Devin Setoguchi and Casey Wellman Activated, Matt Kassian Reassigned

by BReynolds on Jan 3, 2012 1:53 PM CST in News

He's back. Now... can he make an impact?

Good news out of Wild camp today as the team heads to Vancouver and Calgary. They have activated Devin Setoguchi and Casey Wellman from the injured reserve list, and as a result, reassigned Matt Kassian back to the Houston Aeros.

Having Setoguchi back immediately makes the team better, as the Wild now have a top six forward and top power play unti guy back on the ice who is certainly not afraid to shoot the puck. He was struggling a bit before his injury, so maybe the layoff will have instilled some fire in his belly and he can find his groove with Dany Heatley and Mikko Koivu. The -7 rating needs to go away, and quick.

Casey Wellman gives them yet another speedster, and a player that was just heating up when he was injured. The guess here has to be that he is reunited with Matt Cullen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard to provide that speedy threat the Wild have been lacking.

Kassian being sent back should not be seen as him having done something wrong. He came up, played well, and served in his role very well. He'll be back to be sure. Would have been fun to see him play against the Canucks, but it will be more fun to see how the newest scoring threats impact the game.

Healthy players, Wilderness. What's that about?

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Grea to have Seto and Wellman back

Though I would’ve liked to see Kassian fight Lapierre/Bieksa.

Quick hockey-noob question, how does the +/- rating work?

Regressing to the top of the league.

by GerDevine on Jan 3, 2012 2:05 PM CST reply actions

You get a + for being on the ice for even strength goals for your team and a – for being on the ice for even strength goals against. A -7 means he was on the ice for 7 more even strength goals for the other team than our team.

Not a terribly useful stat in my opinion, but its a quick and dirty evaluation of defensive play.

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 3, 2012 2:17 PM CST up reply actions

Or, if you're Nicklas Lidstrom

The number of dreams you’ve shattered in a game versus number of hot dogs sold during intermissions

When we get the Pig, the Jug and the Axe, we'll have one hell of a picnic

by Marshmoose on Jan 3, 2012 2:31 PM CST up reply actions

Not only even strength

But shorthanded goals for gives a +, shorthanded goal against gives a -

I'm that ''ignorant dumbass'' who writes with the ''whiny idiot homer'' over at Hockey Wilderness.

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Jan 3, 2012 2:56 PM CST up reply actions

Also if there are shorthanded

goals scored, as the team short handed would receive a + and the power play team would receive a -.

Obviously, no + for a power play being scored.

by wild32384 on Jan 3, 2012 2:57 PM CST up reply actions

It’s actually a fairly useless stat taken by itself. A guy can get a + or – and have just stepped on the ice. It has to be taken with a grain of salt, and a strong dose of context. Still, a top six forward should not be a -7 this early in the year.

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

Master of unsustainable passive regression.

by BReynolds on Jan 3, 2012 2:30 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah it seems like a bit of mis-fortune can get you a bad +/- rating without you doing much wrong.
Anyway, let’s just hope Seto puts up some good points and stays healthy for the rest of the season.

Regressing to the top of the league.

by GerDevine on Jan 3, 2012 2:56 PM CST up reply actions

What's that about?

It’s about…..DAMN TIME!

Unashamed Alex Burrows Fanboy, MN Wild Lover, and believer in the FLA Cats Blueprint

by JMarushin on Jan 3, 2012 2:05 PM CST reply actions

Almost feels bittersweet

Cant wait to get rid of Staubitz next year and hopefully Kassian stays full time then. Sounds like Clutter is back on the third line where he can be most effective. I think Powe should be on the third line and try bumping Johnson down to the forth to see how he responds.

by GooterBaby on Jan 3, 2012 2:27 PM CST reply actions

I dunno, i’d like to see Powe on the 4th line as a center, and Peters re-assigned to Houston.

Regressing to the top of the league.

by GerDevine on Jan 3, 2012 2:57 PM CST up reply actions

I think pose brings a better game at LW. Peters isn’t a bad 4th line center either.

by GooterBaby on Jan 3, 2012 8:44 PM CST up reply actions

I'd rather get rid of Staubitz

And leave Kassain in the AHL.

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 3, 2012 3:05 PM CST up reply actions

Great to have those two back

They definitely have the skill to improve the line up that we’ve been throwing out there the last few games. Hopefully they will make an impact and help right the ship.

by Joel Bertelsen on Jan 3, 2012 3:03 PM CST reply actions

Yeah!

Now my Setoguchi shirt is back to relevance. My favorite Wild player. Possibly only because he is on Twitter.

@JayKlinkhammer
jayklinkhammer.tumblr.com

by y2jayjk on Jan 3, 2012 3:11 PM CST reply actions

Almost like starting over now

So we’re thinking:

Heatley-Koivu-Seto
Bouchard-Cullen-Wellman
Clutter-Brodz-Johnson
Powe-Peters-Staubitz/Gillies

by cgp711 on Jan 3, 2012 3:24 PM CST reply actions

Seems likely. Though I think the 4th line will be: Gillies-Powe-Staubitz.

Regressing to the top of the league.

by GerDevine on Jan 3, 2012 3:26 PM CST up reply actions

Staubitz

Anyone have a good theory on why the Wild persist with Staubitz in the lineup, especially against cheapshot artists like the Canucks? You can almost guarantee an unnecessary post-whistle scrum with guys like LaPierriere and Alex “I like finger foods” Burrows playing. Having someone like Kassian (as opposed to Staubitz) in the lineup can’t be that bad of an idea.

Son-of-a-bitch is dug in like an Alabama tick!

by Mark It Zero! on Jan 3, 2012 3:58 PM CST up reply actions

Incriminating Photo's of Yeo/Fletcher is my guess

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 3, 2012 3:59 PM CST up reply actions

I agree. Kassian pounding Lapierre, Bieksa or Burrows would’ve been fun.

Regressing to the top of the league.

by GerDevine on Jan 3, 2012 4:03 PM CST up reply actions

I wish World Juniors got more press in the U.S.

This story about Finland vs. Sweden is actually pretty good. You have to wonder how Granlund and Larsson will co-exist here . . .

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/juniorhockey/blog/buzzing_the_net/post/WJC2012-Finland-ready-to-resume-rivalry-with-Sw;_ylt=ApUaopUJ7dpFIUav85vE.0N7vLYF?urn=juniorhockey-wp5566

by cgp711 on Jan 3, 2012 4:02 PM CST reply actions

Probably the same way

Swedes and Fins, Czechs and Slovaks, Czechs and Russians coexist in the NHL everyday.

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 3, 2012 7:46 PM CST up reply actions

And the same way

The one Badger has to coexist with the five Gophers on his team

"Believe in the system. For it shall bring light when there is dark, food when there is hunger, and shots when there are passes. This is the divine process." Yeo 4:18

by NorthernStar on Jan 3, 2012 7:53 PM CST up reply actions