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MNWild:Early Indications of Something Special |
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To be a fan and loyalist supporting any of the Minnesota sports franchises it comes with a great deal of caution not to over commit yourself to any sort of confidence waiting for the big meltdown. There are more examples and instances then I would ever care to rehash here especially specially speaking about the highs and lows of the Wild. I will be the first to take ownership of my doubts in Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo and his ability to be the bench boss that takes this team to the next level. I am by no means ready to rescind my critiques and criticisms of Yeo but what I will admit is that through 5 games in the 2013-14 season, this current Wild team has dictated the play to their opponents no matter the final outcome. I wish I could have the luxury of seeing a month or two from now to be able to see if the effort and aggressiveness is a constant for this Wild team but at current they are empowered by this NEW style of play. With the team beginning a 4 game road trip tonight in Buffalo it will be interesting to see if they are capable of maintaining the pressure and aggressiveness in their play.
Tonight will mark the return of Jason Pominville to Buffalo to face his former team for the first time since the deadline deal that in turn sent Johan Larsson and Matthew Hackett in addition to draft picks to the Sabres. Pominville at the time of the trade was the Sabres captain a role now filled by Co-Captains Thomas Vanek and Steve Ott. Ahead of the Wild’s arrival in Buffalo the focus of many fans and media has been the relationship between Pominville and former linemate Vanek. I think Vanek has been very smart in answering questions about his future by both acknowledging the possibility of a return to MN but also asking that people respect that his focus is on making good on his obligation to the Sabres. So although we Wild faithful will have line combinations including Vanek dancing in our heads leading into July 1st 2014, I think it is important to all parties involved that if this does become reality it is handled appropriately which Chuck Fletcher and Craig Leipold have proven capable of.
Talking specifically to those that went far out of their way to express negativity and hatred towards the Matt Cooke signing, well I believe he has been as advertised by Fletcher and Yeo. I get that Cooke will always be a polarizing figure in the hockey world and I am sure he understands better than anyone else what he needed to remedy to be allowed to continue his career. Thus far for the Wild, Cooke has been hardworking and crafty in every game so far this season. Cooke has changed the dynamics of the Wild’s third line so far providing toughness and skill that has translated to effectiveness in both ends. Cooke’s ability to provide secondary scoring and draw penalties has been unsung in the Wild’s ability to dictate style and pace to their opponents. Kyle Brodziak a player much maligned last season, has been playing with confidence and aggression since paired on the third line with Cooke. Yeo had been very vocal about the potential of the third line to match up against opponent’s top line while also providing more offense than it has in previous seasons and thus far that has proven accurate.
The defensive pairings for the Wild are still very much in flux and the determining factor will be the Mathew Dumba decision. It is almost a fore gone conclusion that Fletcher is not going to send Dumba back to the Canadian Juniors. In Dumba the Wild has a player with a skill set they crave and he is a kid that has prepared himself masterfully to force their hand in keeping him on the Wild’s roster. Fletcher and assistant general manager Brett Flahr have been quoted as saying Dumba stands to gain very little by returning to Red Deer with regard to his development. The criticism thus far of Dumba by Yeo has been that he has been too hesitant to unleash his explosive skill set during NHL action. Well with every minute this kid plays his comfort and confidence grows and as result I don’t see a situation in which he doesn’t stay with the Wild this year. A side effect of Yeo and Fletcher having a 9 game window to decide on Dumba’s future has been carrying 8 defensemen. Marco Scandella will be a healthy scratch for a third consecutive game tonight which can't be helpful to his confidence and psyche. Scandella was not very good in the first two games of the season but rebounded with a pretty good performance in the third game. Scandella had been paired with the slight of stature Jared Spurgeon which required him to be more of a physical presence in the defensive end. Scandella and Spurgeon each had struggles already this year in the defensive zone which was an issue for both last season as well. The difference between the two young defenders being held accountable is that Spurgeon’s offensive contributions help to shield him from criticism. Spurgeon and Scandella are the natural pairing still though but it requires them to be better in the defensive zone and better develop their communication and chemistry. Hopefully during his time as a healthy scratch Scandella is able to take away things from the play of Keith Ballard and Spurgeon together that will help him to bounce back. Barring injury when Dumba has officially made this team, Nate Prosser will either be traded or placed on waivers. Prosser is the odd man out with Stoner taking full advantage of every bit of ice time he has been provided thus far. Prosser probably gets claimed on waivers because of his age and modest contract. Prosser is a player Yeo and Fletcher would hate to lose but he is clearly on the outside looking in.
I don’t think it can be overlooked how different the effort and aggressiveness has been for Mikael Granlund so far this season. When Granlund arrived last season he melted under the bright lights and expectations. Granlund lack of engagement during games was painful to watch and I must admit I was thinking the worst. Granlund returned this year driven to contribute and he has done just that. Granlund hasn’t been flashy or dominate by any means but he has extended possession and battled in both ends. Granlund clearly has had a bit of Matt Cullen rub off on him with regard to ability to possess the puck in the offensive zone despite being smaller than opponents. Granlund probably is still better suited to play on the wing when Coyle returns but playing with Pominville has allowed for some chemistry and heavy puck possession in the offensive zone looking to set the table for Dany Heatley and others. Had Granlund again struggled to find his game at the NHL level this year, it would have devastating to the entire organization given how much the Wild will need their young forward to contribute this season. Granlund has been doing his best work so far this season in the corners and dirty areas which is remarkable for a player that had his translation to the smaller ice sheet and more physical NHL competition under such immense scrutiny. Its clear Granlund is far from fulfilling his potential but his play has been very promising and helped him to build confidence at the NHL level.
With the injuries to Coyle and Niklas Backstrom the unintended benefit for the Wild has been the ability to have Josh Harding and Granlund step into their important roles. Harding’s abilities as the Wild top goalie over the stretch Backstrom is to miss should provide the Wild with a good idea of what to expect from their netminder rotation the rest of the way. Harding has never been asked to carry the load for the Wild in his career but he has played important minutes in a fill in role. Backstrom has for the greater part of the last 5 season been the workhorse requiring very few days off assuming he has been healthy. If the Wild has designs on a changing of the guard or involving youngster Darcy Kuempfer, then getting a good idea of where Harding is at right now is a benefit to the team. Coyle’s injury was certainly deflating for the Wild as he had the looks of a young player ready to take the step in his development. Coyle is clearly the most distinguished of the Wild’s young forward with regard to proving capable of competing at a high level in the Top6. What has cushioned the blow for the Wild is how capable Granlund has been and new addition Nino Niederrieter pushing every shift for more opportunity since his arrival. If Granlund and Niederrieter continue to make good on their opportunity then when Coyle returns I could see Heatley being the odd man out of the Top6. That will be interesting to watch develop as it will be very telling how Fletcher and Yeo feel about all 3 of their young forwards.
That’s all from me for now, you can follow me on Twitter @AWKD
Just My Thoughts,
Tony Dean
@AWKD
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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