Minnesota Wild General Discussion 2024-25

[Sweetnut]

I'm done with Hartman at this point. Just ship him to Russia already.

 

[NHL1674]

I'm done with Hartman at this point. Just ship him to Russia already.

Let's not be harsh. Send him to Buffalo.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Not to be that guy, but Rossi’s total TOI/gp takes a hit when he isn’t on the top power play or penalty kill like Ek. Looking strictly at even strength, Rossi is 4th on the team and FIRST among centers for TOI/gp. Over 1 minute more than Ek. ~2.5 minutes more than Hartman. ~3.5 minutes more than Gaudreau. ~6.5 minutes more than Khusnutdinov.

Comparing his ice time to Boldy/Zucc and how they never get demoted is problematic. I mean, are we advocating for Johansson to be over Boldy? Hartman over Zucc? Our wingers are so abysmal after Kap, Boldy and Zucc. And it leads to the same spot of Rossi having shit wingers no matter which way you slice it.

I think there is some complacency among the wingers because we don’t have many high scoring guys and our franchise player has been out and will be out for at least a month. They don’t feel threatened for their spot. Getting guys like Yurov over and signing a quality winger in free agency would be huge.

I’m dreaming, but imagine if we traded Hartman/Spurgeon and then used that cap (+rising cap ceiling) to sign Rantanen…

Boldy-Rossi-Rantanen
Kaprizov-Eriksson Ek-Zuccarello
Ohgren-Yurov-Gaudreau (babysitter)

Most of this setup is interchangeable where people wouldn’t be pissed at who is playing with who because they are all solid options.

 

[Prior]

It’s hard for me to really have a problem with how the Wild have handled Rossi since he’s been in their system despite the consistent outcry on this board year over year. All the organization has done is get him the tools and put him in position to improve his game year over year and he has done it to his credit.

This is a long season and there is development to be had. We’re talking about a guy that sees the ice plenty, is still improving, and the Wild have a vested interest in seeing him do so. I think there is something to be said to give him time on lines where he is the best player on it so he can learn how to drive the play and not be just another passenger that this team has developed time and time again. Playing on lines where the expectation is to get the puck in and go to work is only going to help someone of his stature continue fine tune his game. There is a time and place to play the seam pass game that the team’s top line players are quick to default to but if Rossi is going to be the player they need him to be, he needs to evolve beyond that. This is where Boldy by contrast is really getting hung up.

I’d get the frustration if we’re talking about a prospect of his stature who is not improving but that’s not what’s happening here. It’s hard for me to criticize the approach as well as the execution from the player when things are going about as well as you could hope for from a developmental standpoint. This is not a finished product and there is more work to be done. At this point I have no reason than not to trust both team and player that they are doing what needs to be done given where we started and where we are.

 

[Luceni]

I know some people don't have the stomach to think about "conspiracy theories" or whatever, don't really care anymore. This isn't about a conspiracy against Rossi, it's not about perpetuating the idea that Rossi is a victim, it's purely about stupid coaching decisions.

I'm sick of seeing these lineup decisions that get made game after game.

When lines get juggled and someone has to play with scrubs, it's Rossi. Rossi is the one put between guys like Foligno and Trenin (and this year, Hartman). Why? He's been our second most consistent offensive player all year, arguably second best overall.

Boldy rarely gets dropped down to play with Gaudreau, Trenin or Foligno, if he even has? He's definitely been bad enough at times to deserve it.
Zuccarello hasn't, I'm not even sure he was playing tonight. He's worthless most nights. He's never been dropped down the lineup.
Eriksson Ek has been shit all season. I don't know if there's an injury or what, but he's been terrible. He belongs on the line with Foligno and Trenin. That's his game, those are his people. Not even sure it's been considered by this coaching staff.

I recognize that Rossi isn't perfect, and he has off games as well, but I will reiterate that he's been our second most consistent forward this season after Kaprizov. When you look at the players they want producing, Boldy and Zuccarello, they've both had their best stretches with Rossi as their center.

So why are we continuously trying to force square pegs into round holes?

Stop spreading out talent when there isn't enough talent to spread out. I get we don't want to be a one line team, but a one line team is better than a zero line team. You cannot rely on guys like Foligno and Trenin and Gaudreau to score consistently. It's great when it's happening, but it is not something you can rely on. And you can't rely on Rossi or Boldy generating enough offense on their own to get these guys scoring with any consistency.

Foligno is on pace for 30 points in a full season. Get him off Rossi's wing. You're shooting yourself in the foot by hamstringing your best center that way.

Glad you posted this, 100% agree. Maybe some posters will listen and get their head out of Hynes/Guerins ass.

 

[Luceni]

Oh and btw: Ryan Hartman had lost all the credit with that "play" against Stützle. That play was just dumb, unnecessary and dangerous. I get it that he was frustrated about the game and the piss poor season he's having. But plays like that should have nothing to do with hockey, I'm disgusted to be honest.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I just think it's a defensible thing to always play your best center with your best winger, no matter who is in and out of the lineup.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

I just think it's a defensible thing to always play your best center with your best winger, no matter who is in and out of the lineup.

“Best” amongst non-Kaprizov players is arguable. it feels like this a shift back towards the Evason philosophy of never changing the lines.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

“Best” amongst non-Kaprizov players is arguable. it feels like this a shift back towards the Evason philosophy of never changing the lines.

Outside of those 2 spots, there are 10 others that you can move around. I would just have that as a starting point. Don't try to "spread the wealth" when you aren't actually all that wealthy.

 

[57special]

“Best” amongst non-Kaprizov players is arguable. it feels like this a shift back towards the Evason philosophy of never changing the lines.

I thought Evason was more of a "veteran first" guy when he was here, giving them lots of rope while being tough on younger players. In Columbus, however, he is playing, and succeeding with a young team, at least relative to expectations. Hynes also tends to prefer veterans over younger players. Makes me wonder if Guerin is the guy who is insisting that his coaches play"my guys" even if they are playing poorly.

 

[Crosside]

Oh and btw: Ryan Hartman had lost all the credit with that "play" against Stützle. That play was just dumb, unnecessary and dangerous. I get it that he was frustrated about the game and the piss poor season he's having. But plays like that should have nothing to do with hockey, I'm disgusted to be honest.

Sens fan here. Bruce Garrioch reporter from Ottawa said Hartman will have a in person hearing. So 5 games minimum

 

[Mattilaus]

Let's not be harsh. Send him to Buffalo.

Hey now, no need to be mean!

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Outside of those 2 spots, there are 10 others that you can move around. I would just have that as a starting point. Don't try to "spread the wealth" when you aren't actually all that wealthy.

Of what 2 spots? Kaprizov isn’t playing, so we cannot have our best center with our best winger right now.

I thought Evason was more of a "veteran first" guy when he was here, giving them lots of rope while being tough on younger players. In Columbus, however, he is playing, and succeeding with a young team, at least relative to expectations. Hynes also tends to prefer veterans over younger players. Makes me wonder if Guerin is the guy who is insisting that his coaches play"my guys" even if they are playing poorly.

I don’t remember him being tough on Boldy or Faber or Kaprizov. Evason did play Rossi between Kap and Zucc near the beginning of last year too, I believe.

In fact, one could reasonably argue that Boldy’s inconsistencies might be because he never got the short end of the stick when it came to demoting players. Might be why they have a stick up their ass about Rossi moving all around the lineup.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Of what 2 spots? Kaprizov isn’t playing, so we cannot have our best center with our best winger right now.

I thought it kind of went without saying that you put your lineup together with the active players that you have.

 

[AKL]

It’s hard for me to really have a problem with how the Wild have handled Rossi since he’s been in their system despite the consistent outcry on this board year over year. All the organization has done is get him the tools and put him in position to improve his game year over year and he has done it to his credit.

This is a long season and there is development to be had. We’re talking about a guy that sees the ice plenty, is still improving, and the Wild have a vested interest in seeing him do so. I think there is something to be said to give him time on lines where he is the best player on it so he can learn how to drive the play and not be just another passenger that this team has developed time and time again. Playing on lines where the expectation is to get the puck in and go to work is only going to help someone of his stature continue fine tune his game. There is a time and place to play the seam pass game that the team’s top line players are quick to default to but if Rossi is going to be the player they need him to be, he needs to evolve beyond that. This is where Boldy by contrast is really getting hung up.

I’d get the frustration if we’re talking about a prospect of his stature who is not improving but that’s not what’s happening here. It’s hard for me to criticize the approach as well as the execution from the player when things are going about as well as you could hope for from a developmental standpoint. This is not a finished product and there is more work to be done. At this point I have no reason than not to trust both team and player that they are doing what needs to be done given where we started and where we are.

Again, this is not about Rossi. It's not about how he's developed or how he will develop further.

This is about putting together common sense lines that allow each of the players in question to play to their strengths with other players who play more similar games.

Rossi with Foligno and Trenin is a square peg in a round hole.
Eriksson Ek with Boldy and Zuccarello is a round peg in a square hole.

Put the square peg in the square hole, and the round peg in the round hole.

 

[NHL1674]

Sens fan here. Bruce Garrioch reporter from Ottawa said Hartman will have a in person hearing. So 5 games minimum

And he deserves every game he gets.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

I thought it kind of went without saying that you put your lineup together with the active players that you have.

The issue is, who exactly is the best winger in this situation? Because if you put Boldy there, Zucc with Ek is a major clash in playstyle.

 

[AKL]

The issue is, who exactly is the best winger in this situation? Because if you put Boldy there, Zucc with Ek is a major clash in playstyle.

It's not this hard

Boldy-Rossi-Zuccarello

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

The issue is, who exactly is the best winger in this situation? Because if you put Boldy there, Zucc with Ek is a major clash in playstyle.

How much are we worrying about clashes in play style when we're putting Rossi with Foligno and Trenin?

My first choice would've been:
Boldy - Rossi - Zucc
Ohgren - Eriksson Ek - Hartman

2nd choice (if you wanted to balance things):
Boldy - Rossi - whoever
Ohgren - Eriksson Ek - Zuccarello

 

[AKL]

How much are we worrying about clashes in play style when we're putting Rossi with Foligno and Trenin?

My first choice would've been:
Boldy - Rossi - Zucc
Ohgren - Eriksson Ek - Hartman

2nd choice (if you wanted to balance things):
Boldy - Rossi - whoever
Ohgren - Eriksson Ek - Zuccarello

I'd actually like to see Öhgren with Boldy and Rossi for a spell to see what happens. If it doesn't work you can put Zuccarello back there.

 

[Luceni]

In an ideal world where everything is fair and Rossi is not always the guy in the doghouse when something happens, my lines would be:

Öhgren - Rossi - Zucc
Boldy - Ek - Khus
Foligno - Freddy - Trenin

 

[Spurgeon]

I honestly just don’t like Ek playing with smaller/offensive players in general. I don’t know what it is, but his game seems to be the most elevated when he’s playing a grinding style of game.

I’d like to see Khusnutdinov get a shot with some of these guys instead. Has he ever gotten any significant time with our top guys?

I think this could be at least interesting.

Ohgren - Rossi - Zucc
Boldy - Khusnutdinov - Hartman
Trenin - Ek - Foligno
Lauko - Gaudreau - Shore

When Kap is back, shift Hartman to Ek line to replace Trenin. Top 6 could be rotated in many different ways. I’d just like to get more of a look at Khus in this role so we know what we can do in the playoffs for injuries.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

It's not this hard

Boldy-Rossi-Zuccarello

How much are we worrying about clashes in play style when we're putting Rossi with Foligno and Trenin?

My first choice would've been:
Boldy - Rossi - Zucc

They've literally been doing that. Y'all are talking about something that isn't happening on a consistent basis.

Rossi, since the start of 2025 (5v5 for the last month per NaturalStatTrick):

150 minutes with Boldy
81 minutes without Boldy

137 minutes with Zucc
97 minutes without Zucc

And to really hammer it home...

59 minutes with Foligno
173 minutes without Foligno

12 minutes with Trenin
220 minutes without Trenin

50 minutes with Hartman
182 minutes without Hartman

The numbers get even more dramatic in the opposite direction of what you both are saying when you switch to all situations.

 

[Luceni]

I honestly just don’t like Ek playing with smaller/offensive players in general. I don’t know what it is, but his game seems to be the most elevated when he’s playing a grinding style of game.

I’d like to see Khusnutdinov get a shot with some of these guys instead. Has he ever gotten any significant time with our top guys?

I think this could be at least interesting.

Ohgren - Rossi - Zucc
Boldy - Khusnutdinov - Hartman
Trenin - Ek - Foligno
Lauko - Gaudreau - Shore

When Kap is back, shift Hartman to Ek line to replace Trenin. Top 6 could be rotated in many different ways. I’d just like to get more of a look at Khus in this role so we know what we can do in the playoffs for injuries.

Like that post as well, but it think it might be easier for Khus to play at top6 on the wing with Boldy & Ek.

I wouldn't demote Ek to 3rd line just yet. We need him to bounce back with Kap out.

 

[AKL]

59 minutes with Foligno


12 minutes with Trenin


50 minutes with Hartman

The point is that this shouldn't happen

Those should all be virtually 0

Yesterday he started on a line with Foligno and Hartman, and Trenin was moved there in the third period. That should never happen.