Minnesota Wild General Discussion - 2023-24

[Dr Jan Itor]

Kaprizov - Rossi - Boldy
Ohgren - Eriksson Ek - Hartman
Johansson - $4M UFA C - Zuccarello
Foligno - Khusnutdinov - Gaudreau

 

[AKL]

Kaprizov - Rossi - Boldy
Ohgren - Eriksson Ek - Hartman
Johansson - $4M UFA C - Zuccarello
Foligno - Khusnutdinov - Gaudreau

Personally not a fan of Johansson and Zuccarello together at all, but maybe next year will be different?

Top six looks great though. They should run with that and just throw the bottom six into a blender whenever they want a change.

 

[Sweetnut]

I'd rather have Öhgren with Johansson on a third line, neither of them are really useful fourth line bruisers. That's where Foligno should play. Freddy is no fourth liner, in fact he's no NHL player at all and should play in Iowa.

 

[AKL]

I am curious where Heidt fits in during his 9 games. They've come out and said they want to play guys in positions to succeed, but then they've also shown they don't actually care about doing that all the time. So does Heidt get 4th line + PP2 minutes? Does he get top six minutes? Who does he bump down if so?

 

[Webster]

Kaprizov - Rossi - Boldy
Ohgren - Eriksson Ek - Hartman
Johansson - $4M UFA C - Zuccarello
Foligno - Khusnutdinov - Gaudreau

Zuccarello, with his close to ppg production for the Wild, what on earth is he doing on the 3rd line? Try to be a little realistic.

Don't be surprised if you see him back with Kaprizov now and then, just like Hynes did this season.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Kaprizov - Rossi - Boldy
Ohgren - Eriksson Ek - Hartman
Johansson - $4M UFA C - Zuccarello
Foligno - Khusnutdinov - Gaudreau

It will be interesting, especially if they follow the old adage of breaking in rookies with 2 vets, leaves very few reasonable line variations out of training camp. If Heidt does get time it would be in something like the below.

Kap - Rossi - Boldy
Ohgren - JEE - Zuccarello
Johansson - Hartman - Heidt
Foligno - Khusnutdinov - Gaudreau

You can flip JEE & Hartman, or Heidt and Khusnutdinov.

 

[AKL]

Zuccarello, with his close to ppg production for the Wild, what on earth is he doing on the 3rd line? Try to be a little realistic...

One day I'll stop feeding the troll, but today is not that day.

Zuccarello was 7th on the team last year in even strength points. Behind everyone in that top six besides Ohgren, who didn't play last year, but might have actually outscored him at even strength if he did.

Don't worry, he'll still play on the PP where he scores over 52% of his points (ridiculous ratio).

Zuccarello was 17th in the league in PP points scored last year
He was tied for 192nd in ES points scored

 

[Webster]

Coaches couldn't care less about stats, it's all about what he's doing on ice. His skills, passing and hockey IQ.

Zucc didn't get much help from Johansson and Rossi, those two seem to work better on European ice rinks that provide more room.

 

[AKL]

Coaches couldn't care less about stats, it's all about what he's doing on ice. His skills, passing and hockey IQ.

Zucc didn't get much help from Johansson and Rossi, those two seem to work better on European ice rinks that provide more room.

Then let's call it all the turnovers and losing puck battles and a complete inability to maintain possession for his team under even the slightest amount of pressure that's keeping him from playing in the top six.

Ironically the reason Zuccarello produced more on the PP as opposed to even strength is because he had more room on the ice and wasn't under as much pressure on the PP.

Really makes you think doesn't it.

 

[Webster]

@AKL you may of course have whatever opinion you want about Zucc. The only thing I know for sure is that Hynes doesn't share yours.

 

[57special]

I'm thinking that Bankier and/or Milne have a better shot to make the team next year over Heidt, though Heidt might get his 9 games in just to help him focus on improving his weaknesses when he goes back down to the WHL. If i'm proven wrong, then hey, that's a great problem. Just don't think he has the physical tools to make the jump to the NHL as a 19 yo.

 

[AKL]

I'm thinking that Bankier and/or Milne have a better shot to make the team next year over Heidt, though Heidt might get his 9 games in just to help him focus on improving his weaknesses when he goes back down to the WHL. If i'm proven wrong, then hey, that's a great problem. Just don't think he has the physical tools to make the jump to the NHL as a 19 yo.

I don't expect him to make the team outright, but hasn't it basically been confirmed that he's getting the 9 games? I don't think that's a "might" or "maybe" thing.

What physical tools are we looking for? He's the same size as Marcus Johansson, bigger than a few guys on the roster. Look at players like Seth Jarvis who made the jump early without being particularly strong or aggressive (Jarvis is still listed as being smaller than Heidt), Nils Hoglander made the NHL pretty early despite his diminutive size, Logan Stankoven is doing well so far.

Point is, I don't think it's his size or physical tools that hold him back, it'll be the mental processing of the game if he doesn't make it. Can he think fast enough to keep up with the game, know where to be to receive passes, does he have the vision to see the ice well enough to avoid being a victim of size/strength, does he know where to put the puck, can he make the smart, efficient plays when there's nothing better available. It's that kind of stuff that will determine whether he sticks beyond 9 games.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I'm thinking that Bankier and/or Milne have a better shot to make the team next year over Heidt, though Heidt might get his 9 games in just to help him focus on improving his weaknesses when he goes back down to the WHL. If i'm proven wrong, then hey, that's a great problem. Just don't think he has the physical tools to make the jump to the NHL as a 19 yo.

I feel like Heidt still has some goals to meet in the WHL - especially a deep playoff run.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Zuccarello, with his close to ppg production for the Wild, what on earth is he doing on the 3rd line? Try to be a little realistic.

Don't be surprised if you see him back with Kaprizov now and then, just like Hynes did this season.

While I do agree you that playing with Kaprizov is the only place that allows Zuccarello to be anywhere close to ppg production, I'm fine not relying on that with him making just over $4M.

He can still play on the top PP, where the lion's share of that ppg production is drawn from.

Plus, I'm told that he has back and groin issues, so I wouldn't want to overextend him by playing the minutes that I'd want Kaprizov to play. Playing on the 3rd line is really for his own protection.

 

[57special]

I feel like Heidt still has some goals to meet in the WHL - especially a deep playoff run.

That's a team result, over which Heidt has little to no control. In any event, PG won two playoff series, and went out in hard fought battle against one of, if not the best team in the entire CHL.

Heidt just has to mature both physically, technique wise(he talked about shooting more last summer, but relative to other elite WHL'ers was was more of a set up man), and continue to work on his two way play, though he was a decent in that regard throughout last season, compared to most elite junior scorers.

 

[thestonedkoala]

That's a team result, over which Heidt has little to no control. In any event, PG won two playoff series, and went out in hard fought battle against one of, if not the best team in the entire CHL.

Heidt just has to mature both physically, technique wise(he talked about shooting more last summer, but relative to other elite WHL'ers was was more of a set up man), and continue to work on his two way play, though he was a decent in that regard throughout last season, compared to most elite junior scorers.

I think your second statement goes hand in hand with the first statement. Heidt is going to be one of the 'veterans' on the team and he'll have a lot more influence on the team and how it plays. They will enter next season probably as one of the best CHL teams.

 

[57special]

I don't expect him to make the team outright, but hasn't it basically been confirmed that he's getting the 9 games? I don't think that's a "might" or "maybe" thing.

What physical tools are we looking for? He's the same size as Marcus Johansson, bigger than a few guys on the roster. Look at players like Seth Jarvis who made the jump early without being particularly strong or aggressive (Jarvis is still listed as being smaller than Heidt), Nils Hoglander made the NHL pretty early despite his diminutive size, Logan Stankoven is doing well so far.

Point is, I don't think it's his size or physical tools that hold him back, it'll be the mental processing of the game if he doesn't make it. Can he think fast enough to keep up with the game, know where to be to receive passes, does he have the vision to see the ice well enough to avoid being a victim of size/strength, does he know where to put the puck, can he make the smart, efficient plays when there's nothing better available. It's that kind of stuff that will determine whether he sticks beyond 9 games.

Mojo is listed at 6'1", 203. Heidt was 5'10 1/2", 180 at the NHL combine. If he even gets up to 5'11", 190, then that will be a good enough size, though strength is a quality that varies from person to person. From my viewings of Heidt this year i thought he showed good strength and feistiness at the WHL level, but was by no means able to take on the biggest, strongest players. It's a jump up to the NCAA level, then another jump to the AHL, then another to the NHL. Very few smaller players can make the jump from WHL to the NHL as teens. Benson did a good job last year, as did Jarvis. Both are quicker and faster players than Heidt, and exceptions rather than the rule. We can also look at similar sized, and higher drafted players like Newhook, Sillinger, K. Johnson, and Jost to see what a struggle it can be to be effective as young players.

Agree 100% that he will need to get better mentally(though he is above average for a junior in that regard), but I think everything will have to get better before he can be a NHL'er.