After Five Games More Questions Than Answer for Yeo's Wild Squad
After Five Games I Think We Need to Ask Ourselves.....
Has Devan Dunbyk's more average than outstanding performances provided us a glimpse at a netminder that has come back to earth? Certainly I think it is reasonable to ask for a ton more from your defensive pairings and the forwards in the defensive zone but Dubnyk must be better to give this team a chance to complete in a loaded division and conference. I think it is easy to point to a 3-1-1 record through 5 games and wonder why I am a bit doom and gloom with my tone.
The reality is this team is top to bottom talented but certainly I am not convinced that the pieces fit together and that they are able to string together complete efforts consistently. I think this team lacks size and brute force but what is new right? I think it is very reasonable to believe that they can once again overcome their lack of "NHL" size in certain players but it seems to happen every year that their slight of stature all skill types take punishment and lose games to injury.
As far as the defensive pairings are concerned I have been a huge proponent of moving away from the old faithful Mike Yeo top pairing Ryan Suter with Jonas Brodin. Yeo has elevated Jared Spurgeon to the top pair playing with Suter which has not yet provided optimal results. I respect the hell out of Spurgeon and think it is accurate to label him the best overall Wild defensmen in both zone over the past two season which certainly has earned him a top pair spot. I just believe he belongs playing with Marco Scandella with whom he has 7 years of experience and chemistry built up.
To reunite Spurgeon and Scandella, it would take Yeo to get out of his own way with regard to the rest of the pairings. I say that to point out his absolute avoidance in dealing with the reality that Mathew Dumba and Suter are an absolute match made in hockey heaven for a multitude of reasons! Dumba is lightning in a bottle, this kid requires a partner capable of covering two thirds of the ice and blanketing opponents should his aggressiveness go awry and the puck comes back the other way. Anyone not believe that description is Suter to a tee?
Beyond providing Dumba the safety blanket to thrive, I really see Brodin and Christian Folin as extremely complimentary of each other in many aspects. The big body Foolin has a tantalizing combination of size/skill/nasty that would blend very well with Brodin's top level agility and skating. Pairing Brodin with Folin would allow him to use his skating and stick handle to be the chase defender while Folin moves bodies and punishes opponents should they not account for him while his partner pursues.
If Yeo truly has intentions on a more even distribution of blue line minutes, pairing Suter/Dumba Scandella/Spurgeon Brodin/Folin, in my mind gives the team the best chance to win games. Previously it was explained that Brodin although a left shot was more comfortable on the right side. Now this season because Brodin is playing the left defensemen spot the pairings I have been banging the table for the last two years are not longer excused by any handedness issues or bs in general.
Young Forwards Propelling the Offense so Far
If you have watched every minute like I have so far through five games, you should be satisfied by the play of our young core of Top 9 forwards. Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, and Mikael Granlund have each powered the offense for the Wild. That Anaheim performance by Nino "KnightRider" was dominant and gives us a glimpse at his ability to take over a game with his size/skill/speed combination. I have really been impressed by how compete a player Zucker is becoming, his playmaking ability is pushing Mikko Koivu back in relevance as a goal scorer which I never though was possible.
Coyle has been a bit up and down but when he is playing with confidence and using his frame to overpower defenders he can be a difference maker. Coyle is not fit to be a full time pivot so it is really important get Tyler Graovac back healthy and playing like he was before his injury.Granlund still has not taken that step forward to dominate super star play or even top line center status but he fits in really well with his pair of veteran wingers Zach parise and Jason Pominville. Granlund most impressive contributions have come as the new side wall distributor for the top power play unit.
Bottom of the Roster Important of Yeo's Squad
I think it is too early to go full negative on any aspect of this squad but I really wonder how long the 4th line can trot out there and been so ineffective together. I am a big Ryan Carter guy but he must be more impactful as a agitator and disruptor which will feed into getting Erik Haula going again. In Chris Porter the Wild brought in a cheaper option than Chris Stewart with ties to Parise and several other Minnesota NHLers. Porter has been lauded for his size/skating combination but he has yet to truly impact a game with his physicality which he always seemed to flash against the Wild. I think may Wild fans are looking for more opportunity to deploy Jordan Schroeder on the bottom line to take advantage of his speed and skill against opponents. I also wonder how long Nate Prosser survives here in the State of Hockey. I realize Prosser has become a "Yeo Guy" because of his ability to play both defenmen spots but with a more skilled Mike Reilly waiting in the wings and crowded pairings already it is only a matter of time.
The lack of maneuverability cap wise is a significant issue for Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher and until he finds a solution to Niklas Backstrom's $3.7Mil deal languishing on the roster as the emergency goalie it will continue to limit roster options for the bottom two forward lines and bottom pairing. I laughed out loud when I saw the national media story about Backstrom's agent Jay Grossman asking for a trade. Nobody is taking Backstrom on via trade unless something catastrophic occurs and even then I think half the GMs in the league would lean towards other options. i get frustrated with Wild fans that defend or attack on behalf of Backstrom like somehow he is a victim. The truth to be told is that Backstrom did right by himself which i certainly don't fault him for given how fickle the business of professional sports can be. I also believe that Backstrom should get credit for using every bit of leverage at his disposal in making sure the Wild could not buy out his contract.
Reality here is Backstrom will end his Wild career as the most effective and successful netminder in franchise history. Backstrom just has not been effective or successful since 2012-13 and even then he broke down physically before the playoff began and it was a lock out shortened regular season which only highlights durability concerns. Backstrom has waited until the offseason to have surgeries performed which is not uncommon for players who give their all for their team but in his case, he was not in the lineup so it is not like he was contributing while postponing addressing his physical concerns. Backstrom's latest surgery and injury situation only magnifies how much his current contract and inability to remain healthy or perform up to his top backstop role. Backstrom admitted he was injured in the preseason last year but he did not have surgery until the offseason.
Anyone paying attention knows that Darcy Kuemper and Josh Harding were to be the top netminders here in MN. Harding battled complications of Multiple Sclerosis this season previous after having been arguably the best goalie in hockey for three month. Harding kicked a chair or broke his foot away from the ice depends on who you talk to but it made is Kuemper was signed despite threats of a KHL defection and Backstrom was made to be the mentor backup type. Backstrom's avoidance in dealing with the shoulder injury from the preseason impacted several things for the Wild. Had Backstrom sought out surgery when the injury occurred, it would have allowed Fletcher the chance to bring in another goalie sooner. Most importantly, if Backstrom had been shelfed and had the surgery completed even at midseason, there would been a greater chance of him being eligible for a buyout during either window for it this summer.
At current Backstrom is collecting every dollar of the last year of his deal $3.7mil against the Wild cap. The problem with giving a veteran deal like Fletcher did with Backstrom, he is not eligible for buyout and he was provided a full no trade clause. Backstrom literally has all of the leverage contract and trade wise while taking up an NHL roster spot and not playing a minute. Backstrom would even have to waive his no movement clause to be assigned to Iowa of the AHL. Backstrom seemed to be a great candidate for the Long Term Injured Reserve, but of course in time for training camp he was magically 100% back healthy and ready to play.
Maybe Fletcher finds a taker on Backstrom in a straight contract dump but you have to figure that he has exhausted every option already because having a veteran netminder with baulky contract and a permanent seat in the press box is just bad for business. Please just miss me complete with any sort of poor Backstrom rhetoric because if this was about still playing, he could have taken the buyout and played for the team he owns in Europe. This was about leveraging the Wild into a final NHL season and collecting in full the last year of his deal. Eeven if he was on the ice for the Wild he has been brutal the past two season and it is clear he no longer is a serviceable NHL backstop.
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