Minnesota Wild General Discussion 2024-25

[BagHead]

Rossi has taken the second most faceoffs on the team at 154 through 14 games, and he's won 50.7% of them. That's slightly better than Eriksson Ek's peak that he finished with last season. Third on the team with 13 points in 14 games. Has points in 11 out of 14 games.

From a guy who looked like he might not be a top six player two seasons ago, he's made massive strides to get where he is now, and he clearly looks like he belongs there. Should still be a lot of room to grow with him.

Point is, there are a lot of guys having a great start to the season, but don't think it can be overstated just how much Rossi's great start is contributing to some of the others. Kaprizov has never had a center like Rossi, even when he played with Eriksson Ek and Boldy last season, Rossi brings a much different profile to the offensive side of the game.

Really like what we have in this guy right now, and I think even if Yurov comes over and they want to keep him as a center, the guy you move down to the third line should be Eriksson Ek. Not necessarily because he's the worst, but because his style meshes more with the third line style this team has historically had, whereas Rossi and [potentially] Yurov would mesh better with the offensive games of Kaprizov and Boldy.

Rossi has been mostly really good. I love the kid, and I hope he continues to develop well. There's no doubt that he's benefited in his stats from playing with Kaprizov, but it's probably true that Kaprizov has also benefited the other way as well, to a lesser degree. I think Rossi is going to be a damned good center in this league, and no one will worry about his size when he reaches his peak. Blah blah same stuff I've said for 5 years now.

I'm not quite with you on Yurov thing. Yet. I'd want to see what Yurov has first, because I have my doubts he'll be good enough to supplant JEE next year, even just offensively. I think people underestimate JEE and overestimate how hard it is to be a top-6 player right after making the jump.

 

[AKL]

I'm not quite with you on Yurov thing. Yet. I'd want to see what Yurov has first, because I have my doubts he'll be good enough to supplant JEE next year, even just offensively.

I'm of the mind that they should just put Yurov at wing and keep Rossi and Eriksson Ek as the top two centers. Watching Johansson, and to a lesser extent Zuccarello, in the top six this and last season has really made me feel like I'd rather stack two lines than try to have a set of two and a lesser third on each line. And I'm not sure who else would fill in as wings in the top six besides Kaprizov and Boldy anyway.

But either way, it doesn't necessarily have to be next season than Yurov supplants Ek offensively, but it could be 2026-27.

 

[DANOZ28]

when yurov comes over i think he should start as rw , then swap rossi / yurov but that line could be pure magic in the nhl! kaprizov / rossi / yurov

 

[MNRube]

when yurov comes over i think he should start as rw , then swap rossi / yurov but that line could be pure magic in the nhl! kaprizov / rossi / yurov

That would be fun. Or put JEE in between Boldy & Kap again and let some combination led by Rossi, Yurov, Hartman create a decent enough 2nd line.

The issue, as always, is where do you hide Zucc if he’s not with 97? He’s struggled mightily the last few years at 5v5 when he is separated from his pal

 

[GordieGallant]

What happened to the prediction thread?

 

[NHL1674]

What happened to the prediction thread?

It's still there.

 

[GordieGallant]

It's still there.

I must have accidentally hit the ignore thread button. It's all good now. Thanks!

 

[MNRube]

Zucc to IR, JEE/Brodin day to day.

Gotta be Ohgren coming up, no?

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Zucc to IR is rough due to the implications, good news is that he is already a father.

 

[Webster]

Zucc to IR is rough due to the implications, good news is that he is already a father.

Was lower abdomen. He also required surgery, successfully done last night.
He's out 3-4 weeks.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Zucc to IR, JEE/Brodin day to day.

Gotta be Ohgren coming up, no?

Kaprizov-Rossi-Hartman
Ohgren-Boldy-Johansson
Foligno-Freddy-Trenin
Lauko-Khusnutdinov-Milne

That’s my best guess for a forward lineup without Zucc or Ek Father. Hartman/Boldy swap if we need to press for a goal.

 

[MNRube]

Kaprizov-Rossi-Hartman
Ohgren-Boldy-Johansson
Foligno-Freddy-Trenin
Lauko-Khusnutdinov-Milne

That’s my best guess for a forward lineup without Zucc or Ek Father. Hartman/Boldy swap if we need to press for a goal.

Hope you’re right. I think Hartman deserves the promotion. Kap is best when he’s playing an honest game and his connection with Zucc, while tremendous at times, leads to pond hockey far too often.

I also wouldn’t mind seeing

Kap-Marat-Boldy
Foligno-Rossi-Hartman
Ohgren-Freddy-Mojo
Lauko-Boyd-Trenin

That 2nd line has been good when put together and I want to see what Marat does in a prolonged audition. I think his speed would open things up for 97 & 12, especially off the rush. Realistically, don’t see that happening but would be fun.

 

[AKL]

Kaprizov-Rossi-Hartman
Ohgren-Boldy-Johansson
Foligno-Freddy-Trenin
Lauko-Khusnutdinov-Milne

That’s my best guess for a forward lineup without Zucc or Ek Father. Hartman/Boldy swap if we need to press for a goal.

Not sure I'm comfortable doing this to Boldy

Kaprizov-Rossi-Johansson
Ohgren-Hartman-Boldy
Foligno-Fred-Trenin
Lauko-Khusnutdinov-Milne

Boldy and Johansson swap when pressing for a goal

 

[NHL1674]

Was lower abdomen. He also required surgery, successfully done last night.
He's out 3-4 weeks.

Wow. I may pick on the guy a lot, but hope he has a speedy recovery. Scary what a puck can do.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Hope you’re right. I think Hartman deserves the promotion. Kap is best when he’s playing an honest game and his connection with Zucc, while tremendous at times, leads to pond hockey far too often.

I also wouldn’t mind seeing

Kap-Marat-Boldy
Foligno-Rossi-Hartman
Ohgren-Freddy-Mojo
Lauko-Boyd-Trenin

That 2nd line has been good when put together and I want to see what Marat does in a prolonged audition. I think his speed would open things up for 97 & 12, especially off the rush. Realistically, don’t see that happening but would be fun.

Wouldn’t mind that, but I have doubts they will put every line through the blender and Johansson seems to avoid playing in the bottom 6 better than everyone (including Kap) on the team.

Not sure I'm comfortable doing this to Boldy

Kaprizov-Rossi-Johansson
Ohgren-Hartman-Boldy
Foligno-Fred-Trenin
Lauko-Khusnutdinov-Milne

Boldy and Johansson swap when pressing for a goal

Hartman sucks at faceoffs though. Boldy wins at a 50% clip or higher. I guess it could work if Boldy takes the draw and Hartman plays the center’s role on the line.

 

[AKL]

Hartman sucks at faceoffs though. Boldy wins at a 50% clip or higher. I guess it could work if Boldy takes the draw and Hartman plays the center’s role on the line.

Boldy can play center if that's what's best, I just meant I'd like to have Hartman with Boldy so he's not on an island with Johansson and Ohgren.

 

[ThatGuy22]

just load up Boldy-Rossi-Kaprizov. They'll score 2 or 3 goals a game and other lines are hard enough to play against, and D is good enough for a short stretch.

2 stars on separate lines with sub optimal support is worse than 1 super line

 

[Webster]

 

[Digitalbooya]

Boldy can play center if that's what's best, I just meant I'd like to have Hartman with Boldy so he's not on an island with Johansson and Ohgren.

Oh, I thought you meant put Boldy through playing at center lol. I hope Ohgren can develop a similar game to Boldy. Johansson can be fired into the sun.

 

[AKL]

Johansson can be fired into the sun.

Not sure I'm comfortable putting the sun through that

 

[57special]

So, Rossi, Hartman, Marat, and Freddy are the C's? I'm good with that.

Wonder what the hell happened to Zucc. I have been hit there twice, both by kicks. Incredibly painful, and the one case took me a good week or so for the swelling to go down, but the puck must've hit him at the edge of the Cup or something. Hopefully it was just some stitches, and not something internal. Groins and lower abdomen muscle tears are the bane of hockey players. Takes all your speed and jump away.

 

[NHL1674]

So, Rossi, Hartman, Marat, and Freddy are the C's? I'm good with that.

Wonder what the hell happened to Zucc. I have been hit there twice, both by kicks. Incredibly painful, and the one case took me a good week or so for the swelling to go down, but the puck must've hit him at the edge of the Cup or something. Hopefully it was just some stitches, and not something internal. Groins and lower abdomen muscle tears are the bane of hockey players. Takes all your speed and jump away.

So you were kicked twice, eh?

 

[Webster]

So, Rossi, Hartman, Marat, and Freddy are the C's? I'm good with that.

Wonder what the hell happened to Zucc. I have been hit there twice, both by kicks. Incredibly painful, and the one case took me a good week or so for the swelling to go down, but the puck must've hit him at the edge of the Cup or something. Hopefully it was just some stitches, and not something internal. Groins and lower abdomen muscle tears are the bane of hockey players. Takes all your speed and jump away.

As usual they won't say anything about the details. But being sent to hospital and then straight on the operating table indicates something bad. It's the second time he ends up there after a hockey related injury, 10 years ago he was hit in the head.

I heard Faber feels miserable, poor guy, but we know it was an accident.

 

[ThatGuy22]

So, Rossi, Hartman, Marat, and Freddy are the C's? I'm good with that.

Wonder what the hell happened to Zucc. I have been hit there twice, both by kicks. Incredibly painful, and the one case took me a good week or so for the swelling to go down, but the puck must've hit him at the edge of the Cup or something. Hopefully it was just some stitches, and not something internal. Groins and lower abdomen muscle tears are the bane of hockey players. Takes all your speed and jump away.

Exploded nut... E5

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Had a buddy take one in that area when we were playing in highschool and he also had to have surgery. He was one of those kids that didn’t wear a cup. Never made sense to me why you wouldn’t. Saw the sack of balls after the fact: The one nut was the size of a grapefruit. They had to put a tube in to drain it.