Hey guys, not actually doing the team coverage for the Wild but Gates has asked me to open up a thread so that Wild issues/updates can be posted here by anyone who comes across info or needs help. Feel free to post here, and if someone would like to step up and take on this team PM GMGates

Cheers!

__________________
@B0ndon

Goalies: If I'm pickin em you best be sittin em!

Top team in the league not covered?

Yessss, I think I posted in a different thread that I would like to see the last couple teams that were not covered get a thread where topics could be discussed. Thanks guys!

Heatley ****ing sucks.

__________________
Dig my Cage Match articles? Follow my blog! The Laws of Sport

Also on Twitter @SteveLaidlaw

Zidlicky is making a return from his concussion tonight. Prosser has been sent back to the AHL.

Sounds like Bouchard won't be playing tonight as I believe Yeo said earlier today that if Zidlicky played tonight that Bouchard wouldn't.

__________________
@B0ndon

Goalies: If I'm pickin em you best be sittin em!

Hahaha, nice. As a Wild fan I love hearing all the booos that Heatley gets. So far I think he has been a great addition to the Wild locker room, Russo gets some pretty good quotes from him too.

Glad to see a Wild thread now...

If someone steps up to the coverage [aside from Brandon], then I say welcome to the club...

__________________
mounD: 2011-12 Champs // 2012-13 Champs
12 Team H2H Keeper (Keep 18)
3C, 3LW, 3RW, 3F, 6D, 2G, 5BN (IR)
G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SHP, SOG, FoW // W, Sv%, GAA, SHO

C: Getzlaf, Backes(RW),B. Richards,
LW: Parise, Hall, Kunitz, Ladd, Marchand(C,LW)
RW: Kessel, Neal(LW) Hossa, Burrows(Lw)
D: Karlsson, Chara, Burns, Boyle
G: Rinne, M. Smith
Bn: Jussi Jokinen(C,LW), Cammalleri(C,LW), Weiss(C), Timonen, Visnosky

Farm: Kadri, Coyle, Gallagher, Järnkrok - Barrie, Trouba, Vatanen - Khudobin

Rotoworld:

Jason Zucker - C - Wild
Jason Zucker has been an early bright spot at Houston Aeros scrimmages.
Zucker played six games for the Minnesota Wild last season after leaving the University of Denver and garnered a couple of assists. He scored the only two goals during scrimmage on Saturday and generally impressed. "I feel good out there," Zucker said. "I prepared a lot over the summer. Obviously, I prepared to play for the Minnesota Wild, but so did everyone else in that dressing room." Zucker is a speedy forward who can score. He is worth a late round flier in deeper keeper pools but could still be a couple of years away from being a top six forward in the NHL.
Source: The Pioneer Press Oct 1 - 9:27 AM



Great to see the young studs have some early chemistry! (Granlund, Coyle, Zucker)

__________________

" You said you don't give a f*ck about hockey. I've never heard anyone say that before."

Zucker's been pretty stellar in his first season in the AHL going more than PPG so far and only trailing Granlund in that department. He's potted 9 goals and 15 pts in 14 games placing him second in team scoring. He's also shot a whopping 45 shots on goal! For the most part he's done this without the help of Granlund who's been sidelined for about half the time. Just some updates~

__________________

Started thinking about the Wild lineup again for some reason (probably has to do with me not wanting to write my thesis).

Over the next couple of seasons, 12-13 and 13-14, there will probably be a decent amount of experimentation going on and not all of their prospects will be quite ready. So I wanted to look further ahead to the 14-15 season and see what others think could be the future top six of the Wild.

Questions that I have been thinking about are:

Which players on the current roster will still be here?

Which prospects will be ready?

Which players will fit the role of center better?

Which will most likely have the best chemistry together?

Some background info. on applicable player contract statuses:

Koivu and Parise are signed long-term.

Cullen and PMB are UFAs after the 12-13 season.

Seto and Heately are UFAs after the 13-14 season.

Prospects are obviously RFA controlled.

I would definitely begin with saying Cullen will not be re-signed, and even if he was he wouldn't be playing in a top six role. PMB re-signing is really an uncertainty but I would lean to him becoming a FA. I could see Heatley and Seto both returning and I can see them both leaving, for some reason I feel Seto would be more inclined to test FA, but it really depends on how things play out over the next couple of seasons.

Granlund will definitely be in the top six somewhere. I would like to think after a couple seasons in the AHL that Coyle would be ready (probably after one season even in the AHL) and that Zucker could be possibly ready. Phillips would be a huge question mark and I am not sure if there is even room for him.

The major issues I see in this process are:

1. Will both Seto and Heatley re-sign, leave via FA (or trade I guess), or one stays and one goes?

2. Will Zucker develop into NHL top-six material?

I am going to go with Heatley re-signs and Seto leaves via FA and Zucker makes it into the top six. Now where do they lineup? Could be a few different options. Coyle or Granlund could end up playing center or wing is one factor. Another of course is chemistry.

So you have:

Parise - Koivu - Heatley
Zucker - Granlund - Coyle

OR

Parise - Koivu - Granlund
Zucker - Coyle - Heatley

OR

Parise - Koivu - Zucker
Heatley - Granlund - Coyle

I lean towards Granlund sticking it out at center and Coyle continuing to be groomed as a RW.

I also like the idea of having Zucker on the top line because I think his speed would match well with Parise and they would be better off the rush compared to having Heatley there. I also think the slower second line would compliment each others skill sets nicely as well.

Interested in hearing others thoughts on what could be the Wild's future top six in 14-15.

Edit: If Heatley leaves or Zucker isn't ready I would think that a FA signing would be in the plans.