wild/nhl

So some people thought Puckluck77 & Myself hoped Prosser could make the team only because he was a Mn Kid. When in reality we saw a solid defenseman. Turns out Fletcher sees it the same way.

Prosser is earning a spot on the roster because of his talent and potential as a young player and not because he is from Minnesota, although that is definetly a bonus to the fans in the area to see him make the team.

Prosser is just as good as what we have, He competes and is defensively responsible. I think he can contribute offensively if given some NHL time. I've seen him play since high school and I know what he's going to provide each night. Obviously the Staff must feel the same way. Problem is, Mn Wild d-core is made up of all 3rd set d-man on all of the Stanley Cup contending teams. Zidlicky - He plays like he's playing in a pick up game on our outdoor rinks. Not NHL prototypical. I saw him try to toe drag and split 2 forecheckers in front of our goal on Friday night. If I was Yeo, he would have sat a few shifts to think about that some more. He can one time on the PP. AHL level defensively, NHL PP guy. Zanon - Steady and smart. The speed of the NHL game will eventually pass him by. He blocks shots very well. Although sometimes it's because he lacks mobility to get out of the way of the shot. 3rd set on a great team. Schultz - Mn Wild icon. Keep waiting for him to get passed by. He's very comfortable out there and really vanilla. Again, 3rd set on the better teams. Lundin - Only have seen him play briefly. He looks like he plays exactly like Nick Schultz. 3rd setter Stoner - Big and strong and will keep others honest. Average NHL intelligence and average skater. If we need somebody to slash and facewash the opponent, he's our guy. 3rd setter. Even on the Wild. Spurgeon - Wasn't a believer at first but he's starting to wear on me. I like his poise and decisions. I don't think we make a long playoff run with him playing 20 minutes a game though. Playoffs, if we can get there, is where the men are separated from the boys. I think Spurge is still a boy. But he could prove me wrong. He has up to this point. 3rd set Scandella - He can play. He looks like the only dman on our squad that could develop into an NHL all-star. I still see some panic in his game and he fails on simple plays at times. He's raw now. 3-4 years down the line, he will be very good. AHL this year, due to lack of openings and contracts, 1st set dman 2013 and beyond. Falk - Sometimes I see him play and I like his game. Sometimes I see him play and he looks rushed and lost. Good feet for a big body, although he plays bent over to make him play like a 5'11" defender. The inconsistency has to stop. IMHO, AHL again.

mn218puckfan, in response to your question on a previous post.. he asked who was another good D from Elk River, last 5 years or so.. Brandon Martell, played in USHL with Tri-City Storm, Fargo Force, NAHL Fairbanks. Now playing D as a JR with Ohio State.. I think this years Wild Roster looks deeper than last year. Hopefully we can use our depth to wear down our opponents. and things will really get going when Zucker and Granlund come in next season. If Granlund wouldn't have had a military commitment, I think he would have made the team this year.

Puckluck77 thanks for the info on Martel. That's the kid I was thinking of, just remember watching him in Sect 7. He had rocket from the point.

icehock, good breakdown. I think you may be a little tough on the guys, but you are dead on in the fact that the d corps is what will hold us back. Not that we will make a deep playoff run, but the lack of talent on the d will catch up to us. They are all NHL guys, just not high end.

Well, this is how it starts. I like the blue print/construction plan for this team. It almost seems like you can trust that (at least the first two lines) the guys up front will definitely produce some points. The third line is interesting and could also be a contributor - if they are better than expected, then this team will earn a few more points in the standings this year. As for the D, Scandella is definitely a top shelf two-way player in the making. I think Zannon and Schultz are as good as any pure defenders in the NHL. Not much offense out of those guys but they don't make many mistakes either. That isn't the case with some of the better offensive defensemen. If Backstrom, or even Harding can be top 10 in the league, then the additional offense from our D won't matter so much. I think a set of stretch goals for this squad would be: 1. Improve ALL year long (not just in spurts), 2. Successfully tap depth when injuries occur - because injuries will definitely factor in. 3. Make the playoffs and get past the first round. Then, we can start thinking about next year - i.e. add that additional two way defender and another goal scorer for the third line, etc...

I'm excited to see some young new blood to go with the new coach. First time I have been excited for Wild season in many years!