Time is up for Eriksson-EK

[grN1g]

Just my opinion but clearly was a rookie playing to not make a mistake so he doesn't get demoted. Showed flashes on both sides of the ice in games. Not concerned unless he does not show an improvement this year, but if he doesn't get a longer leash and more ice time and PP time he might not improve much which would have me worried about his development.

 

[Wabit]

Just my opinion but clearly was a rookie playing to not make a mistake so he doesn't get demoted. Showed flashes on both sides of the ice in games. Not concerned unless he does not show an improvement this year, but if he doesn't get a longer leash and more ice time and PP time he might not improve much which would have me worried about his development.

I don't see him getting any PP time without injuries. Coyle, Granny, Koivu, Nino, Parise, Staal, and Zucker are all ahead of him for FWDs.

I'd like to see him (and his line) be a scoring threat or at least a positive possession line after a PP expires. Keeping the momentum/pressure from the PP does mean something in the ebb and flow of the game.

10-15 goals and 15-25 assists (depends a lot on his linemates) would be a solid season for him as a primarily 3C/PKer.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

PP time looks doubtful.

 

[2Pair]

Just my opinion but clearly was a rookie playing to not make a mistake so he doesn't get demoted. Showed flashes on both sides of the ice in games. Not concerned unless he does not show an improvement this year, but if he doesn't get a longer leash and more ice time and PP time he might not improve much which would have me worried about his development.

I agree with your assessment of his play last year, but he was given more "leash" and more icetime than he deserved last season. It's time for all of the excuses being made for this kid, to stop.

 

[2Pair]

I don't see him getting any PP time without injuries. Coyle, Granny, Koivu, Nino, Parise, Staal, and Zucker are all ahead of him for FWDs.

I'd like to see him (and his line) be a scoring threat or at least a positive possession line after a PP expires. Keeping the momentum/pressure from the PP does mean something in the ebb and flow of the game.

10-15 goals and 15-25 assists (depends a lot on his linemates) would be a solid season for him as a primarily 3C/PKer.

If the Wild stay relatively healthy, 10 goals and 15 assists isn't nearly enough

 

[nickschultzfan]

I do not understand the argument "if a forward can play NHL defense, he deserves a spot on the big club, because offense will come with time." Besides Mikko Koivu, when has that ever been the case on this team? And Koivu has never been offensively elite. People are ripping Coyle for never taking the next step offensively.

Zucker, Granlund, and Haula benefited from just a short time in Iowa. As did Tuch or Clutterbuck. So did Bouchard during the lockout.

JEE should have never been on the team last year. He should have been the #1 center in Iowa, playing 20 minutes a game and 1st PP. Wild should have let go of either Scandella or Brodin, and re-signed Haula to play on the 2nd line last year. But water under the bridge.

Now, we should consider whether JEE should get some time in Iowa this year to help him develop his offense.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

If the Wild stay relatively healthy, 10 goals and 15 assists isn't nearly enough

If he gets no PP time, 25-35 points isn't all that bad. Hell, Crosby only had 50 even-strength points last year.

 

[Ban Hammered]

If the Wild stay relatively healthy, 10 goals and 15 assists isn't nearly enough

For a 3rd/4th line center with no PP time? Yes it is.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

For a 3rd/4th line center with no PP time? Yes it is.

If there's a "/4th line center" in his future, then there's other reasons to worry. He should take a stranglehold of the #3C spot this year.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I do not understand the argument "if a forward can play NHL defense, he deserves a spot on the big club, because offense will come with time." Besides Mikko Koivu, when has that ever been the case on this team? And Koivu has never been offensively elite. People are ripping Coyle for never taking the next step offensively.

Zucker, Granlund, and Haula benefited from just a short time in Iowa. As did Tuch or Clutterbuck. So did Bouchard during the lockout.

JEE should have never been on the team last year. He should have been the #1 center in Iowa, playing 20 minutes a game and 1st PP. Wild should have let go of either Scandella or Brodin, and re-signed Haula to play on the 2nd line last year. But water under the bridge.

Now, we should consider whether JEE should get some time in Iowa this year to help him develop his offense.

Personally, my opinion on this has been evolving, and I tend to think the AHL is somewhat over-rated on how it helps develop offense. Scorers are becoming younger, and coming in right from Junior and College and making an impact if given the opportunity.

I tend to think you either have the skill set to score in the NHL or you don't. The amount of time you spend in the AHL doesn't really have much of an impact on it, you just need to learn how to handle the NHL. Once you learn how to handle the NHL, you'll score.

Zucker for instance torched the AHL in 1.5 seasons there, but his first two NHL years were heavily mediocre while showing flashes of what he could become. He didn't immediately come in and light the world on fire because he paid his dues.

Were those AHL years "crucial" for his development, or did they simply delay his acclimation to the NHL. Could we have gotten what we've got out of Zucker the last two years, 1 or 1.5 years earlier had he been given a longer leash.

 

[2Pair]

For a 3rd/4th line center with no PP time? Yes it is.

For a 4th liner, its great. For a 3rd liner that is probably getting to start the season with Niederreiter and Coyle, no it isn't. 15 goals and/or 35 points if he plays a full season.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Ryan Johansen and Logan Couture each had 37 even-strength points last season, both playing in top line center roles. I don't know if it's fair to set the expectation at 35 points for him in a 3rd line role, even if he's playing with good players.

Koivu, although it wasn't a great season for him, only had 30.

 

[Wabit]

For a 4th liner, its great. For a 3rd liner that is probably getting to start the season with Niederreiter and Coyle, no it isn't. 15 goals and/or 35 points if he plays a full season.

35 ESP would have put him in the top 110 for ESP FWD scoring last year; that's ahead of JVR, ROR, Sedinx2, J. Staal, Little, Koivu, etc in just the 30p-34p range. Heck Granny only has 36p (5v5) each of the last 2 seasons.

25p is solid 3 line number for a player that gets ~1k minutes (~12 mins 5v5 ToI a night). Anything above a 1.6p/60 (5v5) is a win for him to me.

 

[TaLoN]

I do not understand the argument "if a forward can play NHL defense, he deserves a spot on the big club, because offense will come with time." Besides Mikko Koivu, when has that ever been the case on this team? And Koivu has never been offensively elite. People are ripping Coyle for never taking the next step offensively.

Zucker, Granlund, and Haula benefited from just a short time in Iowa. As did Tuch or Clutterbuck. So did Bouchard during the lockout.

JEE should have never been on the team last year. He should have been the #1 center in Iowa, playing 20 minutes a game and 1st PP. Wild should have let go of either Scandella or Brodin, and re-signed Haula to play on the 2nd line last year. But water under the bridge.

Now, we should consider whether JEE should get some time in Iowa this year to help him develop his offense.

Even Koivu had a full year in Houston during the lockout.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

The Eriksson Ek AHL ship has very likely already sailed. Now it's about putting talent around him and putting him in positions to succeed, on both ends of the ice.

 

[Circulartheory]

Obviously we are all bored of the summer by now -.-

 

[Dakota Sioux]

If the OP can’t see that he showed improvement over this past season then he needs glasses. The kid is just scratching the surface. I was hard on him when he was drafted because I wanted Boeser but give him a little time and I think he’ll be alright.

 

[Digitalbooya]

For a 4th liner, its great. For a 3rd liner that is probably getting to start the season with Niederreiter and Coyle, no it isn't. 15 goals and/or 35 points if he plays a full season.

I think his production will be up. His most common linemates from last year were Winnik and Foligno. Not exactly offensive dynamos.

 

[DANOZ28]

not everyone takes the nhl by storm. the effort was there, lets have this conversation next summer.

 

[2Pair]

I think his production will be up. His most common linemates from last year were Winnik and Foligno. Not exactly offensive dynamos.

I think he's going to have a solid year, but do you know what's even worse than getting stuck with guys like Winnik and Foligno? Being outplayed by guys like Winnik and Foligno.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I think he's going to have a solid year, but do you know what's even worse than getting stuck with guys like Winnik and Foligno? Being outplayed by guys like Winnik and Foligno.

He was also trying to learn the NHL game as a 20 year old. He was bound to struggle and he did. He went something like 55 games straight without a goal? He should’ve been sent down.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I think he's going to have a solid year, but do you know what's even worse than getting stuck with guys like Winnik and Foligno? Being outplayed by guys like Winnik and Foligno.

When you're in a strange town with two barbers, do you go to the guy with the good haircut or the bad haircut?

When you're a 20 year old playing on a line with Marcus Foligno and Daniel Winnik and their relative numbers are better than yours, is it a bad sign or a good sign?

Watch some tape on this kid and see how useful those guys were.

Again, this kid is producing shot attempts at a similar rate to Nino, but playing with Foligno and Winnik. (Somehow he was better than them.) It is beyond annoying to have people slag him when he did ok with rubbish linemates, limited minutes, and against NHL competition.

 

[TaLoN]

Ek wasn't really all that ready, but at the same time, he wasn't really in a position to succeed either. To rag on him now would be like when Islanders fans ragged on Nino for not producing on the Islander's 4th line.

Sorry. It's clear this thread is WAY to premature. Give the kid a chance to develop why don't you?

 

[2Pair]

When you're in a strange town with two barbers, do you go to the guy with the good haircut or the bad haircut?

When you're a 20 year old playing on a line with Marcus Foligno and Daniel Winnik and their relative numbers are better than yours, is it a bad sign or a good sign?

Watch some tape on this kid and see how useful those guys were.

Again, this kid is producing shot attempts at a similar rate to Nino, but playing with Foligno and Winnik. (Somehow he was better than them.) It is beyond annoying to have people slag him when he did ok with rubbish linemates, limited minutes, and against NHL competition.

What sense does it make to rag on his linemates, when his linemates were better than he was? Stop making stupid excuses for the kid. He wasn't good enough. Period.

Nobody is saying that it's time to get rid of the kid, but if he doesn't show significant improvement this season? Odds are he won't be around for the following season.

 

[Ban Hammered]

2 seasons and dumped when he's an RFA? Not likely.