WildHBcommunity:It's a Nightmare on Kellogg Boulevard for Minnesota Wild
Now is the Time for Solutions Not Avoidance of Reality
Well a short lived positive vibe from the victory over the dumpy Toronto maple Leafs was extinguished by a dumpster fire performance in Dallas on Saturday. I will never be accused of pulling punches when it comes to criticism of the Minnesota Wild, Chuck Fletcher, Mike Yeo, and the mainstream media types that make their living based largely upon access to the team which requires playing the game of politics with the team PR Staff.
I think that given how the Wild responded last season after a oddly similar December meltdown, the front office and coaching staff has been holding their breath hoping for similar bounce back like was the case last season. The reality is that the pieces don't fit for this current roster group put together by Fletcher. Sure losing guys to illness and injury has affected their performance but EVERY team in the NHL is faced with the same.
I am not going to female dog all over this blog because who wants to celebrate being right if it means the team we follow is falling apart and coming off the tracks. What I will say is that I see from my perspective that CERTAIN players get held accountable and receive the repercussions of under performance and lack of effort while others are Teflon.
The worst part of it all is that I don't even have to mention names or highlight specific situations or circumstances because I think anyone that has followed this team or read my stuff knows where the story would go. What I will say is that although this group of veteran players is certainly talented, THEY should look long and hard in the mirror before trying to identify who is not doing their part.
Maybe Yeo's system has been flawed or the rest of the league has adjusted and unlocked the skeleton copy for how to stifle the Wild's attack. Most likely though Yeo is a coach that has been very loyal to his veteran leadership core and fallen on the sword for them when it looked as though he would be out of a job despite maybe it being time to shake things up. Yeo got the gamble right last year by betting that his team would pull out of their tail spin and it earned him a new contract.
This year though it is yet another trend of avoidance by Yeo, I get that he wants to be even keeled and loyal to his squad but his team has failed him digging a hole that appears it wont get back out of. Yeo probably isn't in this alone as Fletcher is staring down the barrel of a second coach hire turning sour and the devastating reality that this squad has taken a step back rather than the promised elevation to a Stanley Cup contender.
Beyond the on the ice performance for the current group, Craig Leipold has been working very hard to reinforce the brand of this organization and ability to leverage on the national level of the NHL and hockey world. To miss the playoffs this season would be yet another opportunity to keep the state of Minnesota in the category of flyover territory in the grand scheme of things i the NHL.
I sure did not see this type of season coming and I honestly hope that Fletcher sees that this current group is just not fitting together the way he had envisioned it. Sure he got leveraged at the goaltender position by Josh Harding's illness, Niklas Backstrom's contract, and Darcy Kuemper failing to launch on a one way deal.
Just the same our franchise player here and captain is NOT an NHL superstar or even a largely productive player in general on most nights besides intangible stuff and defense. I really respect the hell out of Mikko Koivu and I think his overall impact on the game makes the Wild a stronger team on most nights but he has definite shortcomings and has NEVER elevated his play in the playoffs. There exist NO replacement for Koivu in the organization or outside of it recently in my opinion so Fletcher & Yeo are tied to him in good or bad.
The three guys on the roster that have elevated their play the most Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, and Marco Scandella seem to have been reward and empowered the least this year. Now don't get me wrong I think Zach Parise works his ass off every shift every game and Ryan Suter is very talented often like Koivu doing things that minimize opportunities for opponents which certainly should be earning the Wild more victories.
The BUT in all of this is that Yeo continues to be unwilling to afford guys like Zucker or Nino the chance to eclipse guys like Koivu and Jason Pominville which has to obviously affecting the attitude and morale of this team. This current group vets and kids seems to always be looking for someone else to step up and it is just not working.
I realize Fletcher has worked very hard to the Wild without giving away major assets or breaking up either his veteran or young core but it is very realistic to think that if he doesn't come up with a significant move here soon then maybe we will be savaging a different top player personnel guy this time next year.
Here is to hoping I have no idea what i am talking about right? I'd rather have to eat my words with this team winning games and getting their minds right but it just doesn't have that feel to me.
Just My Take, Tony Dean
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