Prospect Info: Joel Eriksson Ek (C) - 20th Overall, 2015

[SomethingGeneric]

Fletcher has improved the Minnesota Wild since he became the GM so I consider him successful.

 

[Ban Hammered]

Not quite sure what you're saying with that last sentence. Fletcher trying and failing to win would definitely both make him a bad GM and the moves in question bad moves.

Only one team wins a Cup. So does that make every GM that doesn't win it after making moves a bad GM and make the moves bad?
If that's the only standard on good or bad...then a whole lot of guys should be looking for jobs.
He knew we had a weakness and he addressed it. Hanzal has been great for us and is not the problem. The goaltending has been subpar and that's my only issuee. We should have gotten a backup and fired Kuemper out of a cannon.
But he has made plenty of moves to make this team better and that Can Not be denied. Some just choose to focus on the bad....when no GM in the history of sports has ever gotten them all right.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

If you're acting like Fletcher should have done nothing at the TDL because ultimately we ended up nose diving off a cliff, then there's not a whole lot that can be said to you. He can only make decisions based upon what he knows at the time, and at the time it appeared our only real weaknesses were in the bottom 6. He addressed those.

And again, as you've been told time and time before, the draft picks are not worth much value wise apart from being used as trade chips. We already have one of the deeper forward prospect pools in the league. We also have a few decent defensive prospects left. We don't NEED more prospects. We NEED to shore up our holes to make a playoff run. And it's still not too late to do that.

Hindsight is 20/20 and you can't fault CF for not being able to see the future.

PS burning a year for JEE to help with the playoff run. Not to mention with Kunin, Greenway and Tuch possibly burning their first year NEXT year, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to save JEE until next year so we have all four of those contracts expiring in the same year.

Tuch burned his this year.

 

[SomethingGeneric]

Just looked at Espn and they have him at 11 shots in 13 games. Not sure how accurate espn is with hockey stats but if it's true I'd like to see him be a little more assertive and drive some offense out there.

 

[Minnesota]

 

[Minnesota]

 

[Nharris31]

Hopefully he gets to play with better players than White and Stewart.

 

[Hugart]

Hopefully he gets to play with better players than White and Stewart.

Here's team Sweden so far. Maybe put him with Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask? But maybe they will keep the Hurricaners' together with Nordström there too. The forward side looks a bit weak overall anyway, especially with Landeskog ruining everything. Defence looks good though.

I think Ek has scored in every debut and comeback he has done, at least this season. So let's hope he does it again against Russia.

 

[Fremitus Borealis]

Awesome, great news for him. Hopefully gives his confidence and development a boost.

 

[Hugart]

I know this link is in Swedish but I couldn't find any news in English. Ek won an award for 'Junior player of the year' in Sweden.

I can translate the motivation:

"The 20-year old forward started the season in Minnesota Wild, which is the team he was drafted by in the first round, 20th overall in 2015. In NHL he played fifteen games and scored 7 points, three goals. The rest of the season followed:

* Back to SHL and Färjestad where he scored 16 points.
* Obvious choice for captain in WJC, where he scored a total of nine points. In this tournament he was also picked as one of the top three players in Sweden.
* Three points in three games during Sweden Hockey Games.
* Six points in the SHL playoffs, best in Färjestad."

Some of the previous winners are Peter Forsberg, Daniel och Henrik Sedin, Nicklas Bäckström, Victor Hedman.

Fun stuff.

 

[Minnesota]

Thanks for the translation!

 

[57special]

Really want to like this guy, but does he remind anyone else of Graovac? I just don't see much in the way of offense, at all.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Really want to like this guy, but does he remind anyone else of Graovac? I just don't see much in the way of offense, at all.

I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt based on who he has been playing with. I think starting out of the gate with one or two of Parise/Coyle on his wings would've been worlds different.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Really want to like this guy, but does he remind anyone else of Graovac? I just don't see much in the way of offense, at all.

Kind of an interesting game to do make the comment on, as I thought it was his (and Kunin's) best game in a while. They generated a number of chances and had good zone time. They were actually noticeable out there for the first time in 4 or 5 games.

But Graovac was 23 when he got his shot with the Wild, JEE is 20. Not really a far comparison. I'd say he reminds me more of rookie Coyle where he's trying to defer to much and doesn't realize he's a big guy with skills, and can make things happen.

Linemates have also been less than ideal situation for a 20 year old rookie with him playing mostly with Foligno, Stewert and Winnik, none of whom can cycle the puck to save their life. And he seems like a strong off the cycle type of player. He doesn't have more than 20 minutes of icetime yet to qualify for WOWY charts with any of Koivu, Granlund, Zucker, Nino or Staal.

 

[FVM]

I'd say he reminds me more of rookie Coyle where he's trying to defer to much and doesn't realize he's a big guy with skills, and can make things happen.

That's actually a very good comparison. I've had a similar impression but couldn't put my finger on it.

 

[BagHead]

Kind of an interesting game to do make the comment on, as I thought it was his (and Kunin's) best game in a while. They generated a number of chances and had good zone time. They were actually noticeable out there for the first time in 4 or 5 games.

But Graovac was 23 when he got his shot with the Wild, JEE is 20. Not really a far comparison. I'd say he reminds me more of rookie Coyle where he's trying to defer to much and doesn't realize he's a big guy with skills, and can make things happen.

Linemates have also been less than ideal situation for a 20 year old rookie with him playing mostly with Foligno, Stewert and Winnik, none of whom can cycle the puck to save their life. And he seems like a strong off the cycle type of player. He doesn't have more than 20 minutes of icetime yet to qualify for WOWY charts with any of Koivu, Granlund, Zucker, Nino or Staal.

Where's Jim Dowd when you need him? Anyway, great post. I don't really have much to add besides a goofy comment. I see things similarly.

 

[Minnesota]

Love his physicality. He's making hits and drawing penalties. I'd like to see him drive to the net and shoot more, but maybe that will come with time.

 

[Nsjohnson]

Yeah I see a NHLer for sure. He can shoot, he can defend, and he can pass. He's smart. He may never be an offensive dynamo, but he will develop into a top 6 player for sure.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Wish he was in a situation where he could play with the puck more.

 

[Bazeek]

Wish he was in a situation where he could play with the puck more.

I think he needs to go down to Iowa once Coyle gets back. Not that he's doing terrible; he looks pretty good defensively and all that. But he needs to build some confidence offensively.

 

[57special]

He's already an above average defender in the NHL, but he has got to work on his FO's. We need him to be a Center. If Haula can do it, he can do it.

 

[Nharris31]

I think he needs to go down to Iowa once Coyle gets back. Not that he's doing terrible; he looks pretty good defensively and all that. But he needs to build some confidence offensively.

Not sure how he is supposed to do it playing with Winnik I would like to see him playing with Coyle are somebody who is not a fourth liner.

 

[Bazeek]

Not sure how he is supposed to do it playing with Winnik I would like to see him playing with Coyle are somebody who is not a fourth liner.

I wouldn't hate to see him with a better winger in Winnik's spot once Coyle gets back, but if he still isn't producing I think he should go down.

 

[Dakota Sioux]

Still pissed they didn’t take Brock Boeser instead. Already with 11 goals on the year for the hated Canucks. With that said it’s way to early to say who will have the better career but dang Brock played puck growing up in the Wilds backyard.

 

[Ban Hammered]

Still pissed they didn’t take Brock Boeser instead. Already with 11 goals on the year for the hated Canucks. With that said it’s way to early to say who will have the better career but dang Brock played puck growing up in the Wilds backyard.

And?
The Wild are damned if they do and damned if they don't when it comes to local guys. If they pick one and they bust...well they should have gone with someone else. If they don't pick one and they do well....why didn't we pick the home guy? It's a no win.