Trenin's a good player and fit but with the tight cap this significantly limits the ability to add external top-6 help with experience for the foreseeable future, assuming that Middleton gets his extension. Just like the trio of extensions last year this can be added as another move that makes the Gaudreau extension look awful, he's an awful fit anywhere in our line-up and played like an AHL/NHL tweener last year. Hopefully Evason gets a job and takes him off our hands for free or minimal cost.
Definitely prefer Trenin on the wing, not at center. Fits with Foligno on the 3rd line if they're both healthy. Hartman's probably the best fit in between them but he's also the best fit with Zuccarello, and Johansson-Rossi-Zuccarello wasn't great in my eyes last year so we'll see how it plays out.
Banking big on our prospects being NHL scorers on ELCs.
I am overall disappointed by locking up so much of our space into bottom 6 players, but I will say I do think there’s a Foligno/Hartman angle to more offensive production from Trenin. I would be intrigued to see him play with Kaprizov or with say Boldy and Rossi.
His highlights show some nifty hands, feel, and scoring touch. I think there’s a 20-25 goal scorer in there with the right fit. The other angle that I want to start pushing is that I think he has a great skillset at the wing to become part of a really impactful two-way shutdown line.
I think that the Wild should think about how to recreate a line like the GREEF line. That line was physical, hard to play against, imposed their will on the forecheck and cycle , and was able to put score opposing teams top lines.
I think one way for the Wild to outperform their talent level is if they can create a line without Kap and without Boldy (and maybe Rossi) who could do that. I think there’s a path to Foligno - Ek - Trenin being able to do that. I love seeing Ek score a ton of points, but I wonder if he isn’t more impactful if he can score 55 points instead of 65-70 points.
It’s crazy that you could throw Ek and 2 grinders out against the best talent and 8-10 times win that ice time. I don’t disagree that Foligno - Hartman - Trenin could do this role decently well too but I also agree that you need to pair Hartman with Zucc or Kap.
I think the Wild should try to see if Trenin can be the 3rd guy with skill players and see if the flashes become more consistent or try to pair him with Ek and Foligno to create the impact that those old GREEF lines created. I would feel much better about paying him that money if the aggregate impact was that.
This also unlocks other line combinations with the following center / winger combos
____ - Rossi - Boldy
____ - Hartman - Zucc
I think Kaprizov can play shifts with both lines. And I think the Wild will have to figure out who the right fit on that line is.