wild/nhl

Granlund, Larsson, Coyle, and Brodin will all certainly be here. No doubt. Bulmer may well be here, too. Zucker and Phillips will start the year in Houston, but they'll be key members of the team by '13. These guys are all really good, man. I hope Granlund's feet get faster (same with Phillips), but he's a heck of a lot better option at the #2 center spot than Cullen or Brodziak. and Charlie Coyle is everything Seto wishes he could be.

Oh, and let's not forget that most of these guys are winners. Granlund wins Finnish League title and Worlds last year last year. Larsson and Brodin won Jr. World's. Brodin's Swedish Club won the 2011 Le Mat Trophy. Phillips wins a 2011 Memorial Cup. He and Coyle will probably win the Memorial Cup again this year. These guys are winners, which this team desperately needs.

I think Brent Flahr deserves a lot of credit for the last two drafts.

While kind of a cast-off in this article because he's not as high profile as the others, Bulmer is the only one who has already played in the NHL, and he looked every bit as ready as any of the call-ups from Houston. While I understand why the decision was made, from what I saw of him in those games, and in preseason, he was a third or fourth line player on this year's Wild. I wish he would not have been sent back.

The comparison with Anaheims Perry, Ryan and Getzlaf was stretching it a bit IMO. The only prospect that's even clost to any of those guys in size is Coyle, who I think will finally give the Wild a net presence. It will be interesting to see how the European players respond to the smaller ice sheet and the more physical aspect of the NHL/AHL game. I hope these guys pan out cuz I'm getting tired of hearing about the future.

With the bright future the wild have ahead of them,wouldnt it be some crap if the NHL locked out? It's way too early to tell, but the way mn sports luck has worked the last 2 decades, it would t surprise me. I can't wait to see these guys in a wild uniform, though. The days are certainly brighter ahead!

Question is...who are these players replacing next season? Who's going to be swept out the door when housecleaning time rolls around in the off-season? Some have to go...

History reminder for long term MN hockey fans. We heard the same thing (can't miss, superstar, immediate results) about Brian Bellows, Brian Lawton, and James Sheppard. Sometimes it does work (Bobby Smith, Mike Modano, Gabby,) etc. The point is that it really is tough to step in and make an immediate impact. I hope a couple of the new guys can do this but we really need to temper expectations.

I see you just cant stop from making predictions Bobo.

Let's not pin all our hopes on the draft classes of 2010 and 2011. There's more to come! Flahr, Fletcher and the scouting team have shown that they have the ability to draft well (unlike our former GM, ugh). And right now we're looking at a higher 1st pick than we were in December (to put it nicely). I'm hoping for a steady pipeline of talented prospects for the Wild. Let's create a permanently competitive team for the great State of Minnesota!