Wild Prospect Depth Analysis: Left Wing

by danccchan on May 25, 2011 4:51 PM CDT in Prospects

It is obvious the Wild lack top end talent at both center and right wing, but what about left wing?

The Wild have missed the presence of Marian Gaborik ever since he left the team. Andrew Brunette has helped bandage the pain but he is an expiring free agent.

Now we’ll take a look at the left wings:

Update: Thank you Nodak for revealing my idiocy and forgetting Jason Zucker.

Colton Gillies

#18 / Left Wing / Houston Aeros

Height: 6-3

Weight: 207

Born: Feb 12 1989

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - Houston Aeros	64	11	15	26	2	82

great skater and is very quick ... has a big body ... very good on the forecheck ... excellent work ethic and attitude ... won the Sasktoon Blade's Most Community Minded Player Award (2008) and the MVP Award (2008) ... posses average hands ... needs to improve his shot ... needs to refine his play around the net.

Leading the Aeros in playoff goals with seven, Gillies post-season emergence has Wild fans seeing hope in what they presumed to be a bust.

After a whole season playing fourth line minutes and warming the seats for James Sheppard (wait, what?), Gillies was sent back down to the Aeros for the next two. While in the NHL, he showed top speed but looked like he didn’t know what to do with it. Now, he looks like he understands his role much more and focuses on what makes him a valuable asset: speed and physical play.

In his recent call-up to the Wild, Gillies managed to get one goal in 7 games, using his size to go in front of the net, fight off a defenseman and scored a spinning backhand.

Gillies will have a chance to crack the Wild roster next year during training camp since his speed and skill on the forecheck will be a very welcome addition.

Chad Rau

#75 / Left Wing / Houston Aeros

Height: 5-11

Weight: 188

Born: Jan 18 1987

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - Houston Aeros	60	13	27	40	10	12

natural goal scorer ... great hockey sense ... quick accurate shot ... hustles on the ice ... soft spoken, got good leader ... excellent at faceoffs ... USHL Rookie of the Year Award (2005) ... second team All-America honors (2008) ... first team All-WCHA selection (2008) ... Colorado College Hockey's M.P Hooper Award (2008) ... not physical enough ... average skater ... first couple of steps needs improvement.

Tied for second with the Houston Aeros in playoff goals in six, Chad Rau has helped the Aeros reached the Calder Cup Finals, including the first goal in Game 7 versus the Hamilton Bulldogs.

After being signed by the Aeros and producing well for a rookie, the Wild inked him for a two-year deal and Rau has not disappointed.

His natural position being center, Rau is versatile to play wing and the Wild will love his ability to play anywhere they put him. He’ll come next year and try to prove he is worth a call-up.

Matt Kassian

#28 / Left Wing / Houston Aeros

Height: 6-5

Weight: 245

Born: Oct 28 1986

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - Houston Aeros	60	4	4	8	0	132

Another big body in Houston, Matt Kassian plays the enforcer role with the Aeros.

Standing at 6’5" 245lbs, Kassian commands an immediate presence of the ice. However, his role is pretty much set as the enforcer so offense doesn’t come much.

In his four game callup to the Wild, he looked okay. He played very little icetime but managed to gather 12 penalty minutes as expected from his role. However, his time is running out and the need for a tough guy on the Wild roster isn’t in high demand.

Kris Foucault

#18 / Left Wing / Calgary Hitmen

Height: 6-1

Weight: 202

Born: Dec 12 1990

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - Calgary Hitmen	65	25	23	48	-10	60

possess terrific hands ... has decent NHL size ... has a very good shot ... is able to get into scoring areas ... good hockey sense ... quick stick ... deceptively fast and agile ... questionable work ethic ... needs to shoot more ... one-dimensional ... needs to improve defensive play and consistency

The wildcard in the 2009 draft, the Wild selected Foucault based on his very hot playoff run.

Foucault has shown flashes of repeating that offense in the regular season but has done so in an inconsistent manner. The Wild have yet to sign the winger.

Brett Bulmer

#19 / Left Wing / Kelowna Rockets

Height: 6-3

Weight: 175

Born: Apr 26 1990

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - Kelowna Rockets	57	18	31	49	-13	109

plays an up-tempo, physical game ... excels at protecting the puck ... strong along the boards and in the corners ... good at playing through traffic ... good skater for his size ... good at faceoffs ... prefers to pass rather than shoot ... has an accurate, but not overly fast shot ... doesn't mind to fight ... three years ago, was only 5-6 ... won the Kelowna Rockets Most Improved Player Award (2010) ... lacks strength, even for juniors ... needs to improve hockey sense ... average speed ... needs to improve defensive play ... played only one full season of juniors, considered quite raw.

Drafted as a lanky winger but with a good frame and with an aggressive game, Brett Bulmer came into camp and immediately got into fights with several Wild players. Good job!

Bulmer increased his point totals by nine in eight less games than last season, which is impressive. However, he has the team’s worst plus/minus rating with a minus 12.

One of his biggest flaws coming into the season was his defensive play and it continues to show. He will have to continue adding muscle and improve his play in his own zone if he wants to become a top six Wild player.

Jason Zucker

#17 / Left Wing / U. of Denver

Height: 5-10

Weight: 175

Born: Jan 16 1992

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - U. of Denver	40	23	22	45		59

defensively responsible ... positionally sound ... very good on the forecheck ... uses his stick effectively ... very versatile ... good penalty skiller ... doesn't shy from physical play ... contributes on the backcheck ... good skater ... decent offensive instincts ... good shot ... high character ... three gold medals for USA in one year (2010) ... needs to get stronger ... lacks explosive speed

The Wild traded up in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to ensure they selected Jason Zucker. So far, the move seems to have paid off.

The energetic winger was named WCHA Rookie of the Year, so its nice to see offense becoming a big part of his game when originally projected to be a top nine forward. In addition, he continues to join Team USA and plays during the World Junior Championships as a veteran.

The Wild must be impressed by his three gold medals, one silver medal and his Rookie of the Year award. Watch Zucker take up a leadership role with the 2011-12 WJC USA Team.

Erik Haula

#19 / Left Wing / U. of Minnesota

Height: 5-10

Weight: 184

Born: Mar 23 1991

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - U. of Minnesota	34	6	18	24		22

makes hard, accurate passess ... great vision and poise ... able to find the scoring areas ... possess a hard, quick shot ... likes to play a high-tempo game ... forechecks well ... very agile ... very good skater, smooth and fast ... plays in all situations (PP, PK, even) ... has solid muscle mass ... one of the best USHL forwards during 2009-10 season ... a little undersized.

Not much has been heard about Erik Haula since he became a Minnesota Gopher but he has quietly put up a solid rookie year.

Tied third in team scoring with 24 points, Haula has the ability to become the Wild’s steal in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Johan Larsson

#10 / Left Wing / Brynas IF Gavle

Height: 5-10

Weight: 198

Born: July 25, 1992

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - Brynas IF Gavle	43	4	4	8	3	18

very good defensively ... good hockey sense and on-ice vision ... doesn't shy physically ... good penalty killer ... works well along the boards ... physically solid ... hard-working intelligent player ... only recently started to show explosive offensive ability ... Swedish captain at the World U-18 Tournament ... average skater ... needs to develop consistency.

Johan Larsson recently signed an NHL entry-level deal with the Wild, proving how much faith they have in the kid.

The versatile forward played for his professional team in Sweden as a rookie and didn’t see much icetime. However, as the season winded down, his icetime doubled and he started to produce more offensively.

The Wild love his ability to play center and his two-way play and will keep a close eye on his development when he goes back to Sweden, which is the more likely case.

Jere Sallinen

Left Wing / Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 183

Born: Oct 26, 1990

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2010 - Blues	55	6	8	14	5	28

high energy game ... plays with alot of grit ... good skater .. plays well in traffic ... already suffered numerous injuries ... reckless style make him susceptible to injuries.

Not much is known about Jere Sallinen except that he is a physical winger that is projected to be a bottom six winger.

However, there has been little indication by the Wild that they have any interest in pursuing Sallinen and he will have to be signed by June if the Wild want to retain his rights.

Summary

It is great to see the 2010 Draft class looking promising with Johan Larsson and Brett Bulmer. Erik Haula also looks like a good pick by the Wild and Jason Zucker continues to impress. These prospects have the potential to be top nine forwards for the team.

In addition, Colton Gillies, Chad Rau and Matt Kassian are developing well and can possibly become bottom six forwards.

However, the lack of top end talent is not exempt from left wing. None of these prospects have that game-breaking potential that Wild would love to have. However, there is depth and that is a nice change of scenery for many Wild fans.

In the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, possibly Wild picks include Sven Baertschi, who offers an impressive wrist shot and who plays on the left wing. The Wild will have to think long and hard on whehter Baertschi is the one they want.

What do you think?

Tweet Comment 21 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Zucker

No mention of Jason Zucker? He’s a talented scoring winger that I think has great potential, at least in another year or 2.

by Nodak on May 25, 2011 8:03 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

Can't believe I missed him

I have listed as an F on my spreadsheet so I missed him!
Will be updated shortly!

Hockey Wilderness - Front Page Writer
CircularTheory - Follow me for prospect updates!
General Manager of the Singapore Slings of the Hockey Wilderness League
General Manager of the Asian Invasion of the Bulldog Hockey Leagye

by danccchan on May 25, 2011 8:16 PM CDT up reply actions

Funny :)

You missed one of our best prospects ;)

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

Author, watchdog, enforcer and french-canadian connection for Hockey Wilderness.

twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on May 25, 2011 8:23 PM CDT up reply actions

shhhh!

my list! it was my list!

by danccchan on May 25, 2011 8:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Hmmm...

Editor:Hockey Wilderness Editor:In Lax We Trust Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN

Rule #17: You may not impersonate representatives of Hockey Wilderness and handout NHL themed wrist bands.

by BReynolds on May 25, 2011 9:15 PM CDT up reply actions

At least the left wing is filled

with potential NHL level contributors. A couple of those guys could surprise, which the Wild could really use about now.

by Krotz the Wall on May 26, 2011 8:13 AM CDT reply actions

Here is another interesting thought.

Jason Gregoire withdrew from UND so he can go pro. He is not going to sign with the New York Islanders. He is exploiting a loophole in the CBA to become a free agent, the same one Blake Wheeler did. He is a left wing & is projected to be a top six winger. I wonder if eihter the Wild or he are interested in each other. He works his ass off & he can put it in the net. Just a thought.

Blood and death are waiting like a raven in the sky
I was born to die
Hear me while I live
As I look into your eyes
None shall hear a lie
Power and dominion are taken by the will
By divine right hail and kill

Man-o-war

Death to Technowild the Scarecrow & MKIA the Dopey dwarf #7

by FightingWild on May 26, 2011 8:59 AM CDT reply actions

When did he withdraw?

I love this idea.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on May 26, 2011 9:29 AM CDT up reply actions

He withdrew May 18th.

SO the CBA says he has to be signed within 30 days or he is a free agent. Doesn’t sound like he really wants to play for the Islanders (who can blame him (Gillies & Snow)) & he said he is going to keep all his options open. So I would think with our dearth of talent Fletcher will be making a pitch to him & the possibility of playing sooner with the big club.

Man-o-war

Death to Technowild the Scarecrow & MKIA the Dopey dwarf #7

by FightingWild on May 26, 2011 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Jason Gregoire

He is a Winnipegger… Probably sign with the Winnipeg Thasherjets…

by ThatGuy22 on May 26, 2011 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions

It is a possibility...

He would be expensive next year, because as a free agent, he’d get a contract much like Da Costa got, with the big cap hold in this last year of the CBA. Still, the Wild don’t have too many guys at top 6 level, or projected as such.

by Krotz the Wall on May 26, 2011 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions

Cap Situation

It doesn’t seem to me the Wild are as in big of trouble this year as they were last year with the Cap situation. With there being 4 or 5 slots to fill total and 10 mil between current and cap numbers, if they fill two of those slots with Gillies and Wellman which sounds like it is a good chance of happening, than they will have about 8 million for the other three spots. Should be fairly easy to do.

by ThatGuy22 on May 26, 2011 3:33 PM CDT up reply actions

And the cap is going up.

Editor:Hockey Wilderness Editor:In Lax We Trust Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN

Rule #17: You may not impersonate representatives of Hockey Wilderness and handout NHL themed wrist bands.

by BReynolds on May 26, 2011 7:04 PM CDT up reply actions

The Da Costa cap hit was at...

$3.2 or maybe a bit more million for a guy who may or may not make the impact you think he might make. The cap hit for next year, not considering a potential raise of the cap is sitting closer to $8.5 million total… you have to figure in the $3 + million dollar raise Mikko is getting. So you add in your Wellman and Gillies, and a backup goalie, and say you have that $8 million after a cap raise. So, you spend more than $3 million of that on a college FA, who could potentially have top 6 skill, you have a little less than $5 million for your 2 spots and the $1 million or more of space they’d like keep for injuries and possible moves.

Now, you haven’t yet really addressed who will be your top line wings. Maybe Cullen moves to a wing with Mikko, or try Cullen with Havlat and Butch again. Maybe try Lats on one side of Mikko, I am for this if Lats is in shape and ready to go.

Now, if the Wild are indeed shopping for a wing talent, say with Burns and his $3.5 million cap hit, you would expect to take back at least that much salary, or possibly more.

I’m not saying don’t do it, but they Wild don’t have that much space for next year considering their needs and what they have committed already next year. Personally, I sign the kid if he’s interested. Still, that will limit what the team can, and maybe willing, to do in what is likely the start of a rebuilding year.

by Krotz the Wall on May 27, 2011 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Da Costa’s cap hit for the 2011-2012 season, according to capgeek.com is $1.325 million, plus a $850,000 bonus, which has to count towards the cap as there is no CBA for next season set in place yet.
Total cap hit for the season will be $2.175, so a little less than your $3.2+ million you projected.

by JDesthubert on May 27, 2011 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions

Just going off what Russo reported back before he signed...

Russo reported that Da Costa’s cap hit could reach $3.75 million next year… and he reported that figure 4 different times from a quick search. So, I don’t know how Ottawa managed to negotiate that number down or if Russo and the research he mentioned was just wrong.

by Krotz the Wall on May 31, 2011 7:49 AM CDT up reply actions

I have a few questions

What is the difference between a left and right winger? What makes a player play on the right or left side of the center, is it what hand they shoot with or something?

Also, what does top/bottom six forward mean? Is that in relation to the line you play on? A top 6 forward meaning you have the talent to play on the top two lines of a team an bottom six meaning you are relegated to the 3rd and 4th line or are a special teams specialist?

by TC Mooch on May 26, 2011 10:06 AM CDT reply actions

LW vs RW is generally determined by which hand you shoot, yes. You want your stick toward the middle of the ice, and ready for a cross ice pass. So, a left handed shit is generally a RW, and a righty generally plays on the left. Thus the reason why a good, solid RW is so hard to come by. Check the stats page out on NHL.com. There are way more productive LW than RW.

Of course, this is not set in stone. Many forwards play both sides, but if you are a lefty, you can almost guarantee you will be a RW.

Second question. Yes, Top / bottom six has to do with your line, and your ability. Top six forwards are more likely to be scoring forwards, bottom six are more likely to be grinders / checkers / shutdown guys. Think of the top 6 as the guys you want on the power play, bottom six as the guys you want on the PK.

Editor:Hockey Wilderness Editor:In Lax We Trust Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN

Rule #17: You may not impersonate representatives of Hockey Wilderness and handout NHL themed wrist bands.

by BReynolds on May 26, 2011 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions

and when I say top nine

It usually means he has the ability to play on the bottom six role, such as a checker/ grinder/ shutdown guy, but can chip in offensively as well, and at times, fill in the 2nd line role and be relied on more on his scoring.

Think Eric Belanger for top nine.

by danccchan on May 26, 2011 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions