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MNWild Camp Battles & Storylines 2014 Edition

September 22, 2014, 11:17 PM ET [8 Comments]
Tony Dean
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WildHBcommunity: MNWild Camp Battles & Storylines 2014 Edition



Minnesota Wild Will Feature One Young One Old Between the Pipes to Begin 2014

I realize fans care very little for the business of hockey as the loyalty to their favorite squad is unwavering and as result source of pride in their guys. The reality is these players must maneuver and leverage their individual situations for a number of different reason to make sure they are financially compensated as well as afforded the opportunity to compete.

I have accepted that instead of trying to educate or argue with Wild fans in reference to Darcy Kuemper, I will just patiently wait for the young netminder to win the hearts of Wild fans again like he did when he burst onto the scene last season to play some poised confident hockey when it mattered the most.

It is certainly valid that this kid is a fast riser lacking a catalogue of professional experience but your kidding yourself if you believe Ilya Bryzgalov is a better option night in and night out in 2014. The old guy will obviously be Niklas Backstrom while healthy and honestly I just have this pit of the stomach feeling we never see Josh Harding in a Wild sweater between the pipes again. Backstrom has an unmovable contract basically so fans need to settle into the notion that he will be one of two goalies at the X this year barring injury.

Harding was facing some tough odds to get back to being the #1 guy this year anyways and now he has nearly turned out the lights on his Wild/NHL career with a confrontation and subsequent Non-Hockey related injury for which he has been suspended. Bryzgalov has at minimum said all the right things and shown he likes being here in Minnesota. I bet though he will get an opportunity else where before he ever wears a Wild jersey in a regular season game this year.




Wild's Young Forwards Fully Graduated to the NHL Roster

The fruits of Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher's labor in rebuilding this franchise has been in full bloom in the form of young talent. The question now becomes what will these kids become at the NHL level as potential turns to projections of permanent roles/production. It seemed like it was a different kid each night to flash and carry this squad during the playoff push and run last year.

Mikael Granlund specifically established for Wild fans and the hockey world that although he failed to launch during his 2012-13 rookie season in the NHL, his talent is dynamic and he has the type of sky is the limit potential that people better be very careful about trying to define his ceiling. Look no future than his play during the Sochi Olympics and NHL playoffs last year to see this kid is just scratching the surface.

Charlie Coyle looked like the surest bet to be a consistent Top 6 contributor after a solid 2012-13 rookie campaign. Coyle struggled though last year for stretches and his use at the center position last year and even already this preseason illustrates the Wild's still trying to figure out how to get the most out his size/skill combination. Does Coyle ever produce 20+ goals at the NHL level? Is Coyle ever going to be an NHL pivot? Lots more questions than answers with him BUT I will say this kid works his tail off and I love his personality and commitment to the team first.

Nino Niederreiter is the type of player that can play in all three zones and compete with any opponent in the tight areas which is rare for a young winger that also has the talent and skill set to become a legit NHL goal scorer. Nino aka KnightRider showed up in Minnesota looking for a fresh start and opportunity to prove what went wrong on Long Island was not something he was not capable of overcoming. Nino showed up humble and hardworking paying his dues in a more defensive focused 3rd line role. I am in the camp that believes Nino will crack the Top 6 sooner rather than later this season.

Erik Haula certainly is a player Minnesota hockey fans are familiar with given he was legitimately the most valuable player for the Golden Gophers during his sophomore and junior seasons despite both of those squads being loaded with 1st round NHL draft picks. Haula was the most valuable player in Iowa of the AHL. Some would argue he was the most dynamic and important player for the Wild during the playoffs at time last year as well. Haula is an interesting player to try and figure out role and ceiling wise going forward. At current he will enter this year as the 3rd line center but he is also very strong on the wing.


Young Players on the Roster Bubble for the Wild



I am admittedly a huge Jason Zucker fan based mostly on his ability to create space and opportunity with his speed and aggressiveness. What has been a stumbling block for him in his young NHL career with the Wild is lack of complete game which head coach Mike Yeo requires. Its not that Zucker is not capable of playing two-way hockey, its probably just never going to be something he is capable of doing at a high level in the NHL.

Everything I have seen from Zucker this summer indicates he feel the pressure of being passed up in the prospect hierarchy by the guys I wrote about above and role player types that may have the upper hand on spots in the bottom 6 for the Wild this year. Zucker is a good bet to begin the year with the "Baby Wild", but the reality is barring a major injury to one of the Top 6 forwards he maybe buried for the long haul this year in the AHL. Maybe Zucker makes the roster or is the first callup to play on a more skilled 3rd line with Haula and Nino/Coyle but I am not sure Yeo doesnt slide Matt Cooke into the 3rd line left wing spot.



On the blue line Mathew Dumba is the type of player that flashes dynamic play while struggling to put together a consistency that is required to be an everyday NHL defensemen. Dumba responded so well in my opinion to his failure to launch season last year with the Wild. Credit is due as well to Fletcher and Flahr for providing him an alternate development plan/path despite activating his entry level contract for just 13 games.

Going forward I think every Wild fan has visions of Dumba becoming a PK Subban-esq type of 1st pairing partner with Ryan Suter BUT I am in the camp that believes he must go lead the "Baby Wild" out of the gates in 2014 to again prove his dynamic talent translates and passes the test against professional competition. Also this kid is just 20 years old so the Wild can afford to be patient with his development path.

I will say it now and I have previously written about it but I see Christian Folin as being NHL-ready now because he is older than Dumba and Gustav Olofsson in addition to being physically able to bang bodies in the bottom pairing rotation. Folin should prove capable of adding a physical element to the bottom pair missing now with Clayton Stoner getting a mega-deal to play his hockey in Cali. Also though Folin should win over Wild fans with his passing ability and decision making with the puck on his stick. Folin will bang bodies in front of the net or in the corners to separate opponents from the puck.

Maybe I am wrong and Dumba or Olofsson break camp with the Wild but I am not sure Fletcher would want either of those guys playing bottom pair minutes in a limited role rather than leading the "Baby Wild" as the top pairing and playing in every situation. Time will tell maybe Keith Ballard or Jon Blum are the odd man out although both require waivers.

Bottom of the Roster Forward Battle Wide Open

What is certain at this point about who will play on the 4th line for the Wild is that Kyle Brodziak will be the center. Beyond that, it is truly anyone's guess where Yeo will lean when it comes time to select from a group including Cody Almond, Brett Bulmer, Justin Fontaine, Jordan Schroeder, Michael Keranen, Brett Sutter, Stephane Veilluex, and Joel Rechlicz.

Maybe Cooke is again teamed up with Brodziak while Yeo deploys Zucker and Fontaine on the third line giving it a more offensively skilled and fast combination. That will mean maybe a combination of Almond and Bulmer could slot in with Brodziak and Cooke to grind it out on a more defensively focused 4th line. I am a big fan of a healthy Bulmer but that just hasn't been the case since he turned pro. Maybe Schroeder plays his way onto the roster given his skill and versatility?



The best part about all of this is that competition will be strong for the bottom of the roster with far more talented and skilled players than maybe ever before for the Wild. I just hope players like Almond, Bulmer, and Schroeder get a fair shake with Yeo who has shown a propensity to lean towards a guy like Veilleux over young players in the past.

That's all for now thanks for reading!


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Tony Dean
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