Minnesota Wild General Discussion - 2023-24

[Obvious Fabertism]

Nothing to do with Hartman, everything to do with Ek.

Ek belongs in the top 6.

Like always, he will get plenty of minutes. It’s just the order of the lines on paper, it’s far likelier that JEE line gets more 5v5 time, Boldy gets PP and swapped in and around if he’s going that night to make into top 6 minutes too.

 

[Sweetnut]

Freddy played like ass before he went to IR. Now that he´s back, I expect him to be important on the ice and the scoresheet. So I don´t mind him getting some time with that line.

 

[TaLoN]

Like always, he will get plenty of minutes. It’s just the order of the lines on paper, it’s far likelier that JEE line gets more 5v5 time, Boldy gets PP and swapped in and around if he’s going that night to make into top 6 minutes too.

It's not about line order on paper, it's about linemates.

Ek has proven to be more than just a grinder, yet that is all Deano wants out of him

I'd rather go

Kap-Rossi-Johansson
Zucc-Ek-Boldy
Foligno-Freddy-Hartman
Duhaime-Dewar-Maroon

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

It's not about line order, it's about linemates.

Ek has proven to be more than just a grinder, yet that is all Deano wants out of him

Ek has shown an ability to carry pretty much anyone he plays with to success and nearly single-handedly control play against the other teams top offensive lines. Having him eat those matchups while Boldy and Kap are on the bench and waiting for easier competition seems like a good idea to help them get going.

Edit: Seeing your lines, I don’t think that they want to promote Johansson right now. Though I see what you are going for with Kap needing an entry guy right now. Idk, I don’t think that does much against Colorado, they are well practiced at defending speed entries, dumps and physical pressure on their defensemen are far more effective against that team specifically.

 

[TaLoN]

Ek has shown an ability to carry pretty much anyone he plays with to success and nearly single-handedly control play against the other teams top offensive lines. Having him eat those matchups while Boldy and Kap are on the bench and waiting for easier competition seems like a good idea to help them get going.

It's a waste of Ek, Boldy plays a very good all around game and can help make teams pay more for their mistakes.

Again, Ek is MORE than a grinder. Pigeonholing him as one is weakening the team. Ek can help offense a LOT MORE than Freddy can. Freddy is a grinder, who when put in an offensive role, holds his linemates back because he can't keep up and has little creativity and is a mediocre passer.

We've seen this Freddy in the top 6 mess too many times to think it will turn out any differently. He doesn't belong outside the bottom 6 unless injuries force him up the lineup.

 

[AKL]

It's a waste of Ek, Boldy plays a very good all around game and can help make teams pay more for their mistakes.

Again, Ek is MORE than a grinder. Pigeonholing him as one is weakening the team. Ek can help offense a LOT MORE than Freddy can. Freddy is a grinder, who when put in an offensive role, holds his linemates back because he can't keep up and has little creativity and is a mediocre passer.

We've seen this Freddy in the top 6 mess too many times to think it will turn out any differently. He doesn't belong outside the bottom 6 unless injuries force him up the lineup.

He's desperately trying to recreate 2021-22

 

[TaLoN]

He's desperately trying to recreate 2021-22

There's a certain player missing to accomplish that...

 

[AKL]

There's a certain player missing to accomplish that...

I know. Dean may not, but I do. Goes back to the whole thing where, yes it's the GM's fault for not coming up with a quality roster, but Dean, as an NHL head coach, should be able to recognize and understand what he has now, and that it's not going to work the same as what he had in 2021-22, and adjust, but he's incapable of adjusting.

 

[Wabit]

Practice today...
Poor Boldy, Deano must be in love with Gaudreau.

Line's 2 and 3 need to be reversed. Nice to see Dean do some actual lineup things. Balance the top-6 for scoring with roughly a goal per game for each line. Have a bottom-6 line that chips in half a goal a game. Have a bottom-6 line that you just hope doesn't get scored on because it adds no scoring.

Combined goals:
Kap/Rossi/Zucc (16)
Foligno/JEE/Hartman (17)
MarJo/Freddy G/Boldy (2)
Duhaime/Dewar/Maroon (8)

FFS the extra's have twice as many goals as one of the FWD lines.

 

[AKL]

Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello
Boldy-Ek-Hartman
Foligno-Gaudreau-Johansson
Duhaime-Dewar-Maroon

ezpz

 

[Wabit]

Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello
Boldy-Ek-Hartman
Foligno-Gaudreau-Johansson
Duhaime-Dewar-Maroon

ezpz

Foligno is a better 2-way (and d-zone) player than Boldy, they shouldn't be swapped. The JEE line is the one that gets heavy d-zone starts, why make it worse in the d-zone?

 

[AKL]

Foligno is a better 2-way (and d-zone) player than Boldy, they shouldn't be swapped. The JEE line is the one that gets heavy d-zone starts, why make it worse in the d-zone?

Yeah Foligno definitely hits harder than Boldy, that's about it

 

[DigitalBoldy]

f***ing Deano.... he's obsessed with trying to get another GREEF line.

Eriksson Ek is the only one that can make Foligno look competent. I don’t have a problem with the lines. It’s not like Boldy and Ek have some otherworldly chemistry.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

The best lineup doesn’t exis…

Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello
Boldy-Ek-Hartman
Foligno-Gaudreau-Johansson
Duhaime-Dewar-Maroon

ezpz

God damn

 

[Wabit]

Yeah Foligno definitely hits harder than Boldy, that's about it

Boldy is better, or should be at least, than Foligno in the o-zone, Foligno is much better in the d-zone. So you play Boldy in a more sheltered o-zone heavy start after the JEE line (with Foligno) does the hard work getting the puck from the d-zone into the o-zone. MN is missing the 1C (even a top-6 C) to make the FWD lineup make sense:

Kap/1C/Zucc - 1st line
Foligno/JEE/Hartman - 2A, matchup/d-zone line
MarJo/Rossi/Boldy - 2B, matchup/o-zone line
Dewey1/Dewey2/Freddy G/Maroon (in some combo) - 4th line

Until the hole at 1C is filled it's just rearranging the deck chairs with Freddy G, Hartman, and Rossi playing over their heads.

 

[AKL]

Boldy is better, or should be at least, than Foligno in the o-zone, Foligno is much better in the d-zone. So you play Boldy in a more sheltered o-zone heavy start after the JEE line (with Foligno) does the hard work getting the puck from the d-zone into the o-zone. MN is missing the 1C (even a top-6 C) to make the FWD lineup make sense:

Kap/1C/Zucc - 1st line
Foligno/JEE/Hartman - 2A, matchup/d-zone line
MarJo/Rossi/Boldy - 2B, matchup/o-zone line
Dewey1/Dewey2/Freddy G/Maroon (in some combo) - 4th line

Until the hole at 1C is filled it's just rearranging the deck chairs with Freddy G, Hartman, and Rossi playing over their heads.

Eriksson Ek is also the best two center on the team so I have no interest in keeping him in a third line defensive role when he's capable of more

Best players play with best players to get best results

Your idea is the same outdated idea Dean has when he makes his lines

 

[NHL1674]

Evason supporting the tank.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

The mob has their pitchforks out

I think Johansson continuing to get minutes in the top 6 is a joke. A bigger joke than Gaudreau “above” Eriksson Ek. We all know Eriksson Ek is going to get his minutes in. He averages more minutes per game than all forwards but Kaprizov.

Every line that Eriksson Ek is on does well. You use that to your advantage to create line mismatches against opponents if he’s on a line with Foligno and Hartman. Of course, this only works if Kap and Boldy actually produce like they are paid to do.

 

[TaLoN]

The mob has their pitchforks out

I think Johansson continuing to get minutes in the top 6 is a joke. A bigger joke than Gaudreau “above” Eriksson Ek. We all know Eriksson Ek is going to get his minutes in. He averages more minutes per game than all forwards but Kaprizov.

Every line that Eriksson Ek is on does well. You use that to your advantage to create line mismatches against opponents if he’s on a line with Foligno and Hartman. Of course, this only works if Kap and Boldy actually produce like they are paid to do.

Foligno is only a mismatch in the opposition's favor against top lines.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Foligno is only a mismatch in the opposition's favor against top lines.

Stats say otherwise, real and advanced, he is not a problem on the ice and in fact quite the opposite. I have liked his game this season except his finishing. Player preferences are fine, but its disingenuous IMO to pretend like he hasn't looked significantly better than his one injury riddled season last year.

Marcus Foligno - Summary - Natural Stat Trick

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Foligno is only a mismatch in the opposition's favor against top lines.

Eriksson Ek says no.

Stats say otherwise, real and advanced, he is not a problem on the ice and in fact quite the opposite. I have liked his game this season except his finishing. Player preferences are fine, but it disingenuous IMO to pretend like he hasn't looked significantly better than his one injury riddled season last year.

Marcus Foligno - Summary - Natural Stat Trick

I haven’t really seen any obnoxiously stupid penalties either. He’s just a typical big bodied third liner.

 

[Wabit]

Eriksson Ek is also the best two center on the team so I have no interest in keeping him in a third line defensive role when he's capable of more

Best players play with best players to get best results

Your idea is the same outdated idea Dean has when he makes his lines

Put the "best players" all together and MN is a 1 line team that is stupidly easy to shut down. The players are sprinkled throughout the lineup. Playing matchups is something that should be done, not the just run 4 lines like DE has done. It's one of the areas he gets exposed in the Playoffs every year.

Boldy need to be better (as does Kap). It's not his linemates at this point it's on him. He's the one not finishing the chances (some of them very good chances) he gets. He's the one being paid the big money, he needs to be the one carrying his line.

 

[AKL]

Put the "best players" all together and MN is a 1 line team that is stupidly easy to shut down. The players are sprinkled throughout the lineup. Playing matchups is something that should be done, not the just run 4 lines like DE has done. It's one of the areas he gets exposed in the Playoffs every year.

Boldy need to be better (as does Kap). It's not his linemates at this point it's on him. He's the one not finishing the chances (some of them very good chances) he gets. He's the one being paid the big money, he needs to be the one carrying his line.

If you'd rather stand on principle than results, sure.

I will agree that Kaprizov and Boldy need to be better though.

 

[DeagleJenkins]

Kap has a $9m cap hit, that isn't an amount that teams can just make work at this point in the season. There are maybe 7 teams that could take him at a full cap hit without sending too much bad cap back. 3 of those teams (CHI, AZ, and NSH) are in the same division. Another (ANA) is in the same Conference. So that leaves BUF, DET, and CBJ as ideal landing spots. DET is the only team of the 7 with a winning record (a couple are .500).

Kap is a TDL or offseason trade player/contract.

I’m not saying he needs to be traded now but getting a gauge on others value of him would be good. Also gives teams the idea it’s an option and once he heats up they may be enticed to bite the bullet.

 

[Wabit]

If you'd rather stand on principle than results, sure.

I will agree that Kaprizov and Boldy need to be better though.

Boldy doesn't have the results 75% of the time. He gets white hot for 10-20 games with his shot but is ice cold for half a season before that. If it was Pommer or Vanek with 1g in 10 games people would by crying they shouldn't be anywhere near the top-6.

Foligno belongs nowhere near the top-6 either, but currently he is playing well and at +5 is contributing in positive ways overall to the club at even strength.