They scored 0.51 ppg and that's with Koivu's brutal start. I don't think there are many teams with better middle six production. I think they are middle of the pack.

 

[J22*]

We are talking about Koivu and Coyle as they are the depth who Vanek mostly played with. They scored 0.51 ppg and that's with Koivu's brutal start. I don't think there are many teams with better middle six production. I think they are middle of the pack.

Yeah, but you're taking your best two centers and then saying they are decent for the 2nd and 3rd lines. If you are average for the 2nd and 3rd lines but are way below average for the 1st and 4th, there is no way you can consider yourself average as a whole.

 

[borisbadenough]

I feel like Iginla would have been better fit..

Light year of difference with the skill level of his line mates at Colorado translated into eight more goals//

 

[viggen]

..is it just me or does Vanek look much faster?

 

[P10p]

I would actually have to agree with you. Based on that clip (very small smaple size) he looks a lot more fluid and effective in his skating compared to last season.

 

[borisbadenough]

I would actually have to agree with you. Based on that clip (very small smaple size) he looks a lot more fluid and effective in his skating compared to last season.

his intestines are no longer rubbing against his thighs perhaps?

 

[Generic User]

his intestines are no longer rubbing against his thighs perhaps?

Could be that his thigh is no longer rubbing against his other thigh, too. Looks a lot trimmer.

 

[MrRuin]

I never heard, read or had him say that he actively worked on his skating (I have been following him closely since his college days). So that may be a good thing. I have never seen him skate like that either, the way he is moving his legs in this short clip is distinctly different to last year. Let's see how this all works out...

 

[TaLoN]

Let's see him skate like that 5 v 5 before we say anything... the pace always raises in 3 v 3 so far. Always end to end.

 

[TZM]

Skating is not the biggest issue for him. Faster feet might help him a bit but he simply needs to find more scoring chances for himself. Coyle is more than capable doing all the dirty work for him, he needs to fulfill his role as well. I think he'll be a more solid all-around player this season and his point totals to go up a notch, though.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Russo said he was working with a skating coach all summer (Ness - can't remember her first name).

 

[HollaHaula]

Russo said he was working with a skating coach all summer (Ness - can't remember her first name).

Diane

 

[gphr513]

Diane

Yep, she's the one who does the skating instruction videos they play sometimes during Wild or Gopher (can't remember which) intermissions.

 

[57special]

Skating is not the biggest issue for him. Faster feet might help him a bit but he simply needs to find more scoring chances for himself. Coyle is more than capable doing all the dirty work for him, he needs to fulfill his role as well. I think he'll be a more solid all-around player this season and his point totals to go up a notch, though.

Have to disagree. He can't get to scoring spots, either with or without the puck, because he is slow. It's pretty obvious that he often passes the puck because he knows he is going to get caught, not because it's an ideal time to pass. Similar to Heatley.


I am highly skeptical that at age 31 Vanek is going to become an appreciably faster skater. Love me some Dianne Ness, but she is not the only one teaching skating. Can't believe that she has some secret that will turn him into some hockey Cheetah.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Not sure 'hockey cheetah' is essential. But marginal improvement would go a long way with the skills that he still has (hands, head).

 

[MrRuin]

Not sure 'hockey cheetah' is essential. But marginal improvement would go a long way with the skills that he still has (hands, head).

In terms of Vanek it would be an upgrade if he goes from a hockey snail to hockey turtle

 

[Minnesota]

Hockey cheetah's are always essential.

 

[57special]

I will happily jump on the Vanek bandwagon if he scores 35+ goals.

Grumpily jump on if he gets 30.

 

[grN1g]

Good friend of mine works at the Richfield Ice Arena and frequently saw Parise, Okposo, and other NHL'ers working with Diane Ness at 7am multiple times a week this summer, even got a couple chances to talk with her, talked about how the wild paid for all these sessions and other random stuff.

Vanek was brought up in one of those convos cause she was heading to his house after one of those sessions for a paid private session with Thomas.

My friend asked why he pays for private sessions instead of coming to these that his team pays for with Zach and others, her response was somewhere along the lines "he doesn't wake up that early." Also kinda indicating laziness with how she responded.

Hoping those private sessions worked out for him.

 

[Nsjohnson]

If he is getting his skating in, I don't care if it's 6am or 8pm. He shelfed out his own cash so that he could utilize his time how he wants to while getting in everything, too. We all want that in life.

 

[TaLoN]

Good friend of mine works at the Richfield Ice Arena and frequently saw Parise, Okposo, and other NHL'ers working with Diane Ness at 7am multiple times a week this summer, even got a couple chances to talk with her, talked about how the wild paid for all these sessions and other random stuff.

Vanek was brought up in one of those convos cause she was heading to his house after one of those sessions for a paid private session with Thomas.

My friend asked why he pays for private sessions instead of coming to these that his team pays for with Zach and others, her response was somewhere along the lines "he doesn't wake up that early." Also kinda indicating laziness with how she responded.

Hoping those private sessions worked out for him.

Ugh... skating a Richfield? Are we teaching the team how to fall down a lot like "Fall Down Darby" who grew up on that ice?

 

[J22*]

Let's see him skate like that 5 v 5 before we say anything... the pace always raises in 3 v 3 so far. Always end to end.

This post doesn't make any sense to me. If he looks fast 3X3 why should we wait to see how fast he looks when the game slows down at 5X5?

Have to disagree. He can't get to scoring spots, either with or without the puck, because he is slow. It's pretty obvious that he often passes the puck because he knows he is going to get caught, not because it's an ideal time to pass. Similar to Heatley.


I am highly skeptical that at age 31 Vanek is going to become an appreciably faster skater. Love me some Dianne Ness, but she is not the only one teaching skating. Can't believe that she has some secret that will turn him into some hockey Cheetah.

Not even sure what player you were watching last year, but you're greatly underrating Vaneks skating. People see what they want to see I guess.

Good friend of mine works at the Richfield Ice Arena and frequently saw Parise, Okposo, and other NHL'ers working with Diane Ness at 7am multiple times a week this summer, even got a couple chances to talk with her, talked about how the wild paid for all these sessions and other random stuff.

Vanek was brought up in one of those convos cause she was heading to his house after one of those sessions for a paid private session with Thomas.

My friend asked why he pays for private sessions instead of coming to these that his team pays for with Zach and others, her response was somewhere along the lines "he doesn't wake up that early." Also kinda indicating laziness with how she responded.

Hoping those private sessions worked out for him.

Fletcher is so smart, he's paying for skating lessons for Okposo a year before he even becomes a Wild player.

 

[hirawl]

Believe it or not Vanek still is one of the very best around the net. That's where he needs to go. Just forget about that "I need to be the playmaker" crap and head to the net and take care of business.

 

[Wild11MN]

Think they try out that tip play with Vanek on the PP that they tried a bunch at the beginning of the year last year?