Tony Dean: Minnesota Wild Enter Another Offseason With Huge Need for Top 6 Center Minnesota Wild Enter Another Offseason With Huge Need for Top 6 Center

You can take Sutter off of the Pens hands. Don't even have to give up a roster player. Just picks and prospects.

Mr. Tyler Bozak is available for a limited time offer!

Here we have rumors of Koivu to MTL... hum..

I hear Stephen Weiss is available.

Today @ 2:08 PM ET
You can take Sutter off of the Pens hands. Don't even have to give up a roster player. Just picks and prospects.

Yeah, send Haula to Pens and they can discuss all day long how Malkin broke his jaw.

Here we have rumors of Koivu to MTL... hum..
- GrimReefer

Yeah

Also Coyle and Pominville.

I would be curious to know if Minnesota would be interested in Plekanec and Emelin

I think at this point most astute Wild fans would be thrilled to have the Wild unload the contracts of Koivu, Pominville and even Coyle. I wouldn't mind that return, but getting Koivu to waive his NTC is going to prove pretty difficult.

Its pretty apparent that Coyle is much better on the Wing than at center. I disagree on the take about Graovac though. He has all of the attributes to be a top 6 center in the NHL. Size, speed, hands, good in his own end, and can score. I think if they gave him the same opportunity that they gave Granlund or Haula he would establish himself pretty quickly. The thing Im very concerned about is the Wild going into next season with the status quo, and hoping for more growth from the youngsters. Granlund is a good fit in the East in a top 6 role, not in the West. He plays between the two best wingers on the team and cant top 8 goals? That's inexcusable for a supposed top 6 center. The Wild are better off packaging him with Spurgeon to try and get a good return out of an Eastern team. Soderberg had the same number of even strength points as Spezza and many other top players in the NHL, but had less minutes and not much PP time. I'd like to see what he could do given more minutes and a top 6 role. He's never had very good wingers either and has been stuck behind Bostons glut of good centers. Haula never looked the same after the brutal hit earlier in the year. If this team goes with the same roster mostly intact they are going to be in a struggle to even make the playoffs imo.

I think at this point most astute Wild fans would be thrilled to have the Wild unload the contracts of Koivu, Pominville and even Coyle. I wouldn't mind that return, but getting Koivu to waive his NTC is going to prove pretty difficult.
- mnhockeyguy

curious what the deal is with Koivu? seemed like he maybe lost a step this year?

curious what the deal is with Koivu? seemed like he maybe lost a step this year?
- DoubleDown

He's never skated the same after his ankle injury a couple of seasons ago. I was surprised to read Friedmans take in the 30 thoughts column. What Koivu brings is defensive responsibility and he can take and win big draws. He still has a bit of play making ability but a lot of his assists are secondary. His drawbacks are his hesitancy to shoot despite having a good shot, his lack of speed, his turnovers, which is a recent phenomenon, and his salary. He's probably not a top 6 center anymore, which is what Montreal, like the Wild, really needs.

David Krejci says hi

Oilers trade

Hopkins
Martin Marincin

to Minnesota

for
Jonas Brodin ( stud dman, very young and can play 25+ minutes a night)
Mikko Koivu


What do you think

Oilers trade

Hopkins
Martin Marincin

to Minnesota

for
Jonas Brodin ( stud dman, very young and can play 25+ minutes a night)
Mikko Koivu


What do you think
- hanleyaj

Brodin is going nowhere.

Brodin is going nowhere.
- fischslayer

Swap out Spurgeon for Brodin in that deal and I would be in!

Swap out Spurgeon for Brodin in that deal and I would be in!
- Tony Dean

Its Brodin or Dumba.

Its pretty apparent that Coyle is much better on the Wing than at center. I disagree on the take about Graovac though. He has all of the attributes to be a top 6 center in the NHL. Size, speed, hands, good in his own end, and can score. I think if they gave him the same opportunity that they gave Granlund or Haula he would establish himself pretty quickly. The thing Im very concerned about is the Wild going into next season with the status quo, and hoping for more growth from the youngsters. Granlund is a good fit in the East in a top 6 role, not in the West. He plays between the two best wingers on the team and cant top 8 goals? That's inexcusable for a supposed top 6 center. The Wild are better off packaging him with Spurgeon to try and get a good return out of an Eastern team. Soderberg had the same number of even strength points as Spezza and many other top players in the NHL, but had less minutes and not much PP time. I'd like to see what he could do given more minutes and a top 6 role. He's never had very good wingers either and has been stuck behind Bostons glut of good centers. Haula never looked the same after the brutal hit earlier in the year. If this team goes with the same roster mostly intact they are going to be in a struggle to even make the playoffs imo.
- mnhockeyguy

Graovac is a very nice story BUT he is not a top end skater, needs to add a bunch of muscle to that frame, and he has yet to show an ability to contribute high end offense/defense versus top competition. Being the best player on a terrible Baby Wild squad means you stand out and garner a lot of attention but what does it really mean in terms of NHL ability?

Not trying to tear the kid apart just trying to bring it back to earth here that Fletcher and Flahr have done a great job of rebuilding the prospect ranks and infusing young talent to NHL roster but there is a SEVERE lack of a top end center prospect for this organization.

Its Brodin or Dumba.
- hanleyaj

Maybe if it was Nurse or even Klefbom.

Graovac is a very nice story BUT he is not a top end skater, needs to add a bunch of muscle to that frame, and he has yet to show an ability to contribute high end offense/defense versus top competition. Being the best player on a terrible Baby Wild squad means you stand out and garner a lot of attention but what does it really mean in terms of NHL ability?

Not trying to tear the kid apart just trying to bring it back to earth here that Fletcher and Flahr have done a great job of rebuilding the prospect ranks and infusing young talent to NHL roster but there is a SEVERE lack of a top end center prospect for this organization.
- Tony Dean

Except that he did outplay Granlund and Haula during camp and the preseason last year. He's a pretty decent skater as well imo. I would have to think they give him a legit chance to stay with the big club this season cause status quo isn't cutting it and the salary cap is going to be an issue if they want to bring in a higher priced guy in a trade.

Maybe if it was Nurse or even Klefbom.
- Tony Dean

Hopkins is younger and better center then Mikko so why would oilers give a dman equivalent to Dumba or Brodin. Not happening.

Brodin is going nowhere.
- fischslayer

Dont think there is any way possible the Oilers would do this. They'll need Nuge to shoulder the big minutes while acclimating McDavid to the NHL. Brodin, while very good, probably isn't going to be a number 1. He didn't look too good split from Suter when they tried it...

He's never skated the same after his ankle injury a couple of seasons ago. I was surprised to read Friedmans take in the 30 thoughts column. What Koivu brings is defensive responsibility and he can take and win big draws. He still has a bit of play making ability but a lot of his assists are secondary. His drawbacks are his hesitancy to shoot despite having a good shot, his lack of speed, his turnovers, which is a recent phenomenon, and his salary. He's probably not a top 6 center anymore, which is what Montreal, like the Wild, really needs.
- mnhockeyguy

Cool thanks for the insight

Wasn't Alex Tuch originally drafted as a center-man? Big kid, slick hands, good playmaking skills. Hockey's future has him listed as a RW but I was under the impression he could play center as well.

Wasn't Alex Tuch originally drafted as a center-man? Big kid, slick hands, good playmaking skills. Hockey's future has him listed as a RW but I was under the impression he could play center as well.
- JakeTech19

I think they have him pegged at wing as far as I understand anyways...

Cool thanks for the insight
- DoubleDown

We love hockey talk on the Wild's thread... it doesn't happen nearly enough!