Why don't the Wild prospects get any respect?

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thestonedkoala

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We all hear about Corey Locke but what about his former teammate Matt Foy? Though injuries derailed his rookie year this year he still had a standout year for the weak Houston Aeros. He should pair up well with Bouchard (Bouchard and him had chemistry in the preseason, good chemistry) and be a solid top 6 winger.

Or Rickard Wallin? The guy scored on his first game ever (think Peter Sejna) against the Blues but didn't stop there. He would've stayed with the Wild if he didn't break his wrist and then in the preseason if we didn't get Choiunard or Daigle. The guy is a top 6 forward. He is the only Wild prospect to drive to the net and camp. He is similiar to the Sedins, a good PKer and a good skater that can chip in goals on the second line (we still need to get a center that keeps up with Gaborik and for the moment Wallin gets the job!)

And O'Sullivan? How isn't he one of the best 2nd round picks in years? The guy help lead an IceDog's team without Schremp and with a rookie goaltender in Shantz to their first EVER banner. This is a team that for all of O'Sullivan's years was a losing team and with him leading it and having a good team around him, led to their first ever banner. Spezza left, Schremp left, O'Sullivan stayed and guess what he did that Spezza and Schremp didn't? He got the first ever Bobby Orr Trophy for his team, winning the East Division!

And Harding too! Yes his numbers look shakey but he still had a phenominal year last year and this year. Ward and Harding are great goaltenders coming out of the WHL, and I know they aren't in the AHL (Wild seem to have a logjam there) but still how can't they be considered good goaltenders?

Veilleux, Wanvig, Hannula, are all good role playing wingers too.

The only real player that the Wild gets mention is Koivu and even that is a bit split on how good he's going to be.
 

Preds666

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Feb 27, 2002
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Slightly, slightly off-topic.
Mika Hannula is strongly rumoured to return to Sweden and most likely Malmö, after getting no ice-time in the NHL this season. I hope stays though, still think he can be a very capable 3rd- or 4th-liner.
 

punchy1

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Nov 11, 2003
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I was thinking the same thing. As a Kings fan (Sens second) I have been going about looking for prospect pivots that we might be able to try and deal one of our top prospects at another position to get.

I went through every team and when I got to the Wild I were shocked at how grand a farm they have. It will be even better after this year. If you go to the Kings page you will see what I done with it on the "with Bios" thread. It needed work and is still getting fudged on but, the Wild have a couple of lads that if I thought they would move that I would love to have on my team.

Weird stuff.
 

KingPurpleDinosaur

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Dec 17, 2002
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i think w/ o' sullivan, eveyrone knew his talent potential and his skill level, but purposely passed him up becuase of his risk potential. sure, he may turn out to be the best 2nd rounder in the 2003 draft, but i wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't by too much. think about it, o' sullivan is competing with 2nd rounders like burgeon, howard, and even our own pushkarev...

would i have wanted him? heck yea, he's definatley worth the risk. Had I been the GM of the Kings, I woulda traded the 27th pick down for 2 second rounders, used the 26th to pick up tambellini, and gotten o' sulivan AND pushkarev. but oh well, wat can you do. i really hope o' sulivan turns out for you guys, one of the players i'm hoping to make it to the NHL.
 

Gwyddbwyll

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Dec 24, 2002
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Most American teams that havent sucked for years dont have a lot of respect mainly because they dont have a lot of fans on here. We had a thread like this just a few days ago asking why Dallas prospects were underrated.

Rickard Wallin's lack of hype can mostly be explained by the fact he was drafted 5 years ago and by a different team. Older players from even 2 years ago are getting forgotten about, let alone 5.
 

Vlad The Impaler

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Feb 27, 2002
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thestonedkoala said:
The only real player that the Wild gets mention is Koivu and even that is a bit split on how good he's going to be.

To answer the question in your thread title: it really has little to do with the Wild. They do not have a special status that makes people ignore their prospects.

The way it usually works on HF:

1-People really like the guys who are rated high and/or picked high. That was is a given. Since the Wild most often have their top drafted guys make the jump, there's rarely something to get excited about. Out of four first rounders, Bouchard, Burns and Gaborik immediately made the jump. Only Koivu didn't. Most European players who do not make the jump after a year or two are often dumbly considered busts. Unless THN or some other publication hails them as the next superstars in which case the person just as dumbly changes his mind.

2-People also like to find patterns of success. Sometimes they are real, sometimes imagined. But the result is that they see certain teams as having a magical gift. This is why Sens fans have embarassed themselves over the last few years by giving guys like Klepis qualities they never had and get allmexcited over guys like Kaigorodov the minute he is drafted when they didn't even give a crap a minute before.

3-The Wild team is still young. This farming system is just coming into shape especially since as I said above, they have graduated many of their top prospects 2 months after drafting them. That makes for a low key system.


Over time, this may change. It will in part depend on their track record. As to your questions regharding goalies, many posters seem to have a huge bias these days for (roughly in order) Q goalies, then Euro goalies, then college goalies and finally WHL/OHL goalies. Again, because of track records and all that.

It doesn't really matter anyway what kind of respect a player gets or doesn't get before he jumps on NHL ice. That's where it's played and there will always be guys like Hunter, Ryder, etc. jumping on a chance and becoming great players.

Look at Pavel Datsyuk. Again today he made one of those absolutely amzing passes and I was like... "Geez... he does this on a consistent basis". Every European observer that didn't see this guy coming until he basically hit the NHL.

No hype, but hockey sense that is top 3 in the NHL right now, and a wizard with the stick. Nobody cares that Datsyuk was unheralded just like nobody cares Alexander Volchkov was seen as a potential superstar. The results are all that matter.

Let the Wild's system speak for itself in a couple of years :)
 

mcarrick16

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dam when i saw Mikko Koivu on is first WJC he was very good! And I heard that Koivu had a great year and a excellent playoff! Koivu and O'sullivan should be great players for Minn
 

thestonedkoala

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Predatore said:
Slightly, slightly off-topic.
Mika Hannula is strongly rumoured to return to Sweden and most likely Malmö, after getting no ice-time in the NHL this season. I hope stays though, still think he can be a very capable 3rd- or 4th-liner.

That's what I heard Pred, that Hannula is going to be go back which is sad. I know a lot of guys get homesick (we had one named Sushinskiy who left because he was homesick and Brandner is rumored to be moving back to Germany because he won't stay in the AHL but it would be depressing if Hannula goes back. He is probably one of the best 9th rounders in a while :D Even though he is a 3rd/4th line LW he played okay in the AHL, just needs time.

I agree that O'Sullivan is going against some competition but he has done a ton of work without the support cast.

Thanks for the answer Vlad, SteveX and the rest... :D (BTW they are coming in there own, should be interesting next year with Harding, Brust, and Courchaine all ready for the jump)
 

SwOOsh*

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Vlad The Impaler said:
To answer the question in your thread title: it really has little to do with the Wild. They do not have a special status that makes people ignore their prospects.

The way it usually works on HF:

1-People really like the guys who are rated high and/or picked high. That was is a given. Since the Wild most often have their top drafted guys make the jump, there's rarely something to get excited about. Out of four first rounders, Bouchard, Burns and Gaborik immediately made the jump. Only Koivu didn't. Most European players who do not make the jump after a year or two are often dumbly considered busts. Unless THN or some other publication hails them as the next superstars in which case the person just as dumbly changes his mind.

2-People also like to find patterns of success. Sometimes they are real, sometimes imagined. But the result is that they see certain teams as having a magical gift. This is why Sens fans have embarassed themselves over the last few years by giving guys like Klepis qualities they never had and get allmexcited over guys like Kaigorodov the minute he is drafted when they didn't even give a crap a minute before.

3-The Wild team is still young. This farming system is just coming into shape especially since as I said above, they have graduated many of their top prospects 2 months after drafting them. That makes for a low key system.


Over time, this may change. It will in part depend on their track record. As to your questions regharding goalies, many posters seem to have a huge bias these days for (roughly in order) Q goalies, then Euro goalies, then college goalies and finally WHL/OHL goalies. Again, because of track records and all that.

It doesn't really matter anyway what kind of respect a player gets or doesn't get before he jumps on NHL ice. That's where it's played and there will always be guys like Hunter, Ryder, etc. jumping on a chance and becoming great players.

Look at Pavel Datsyuk. Again today he made one of those absolutely amzing passes and I was like... "Geez... he does this on a consistent basis". Every European observer that didn't see this guy coming until he basically hit the NHL.

No hype, but hockey sense that is top 3 in the NHL right now, and a wizard with the stick. Nobody cares that Datsyuk was unheralded just like nobody cares Alexander Volchkov was seen as a potential superstar. The results are all that matter.

Let the Wild's system speak for itself in a couple of years :)

Wow that is one of the best post I have seen in awhile. So true.
 

KingofSpain

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thestonedkoala said:
And O'Sullivan? How isn't he one of the best 2nd round picks in years? The guy help lead an IceDog's team without Schremp and with a rookie goaltender in Shantz to their first EVER banner. This is a team that for all of O'Sullivan's years was a losing team and with him leading it and having a good team around him, led to their first ever banner. Spezza left, Schremp left, O'Sullivan stayed and guess what he did that Spezza and Schremp didn't? He got the first ever Bobby Orr Trophy for his team, winning the East Division!

IMO everyone overrates their team's prospects way too much. I completely agree with Vlad about homers hyping players they didn't care about before, just because their team drafted them.

And about O'Sullivan, it wasn't like he single-handedly carried Mississauga. That "rookie goaltender" Shantz only has 5 SO, a 1.81 GAA and .939 SV% in 22 playoff games. He has been great all season long and now looks to be a 2nd round draft pick. And then there are the other quality players like Quincey, Painchaud, Grauwiler, Stokes, and supporting cast. Also, as much as this pains me to say it, Gilbert has done a decent job.

Even though Minnesota may not get enough respect, like being 20th overall in the HF rankings, you come off sounding a tad homer-ish. Anyway, I think it's an act of futility trying to hype your team's prospects to others who only care about their own teams' prospects.
 

leafaholix*

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thestonedkoala said:
Veilleux, Wanvig, Hannula, are all good role playing wingers too.
Every teams has atleast a handful of role playing forwards in their systems.
 

thestonedkoala

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I'm the only freaking ONE talking about our prospects, SO I have to be a bit homeristic :mad:, most of the other Wild posters stay on the Wild board unless they find it very imperative to come out and talk. I do agree though that teams like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Calgary have a lot more talent then the Wild, I mean a TON more. Oh and Boston, Washington...well the top 20, I know why but it just seems if our prospects were on any other team they would get hyped more.
 

beerpaul*

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:teach: Except for Shantz, O'Sullivan is in a different league than the rest of his team-mates. It will be interesting to see O'Sullivan play on a team were his team-mates have compatable talent(Minnesota Wild).
Ice Demon said:
IMO everyone overrates their team's prospects way too much. I completely agree with Vlad about homers hyping players they didn't care about before, just because their team drafted them.

And about O'Sullivan, it wasn't like he single-handedly carried Mississauga. That "rookie goaltender" Shantz only has 5 SO, a 1.81 GAA and .939 SV% in 22 playoff games. He has been great all season long and now looks to be a 2nd round draft pick. And then there are the other quality players like Quincey, Painchaud, Grauwiler, Stokes, and supporting cast. Also, as much as this pains me to say it, Gilbert has done a decent job.

Even though Minnesota may not get enough respect, like being 20th overall in the HF rankings, you come off sounding a tad homer-ish. Anyway, I think it's an act of futility trying to hype your team's prospects to others who only care about their own teams' prospects.
 

discostu

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Vlad The Impaler said:
2-People also like to find patterns of success. Sometimes they are real, sometimes imagined. But the result is that they see certain teams as having a magical gift. This is why Sens fans have embarassed themselves over the last few years by giving guys like Klepis qualities they never had and get allmexcited over guys like Kaigorodov the minute he is drafted when they didn't even give a crap a minute before.

I think you're being a little unfair to Sens fair here, Vlad. No doubt, there have been Sens fans that have automatically praised the virtues of prospects, but I've found that most of our fans are pretty realistic with our propsects chances. Most fans didn't like the Klepis pick and were pretty happy to get such a valuable return for him when we did. As for Kaigordov, I found the praise for him only started after his first WJC as a Sens prospect, when he looked better than Klepis. Most Sens fans I know realize that we've been fortunate thus far to have great drafting, but it's not a track record we're likely to keep up, especially after Jarmo Kekelienen left the team.
 

Oilers Chick

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The only one I talk about is the one I know enough about to give an opinion on and have actually seen...Danny Irmen.

I really like Irmen and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he plays for the University of Minnesota OR that he's a Wild prospect.
 

Slats432

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Personally, thinking a lot of HF as far as posters go, most teams are similar. Their fans see their prospects as the ones with most promise. I am probably overly critical of prospects.(And you mention Koivu, and since I assisted on the redo of the top 20 for the Wild, it was the Finnish HF correspondent that gave a less than glowing review of Mikko.)

As for Patrick O'Sullivan, I personally agree with you that as far as talent goes he is a first rounder. One thing I found quite interesting was the CBC in depth of his troubles, and I saw clips of NHL draft coverage that showed a kid that was nervous, not self assured, and lacking something.(Probably having to do with the restraining order on his father not being in effect in Nashville.) Thus, with more hurdles, I would hope that the lack of hype around O'Sullivan is more a quiet confidence that he is going to overcome his personal issues and let his talking be done on the ice.(I would have drafted him in the first round around 18 if I was at the draft. Come on...have to give the nod to Parise. ;) )

As far as Wallin goes, I was hyped on him...then he gets called up and breaks his hand. Then he doesn't crack the team out of camp. I think that is what let a little wind out of the Wallin sails. I still think he was going to be a top 6 forward, but that is where the thinking is.

Harding is a solid prospect no doubt, but 11th in the WHL this season and 14th in the playoffs isn't exactly a glowing representation of himself. With so many goalies in the WHL having better years than him, it is hard to pump him up as the next great goalie. Phenomenal year this year? Not at all.

And looking at Foy's stats, I would call them a decent pro debut, but I don't think standout is the term I would use.(If 24 points in 51 games in the AHL is standout, then pass the Kool-Aid. :D )

As for role players...no one hypes role players.
 

thestonedkoala

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George, you forgot that Wallin really lit it up and that Riser was trying to get all of his veterans out and regrets not bringing up Wallie, Veilleux or Wanvig earlier.
 

BackStabber

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Speaking of role players, I'm hoping the Wild like the look of Jordan Krestanovich and give him a shot.

The one thing I like about Jacques Lemaire is that he looks for players who are willing to bust their butt and puts them in an environment to succeed. This could be just what Krestanovich -- once a fairly decent prospect with Colorado -- needs.
 

DownFromNJ

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Mar 7, 2004
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The Wild always get underrated. I mean, Roloson didn't get any press for his performance this year (Led league in % and 2nd in GAA).
 
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