Losing is one thing, getting blown out by two division rivals allowing 13 goals in the process is something entirely different.
There is a huge disconnect with this group and it is time to shake things up for sure. But what can be done? Chuck Fletcher has tied his own hands with the salary cap leaving absolutely no wiggle room to make moves.
The defense which was once one of the league's best has dipped with a third pairing that is average AHL caliber to say the least. Matt Dumba has not matured into the player many had thought he would become by this point in his career. That leaves the three top guys Suter, Spurgeon, and Brodin as the only reliable options which as we all know does not work in today's NHL.
Then last night we witnessed what it is like to not have one of those top three as Jared Spurgeon missed the game with a groin strain.
Kyle Quincey has not been good, and is really a step and a half slow for the NHL level. Mike Reilly looked good early but his play has dropped off significantly lately and Gustav Olofsson is on the job training still.
I truly believe that Scott Stevens is sorely missed, most notably by a guy like Dumba. Stevens had the respect of his players and when he spoke they all stopped and listened. That is an element that is clearly missing, along with some key personnel, in Marco Scandella, Christian Folin, and Nate Prosser.
Folin and Prosser were not flashy by any means but they were both able to step into the lineup and eat up minutes without being true liabilities on the back end.
Not really sure what can be done at this point, but one move I would surely make, would be to take the Captain "C" off of Mikko Koivu. I have written this several times before, but it has come to a point that there are few options to shake this team up. Players are almost guaranteed ice time from the goal out, which is never a good thing in pro sports.
The premature extension to Koivu at $11 million for two more seasons was a terrible decision by Fletcher. Nothing at all against Koivu, he works super hard, and is definitely underrated as far as his playmaking abilities, but he is on the decline. There was no reason to tie up that kind of money into an aging veteran before the season even started. Now with every Wild loss that contract looks worse by the day.
Chuck Fletcher needs to work some magic while Bruce Boudreau must look himself in the mirror and see if he can make his own adjustments to get this team going.
Playing Winnik with Granlund and Koivu does not work. There is always the go to of putting Zucker back with Granlund and Koivu, but even that has not sparked the team. Time to get creative BB.
On a positive note Charlie Coyle is back and looks like he is getting stronger each game. He needs to be a big part of this offense and his size and skill make him a matchup nightmare for opponents. Coyle and Zucker have some very good chemistry, and keeping them together is a must at least for the time being. Foligno would be a great compliment for Zucker's speed and should be able to create space for both Coyle and Zucker with his physical play.
The issue either way is the Wild need to get this turned in the right direction quickly, or they will find themselves out of contention for a playoff berth altogether.
A couple days of practice will be good for the Wild, but practice cannot cure the ills of a defensive unit that is only three men strong at the moment.
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