Trades & Free Agency Talk XXIX

[Digitalbooya]

Yes, and the bottom line of all that mess is simple, they don't think he's a center.

Or they were just trying to break him into a pro league.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Somebody is going to have to play center in 2 years. Kunin going back there after a multi-year hiatus is just as palatable as trying to fit Greenway in that spot after playing it for 15 college games.

 

[Wabit]

Or they were just trying to break him into a pro league.

He's had a year+ of pro league experience, and had enough games this year to be recovered/in shape from his injury last season. If GMPF saw him as a future NHL center, he'd have the Iowa coach playing him as a center.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Who are our Iowa centers right now 1 through 4?

 

[2Pair]

Somebody is going to have to play center in 2 years. Kunin going back there after a multi-year hiatus is just as palatable as trying to fit Greenway in that spot after playing it for 15 college games.

The fact that they would play Greenway at center in that situation but won't play Kunin at center in his sitution is rather telling.

Maybe I'm not making my point clear? I don't know if the kid can play center or not in the NHL. I'm not even trying to say that he can't or won't ever play center in the NHL. All that I am trying to say is that it seems pretty obvious to me that the Wild don't see him as a center.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

The fact that they would play Greenway at center in that situation but won't play Kunin at center in his sitution is rather telling.

Maybe I'm not making my point clear? I don't know if the kid can play center or not in the NHL. I'm not even trying to say that he can't or won't ever play center in the NHL. All that I am trying to say is that it seems pretty obvious to me that the Wild don't see him as a center.

Fair. But I guess what I'm saying is that how you see somebody yesterday or today doesn't mean that you'll see them the same way tomorrow.

 

[AKL]

Who are our Iowa centers right now 1 through 4?

O'Reilly is 1, I can't even begin to know what 2-4 are.

 

[Wabit]

Somebody is going to have to play center in 2 years. Kunin going back there after a multi-year hiatus is just as palatable as trying to fit Greenway in that spot after playing it for 15 college games.

I still think they'll try and transition Greenway to center again; it might work, but probably won't. I think they jumped the gun on it with trying to make it work in the NHL this season.

 

[2Pair]

Fair. But I guess what I'm saying is that how you see somebody yesterday or today doesn't mean that you'll see them the same way tomorrow.

I agree with that. But, with the current center situation, if they think he has any chance of being a center, he should be playing there now.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Who are our Iowa centers right now 1 through 4?

Answered my own question: last night's lineup was COR/Kloos/Mclain/Fitzgerald down the middle.

 

[Wabit]

Who are our Iowa centers right now 1 through 4?

They've bounced a few guys around, but this has been the lineup the last few weeks

 

[AKL]

I tend to agree with @2Pair here. He's played more C in the past than most of our prospects, and he could do it again, but it seems like Wild management and coaching sees him as more of a winger right now.

Just as a thought experiment, how many guys (for any team) have played center in junior/college/Europe, then transitioned to winger, and then have gone back to center and succeeded at it? Seems like there are a lot more guys who play center at younger ages, but end up being wingers in the pros.

 

[Wabit]

The fact that they would play Greenway at center in that situation but won't play Kunin at center in his sitution is rather telling.

Maybe I'm not making my point clear? I don't know if the kid can play center or not in the NHL. I'm not even trying to say that he can't or won't ever play center in the NHL. All that I am trying to say is that it seems pretty obvious to me that the Wild don't see him as a center.

Meh. Kunin wasn't even healthy enough for camp. I can't really say what would have happened if Kunin hadn't have gotten injured last season.

 

[2Pair]

Who are our Iowa centers right now 1 through 4?

 

[2Pair]

He's had a year+ of pro league experience, and had enough games this year to be recovered/in shape from his injury last season. If GMPF saw him as a future NHL center, he'd have the Iowa coach playing him as a center.

Meh. Kunin wasn't even healthy enough for camp. I can't really say what would have happened if Kunin hadn't have gotten injured last season.

Arguing just to argue?

 

[kfan22]

I wonder if Domi would have 30 points in a Wild sweater if the Wild made that trade in summer

 

[57special]

Kunin can play center, but I'd rather have him as a wing. It frees him up to play the Parise type role on the forecheck and backcheck; which I think he's well suited to do. He doesn't have the speed/skating to play deep in the o-zone and still cover the transition game and d-zone responsibilities. I'd still have him work on taking FOs, just to have another RHS option for that.

nvm, misread. i agree with you.

 

[AKL]

I wonder if Domi would have 30 points in a Wild sweater if the Wild made that trade in summer

Doubt it. Could see him around where Staal and Koivu are though.

 

[Wabit]

Arguing just to argue?

More to the point of you saying it's telling that they put Greenway there and not Kunin during the preseason. One was healthy and one wasn't. A healthy Playoffs and offseason you can say with any certainty that Kunin doesn't get a look at center this last preseason?

It could just as easily have been Kunin playing wing/center in the NHL, and Greenway in Iowa playing wing/center when the season started.

 

[2Pair]

More to the point of you saying it's telling that they put Greenway there and not Kunin during the preseason. One was healthy and one wasn't. A healthy Playoffs and offseason you can say with any certainty that Kunin doesn't get a look at center this last preseason?

It could just as easily have been Kunin playing wing/center in the NHL, and Greenway in Iowa playing wing/center when the season started.

They started Greenway's 1st season in the NHL by playing him at center. They started Kunin's 2nd season in the AHL by playing him at wing. It isn't difficult.

 

[Wabit]

They started Greenway's 1st season in the NHL by playing him at center. They started Kunin's 2nd season in the AHL by playing him at wing. It isn't difficult.

And? Greenway shouldn't have even been in the NHL to start the season, let alone trying to play center in the NHL. Remember BB did say he saw Coyle as a 2C this offseason too, and Greenway started there over him too.

I agree that Kunin should be a wing, but to say something is telling when the team makeup is different between the years and one player is injured and the other one not.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Greenway was so good at center that they put him back at wing and haven’t thought of putting him back since.

 

[2Pair]

And? Greenway shouldn't have even been in the NHL to start the season, let alone trying to play center in the NHL. Remember BB did say he saw Coyle as a 2C this offseason too, and Greenway started there over him too.

I agree that Kunin should be a wing, but to say something is telling when the team makeup is different between the years and one player is injured and the other one not.

Greenway was so good at center that they put him back at wing and haven’t thought of putting him back since.

You guys are both making my point for me without even realizing it

 

[Digitalbooya]

You guys are both making my point for me without even realizing it

Guess the Wild are pretty incompetent. Oh wait, we knew that already.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Either way, our center-less lineup in 2020 is really going to throw teams for a loop.