Minnesota Wild General Discussion - 2023-24

[AKL]

That's a ton of great forwards to choose from

Defense:
Hughes
Fox
Werenski
Carlson
Harley
Hanifin
Faber
McAvoy
Sanderson
Slavin
Jones
Skjei


Goalies:
Hellebuyck
Demko
Oettinger
Swayman
Gibson

Great news for USA fans, the Olympic team is going to be stacked

 

[Sweetnut]

Self proclaimed biggest Boldy supporter on these boards here,

Boldy's biggest problem is that there are several guys who are definitely better players:

Matthews
M Tkachuk
Robertson
Guentzel
Keller
Hughes
Larkin
Eichel
JT Miller
Connor

And then there are guys who are in the same tier that he needs to differentiate himself from, either by playing a better two-way game (his isn't bad, just doesn't stand out as one of his strengths) or by improving his offense:

Boldy
B Tkachuk
Trochek
Kreider
Boeser
DeBrincat
Caufield
Gaudreau (which Gaudreau are we getting? Could be in the 'definitely better' tier)
Tage Thompson
Kane

Then there are guys who could very well be better than him in a couple years if he doesn't improve much:

Cooley
Gauthier
Beniers
Will Smith

I'm sure I forgot some names, but the point is he's not definitively in the top 12 or even 13-14.

Ok, I don't know half of these last few guys as well as I should. DeBrincat and Boeser stands out. I'm just hoping that Boldy is gonna improve his all around game the next season. Thank you.

 

[BagHead]

Ok, I'm gonna play ball. Name the 12 players that's ahead of him.
(Yes, I'm a big Boldy fan)

Matt Tkatchuk - Auston Matthews - Clayton Keller
Jason Robertson - JT Miller - Vincent Trochek
Jake Guentzel - Jack Hughes - Brady Tkatchuk
Dylan Larkin - Jack Eichel - Kyle Connor
Brock Boeser (arguably)

Handedness is a little crazy on this lineup, but that aside, I'm not sure who he would be able to displace from that team today. By the time the Olympics actually rolls around, I'm sure he can beat out a couple of them at least. Having more than one dimension of his game being very good would help a lot with that. The US won't hurt for offense, but another near point-per-game defensively strong player would be a huge add.

 

[AKL]

Matt Tkatchuk - Auston Matthews - Clayton Keller
Jason Robertson - JT Miller - Vincent Trochek
Jake Guentzel - Jack Hughes - Brady Tkatchuk
Dylan Larkin - Jack Eichel - Kyle Connor
Brock Boeser (arguably)

Handedness is a little crazy on this lineup, but that aside, I'm not sure who he would be able to displace from that team today. By the time the Olympics actually rolls around, I'm sure he can beat out a couple of them at least. Having more than one dimension of his game being very good would help a lot with that. The US won't hurt for offense, but another near point-per-game defensively strong player would be a huge add.

For what it's worth, Trochek and Boeser probably aren't on this projection if we're having this conversation a year ago. So those are the two most obtainable rosters spots for him. Connor of this season also isn't a lock for the team. Connor of three seasons ago is. Guentzel and Larkin are other spots I could see being more open, depending on how they do the next couple of years. Jack Hughes may be injured at the time. A lot will depend on how guys do in the next season or so (I'm not sure when Olympic rosters are set).

 

[Sweetnut]

Matt Tkatchuk - Auston Matthews - Clayton Keller
Jason Robertson - JT Miller - Vincent Trochek
Jake Guentzel - Jack Hughes - Brady Tkatchuk
Dylan Larkin - Jack Eichel - Kyle Connor
Brock Boeser (arguably)

Handedness is a little crazy on this lineup, but that aside, I'm not sure who he would be able to displace from that team today. By the time the Olympics actually rolls around, I'm sure he can beat out a couple of them at least. Having more than one dimension of his game being very good would help a lot with that. The US won't hurt for offense, but another near point-per-game defensively strong player would be a huge add.

Yeah, when I look at that lineup I'm gonna have to think more about it. I'm just a homer fool.

 

[Wabit]

Ok, I'm gonna play ball. Name the 12 players that's ahead of him.
(Yes, I'm a big Boldy fan)

Lists have been made by others and I agree with them.

I wasn't trying to knock Boldy or anything. The US just has a large pool of very good players to choose from.

 

[Sweetnut]

Lists have been made by others and I agree with them.

I wasn't trying to knock Boldy or anything. The US just has a large pool of very good players to choose from.

I know. I'm the fool here.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Ohgren working with Matt Harder and Andy Ness is exactly what I want to hear. I’m hoping he can be a guy that will be excellent next to Rossi on the second line.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

These were my 12 USA forwards:

M. Tkachuk - Matthews - Kane
Robertson - Eichel - Hughes
Miller - Larkin - Connor
B. Tkachuk - Thompson - Tuch

Not sure how many of them PK. Only 1 Boldy's class or younger.

 

[keppel146]

Ohgren working with Matt Harder and Andy Ness is exactly what I want to hear. I’m hoping he can be a guy that will be excellent next to Rossi on the second line.

Was there a tweet or story?

 

[Digitalbooya]

Was there a tweet or story?

Briefly mentioned on Worst Seats in the House

 

[Sweetnut]

Ohgren working with Matt Harder and Andy Ness is exactly what I want to hear. I’m hoping he can be a guy that will be excellent next to Rossi on the second line.

I'm not too sure Öhgren is a second line talent at this point. Give him a year in the AHL and a couple of years on the third line.

 

[AKL]

I'm not too sure Öhgren is a second line talent at this point. Give him a year in the AHL and a couple of years on the third line.

He might be ready for our second line. Especially if he can finish. A Zuccarello-Rossi line needs someone who can work down low and get the puck to Rossi in the slot/crease area too.

Might not be the greatest second line we've ever had, but I can't see it being worse than having Johansson in that spot.

 

[Sweetnut]

He might be ready for our second line. Especially if he can finish. A Zuccarello-Rossi line needs someone who can work down low and get the puck to Rossi in the slot/crease area too.

Might not be the greatest second line we've ever had, but I can't see it being worse than having Johansson in that spot.

Agree on that. But it is a giant step from the SHL to the NHL.

 

[AKL]

Agree on that. But it is a giant step from the SHL to the NHL.

You're probably right about him, I just really don't want to watch Johansson on that line anymore

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I like the sound of Ohgren-Rossi-Hartman

 

[AKL]

Hypothetically, if Jeff Skinner were to be bought out this summer, would anyone be interested in signing him, and if so, what would be the max amount of term and dollars you'd give?

I like the sound of Ohgren-Rossi-Hartman

I like this a lot but I suspect Hynes and Guerin don't think Zuccarello is a big reason behind why that line sucked last year.

 

[Sweetnut]

You're probably right about him, I just really don't want to watch Johansson on that line anymore

Me neither, but to keep things real, he's useless in any other position. His strength lies in his skating and his entries. He's not a grinder, and he's surely not a stellar forechecker. At this point, he's just a placeholder for our next big free agent signing after the cap hell is over.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Personally, I think Hartman is a better center than everyone but Ek. Rossi should be getting minutes with younger players that play a more puck possession game. With that in mind, I would like to see:

Kap-Ek-Boldy (18 minutes)
Ohgren-Rossi-Heidt (15 minutes)
Khusnutdinov-Hartman-Zucc (15 minutes)
Foligno-Gaudreau-Johansson (12 minutes)
Letteri
Shaw

Lines 2 and 3 are interchangeable. Unfortunately, I don’t see Hynes letting a line like Ohgren-Rossi-Heidt be a thing.

 

[Wabit]

Personally, I think Hartman is a better center than everyone but Ek. Rossi should be getting minutes with younger players that play a more puck possession game. With that in mind, I would like to see:

Kap-Ek-Boldy (18 minutes)
Ohgren-Rossi-Heidt (15 minutes)
Khusnutdinov-Hartman-Zucc (15 minutes)
Foligno-Gaudreau-Johansson (12 minutes)
Letteri
Shaw

Lines 2 and 3 are interchangeable. Unfortunately, I don’t see Hynes letting a line like Ohgren-Rossi-Heidt be a thing.

A agree with you about Hartman.

Kap-JEE-Heidt (boom or bust for Heidt in his 9 games)
Boldy-Hartman-Zucc
Foligno-Rossi-Ohgren
MarJo-Freddy G-(Facepuncher GMBG picks up off the scrap heap)

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Personally, I think Hartman is a better center than everyone but Ek. Rossi should be getting minutes with younger players that play a more puck possession game. With that in mind, I would like to see:

Kap-Ek-Boldy (18 minutes)
Ohgren-Rossi-Heidt (15 minutes)
Khusnutdinov-Hartman-Zucc (15 minutes)
Foligno-Gaudreau-Johansson (12 minutes)
Letteri
Shaw

Lines 2 and 3 are interchangeable. Unfortunately, I don’t see Hynes letting a line like Ohgren-Rossi-Heidt be a thing.

I don’t see a lot of coaches putting together Rookie-2nd Year-Rookie lines.

 

[Wabit]

I don’t see a lot of coaches putting together Rookie-2nd Year-Rookie lines.

It's kind of hard to avoid with all of Heidt. Marat K., Ohgren, and Rossi all projected to be on the opening night roster. You could go a little further and add Beckman, Milne, and a surprise in camp rookie into that mix.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

It's kind of hard to avoid with all of Heidt. Marat K., Ohgren, and Rossi all projected to be on the opening night roster. You could go a little further and add Beckman, Milne, and a surprise in camp rookie into that mix.

We’re going to play 15 forwards?

 

[Wabit]

We’re going to play 15 forwards?

2 injuries to vets out of camp and there could be 6 ~100 game or less FWDs on the opening night roster. Even with a healthy team there is 4 of them penciled in currently. Boldy with 200 games is a grizzled vet by comparison.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I don’t see a lot of coaches putting together Rookie-2nd Year-Rookie lines.

Edit: misread. Wasn’t Zucker-Coyle-Nino a thing called the kid line?

I don’t see where Heidt makes this team unless you’re putting Zucc and Hartman with two 1st/2nd year players.