GRANLUND UPDATE According to his agent Todd Diamond, Mikael Granlund will stay for another year in...

GRANLUND UPDATE
According to his agent Todd Diamond, Mikael Granlund will stay for another year in Helsinki, Finland.

Before moving to Minnesota he is willing to finish school and the mandatory military service.

He will report to the camp.

Smart decision of a fine young bloke!

http://www.iltalehti.fi/jaakiekko/2011052013751806_jk.shtml

about 1 year ago Flying Finns! 10 comments 0 recs |

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Uber pist

by ThatGuy22 on May 20, 2011 8:13 AM CDT reply actions

I don’t know if it’s the military service and school as much as the kid is an absolute hero in Finland right now. His team won the SM Liiga, he’s considered a hero of the Finnish national team, and young women are throwing themselves at him. Regardless, it seems the only thing that will keep Granlund from playing for the Wild is Granlund himself.

Crap. Uber crap.

by Krotz the Wall on May 20, 2011 8:40 AM CDT reply actions

UBER-SMART!

this will be very good longterm.. he needs to bulk up big time before he is ready for nhl or even ahl, otherwise you will have problems like the isles who rushed Josh Bailey …..

Now he has the opportunity to play first line minutes on the same line with ville peltonen a true national hero, mentor and smart fox..

there are not that many chicks in the endless finnish forests where he stays with his army buddies..

Blokes, you will be very happy one day about his decision!!

by Flying Finns! on May 20, 2011 8:50 AM CDT up reply actions

Nope I won't

Don’t get me wrong, it’s his decision and he is free to choose as he wishes. But from a fan standpoint, the kid is ready. Already a PPG player in the SM-Liiga last year, led playoffs in scoring, won a championship, PPG in the worlds, won gold Medal. We need some of that on the Wild, and was hoping to see him in Iron Range Red sooner rather than later. Could he stand to get a little bigger? Probably, But he is no smaller than Patrick Kane or Martin St. Louis.

by ThatGuy22 on May 20, 2011 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions

Not really...

It might be good for him from a mental stand point. The primary problem is even if the kid plays even better next year in the Finnish league, he’ll still need to transition to the North American game. The rink size is smaller in the NHL. The style of play is different. I think he’d be much better served playing with the Wild’s AHL affiliate the Aeros next season, maybe getting a chance with the Wild later in the season, than spending another year in Finland.

I don’t begrudge the kid for wanting to stay home, play in Finland, take care of some of his personal business. However, it isn’t good news for the Wild, or for Wild fans. It will delay his NHL development and readiness for the Wild. He won’t develop the physicality or play style that suits the NHL until he gets exposed to an NHL-style game. Besides, Patrick Kane, Martin St. Louis… it’s possible to be successful without great size if a player has good vision and hockey awareness.

by Krotz the Wall on May 20, 2011 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions

Agreed. Well said.

I think this move just delays us a year, which is alright considering we aren’t much of a threat. My hopes now are to draft Armia and let him play another year in Finland and have Granlund and him come back and adjust to the North American style together. They could have some great chemistry! Trades need to be made and picks need to be aquired, rebuild underway.

by Kingpin45 on May 20, 2011 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions

That being said

Granlund was praised for having the highest hockey IQ in the draft last year. Even though he’d still need to get used to rink size and a different style of play, I have no doubt that he’ll catch on quickly.

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by ADN on May 22, 2011 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions

This is the right move for Granlund

It may seem like a terrible decision, but that’s only the short-term view of the guy. Long-term, this could prove to be the best thing for the guy.
1) He’ll get full national exposure as a star, so he’ll be less likely to be shell-shocked.
2) He’s taking care of his national obligations so when he comes over, he only has to worry about hockey.
3) He’s going to be a pivotal cog in a TALENTED team, where he’ll learn more offensive skills than having to try to tug along a struggling franchise.
4) Considering the talent level, Granlund will probably skip the AHL and go straight to the NHL. The extra size and seasoning in Finland will probably be his “AHL” seasoning.
5) Better chance of him getting more playoff experience playing in Finland than in Minnesota. Granlund isn’t going to make the Wild a playoff contender for the 2011-2012 season, so playing on a team that can make the playoffs is better for his overall development.
6) He’s 19. This isn’t like we’re losing pivotal years on a closing window. His window hasn’t even been opened yet. This isn’t ruining his critical years as a hockey player.

And as for the whole “Kane and St. Louis are small, too” argument…neither Patrick Kane nor Martin St. Louis entered the NHL with 2 concussions in the previous season. Granlund got his bell rung twice. One good shot from a larger NHL player like Kesler could put him out for 2 years like PMB. Let the kid put on a little more size to help him defend himself.

by JDesthubert on May 20, 2011 4:06 PM CDT reply actions