Wilderness Walk for 2-6-2012

by BReynolds on Feb 6, 2012 9:14 AM CST in Wilderness Walks

Breaking news: From Russo, via Twitter - Nate Prosser is signed to a two year, one way deal. Message to the rest of the defensive corps... sent.

Looking at my calendar, the trade deadline is about three weeks away. Plenty of time to get so worked up into a fervor that we can't, as a group, collectively think our way out of a wet paper bag. A couple of reminders: sites like Hockey Buzz and "NHL Sources Say," as well as HF Boards and other places are NOT legitimate news sources. Of the three, HF Boards can garner some useful information, and is a vibrant (and for the most part unregulated) community, with some good people, but do not buy into the trade rumors there.

This is simply a warning that comments that begin with "Well, Hockey Buzz says..." with be met with mockery and sarcasm at such a level that it may break your computer.

We apologize in advance to anyone who may be offended by this warning. However, if you buy into to the moronic rumor mongering with zero basis in fact whatsoever, we have zero place to begin a conversation. Beware the people who say "I heard from a source with the team," or claim to have information they should not have. NHL GMs play information very close to their chest.

Even people in the highest levels of the administration do not have the information these sites claim to have. So, unless you read it from a source you know has it from a GM or assistant GM, I wouldn't buy it for a handful of sand.

Moving on.

First Things First

VOTE - Go vote for DTBL today. I'll beg if you want me to.

Wild News

Heatley's line runs on all cylinders | StarTribune.com - How do your break it up? Maybe you don't.

Top line's success without Mikko Koivu has Wild reconsidering configurations - TwinCities.com - View from the other side of the river.

First Round Bust: Let's Talk About Zach Parise - Good read. This will be a hot topic for the next three weeks. However, remember that the Devils have said Parise will not be traded. Unless you have inside information, this seems like a non-starter.

Tending the Fields

The Third Intermission: View from the Press Box - Aeros lose 2-1 to Milwaukee - Wa wa waaaa....

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And most importantly...

ITS MY BIRTHDAY!!!! Feel free to praise me endlessly!

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by The Nooge on Feb 6, 2012 9:16 AM CST via Android app reply actions

Happy birthday.

You can all sign his card by clicking the link above marked “Vote” and then clicking the VOTE button in the upper left corner. ;-)

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

Master of unsustainable passive regression.

by BReynolds on Feb 6, 2012 9:31 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs

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

by nathaneide on Feb 6, 2012 9:40 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs

rec'd

by eamon17 on Feb 6, 2012 9:56 AM CST up reply actions

I love this.

by iLoveHockey on Feb 6, 2012 11:00 AM CST up reply actions

Yep. Yes I did.

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

Master of unsustainable passive regression.

by BReynolds on Feb 6, 2012 12:41 PM CST up reply actions

When Koivu comes back

Move Cullen to left wing Koivu & Seto. Lave the rest alone except for please god, BENCH Zidlicky!!!!!!

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

Tired of the Fucking idiots that post on Russo's Rants!!! Somebody put an end to MKIA & Technowild & The other losers.

by FightingWild on Feb 6, 2012 9:58 AM CST reply actions

So...

With Prosser signed, does this mean Zids is gone? Interesting piece by FRB, think Parise could be in Iron Range Red next year? Hmm…Granlund-Koivu-Parise and Seto-Cullen-Heater? That’s a dangerous looking top 6.

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by wild4life on Feb 6, 2012 10:02 AM CST up reply actions

Second line

In the few games they played on the same line, I wasn’t too impressed with Cullen + Heatley. I know next year is far off, but, assuming Brodziak is signed, I’d like to see him center Heatley (and maybe Johnson).

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

by Mark It Zero! on Feb 6, 2012 11:00 AM CST up reply actions

I was thinking the same thing

What about this:

Granlund-Koivu-Parise
Seto-Cullen-Clutter
Johnson-Brodz-Heater
Powe+2

Hurts to put 7.5 mil on the “3rd” line. But what works is what works. More like 2A and 2B

by eamon17 on Feb 6, 2012 12:12 PM CST up reply actions

I would actually consider Seto Cullen Clutter to be the third line.

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

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Feb 6, 2012 12:47 PM CST up reply actions

Kinda like 2A and 2B

by eamon17 on Feb 6, 2012 1:00 PM CST up reply actions

Christensen

You assume the Wild will not extend his contract at the end of this season?

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

by Mark It Zero! on Feb 6, 2012 1:25 PM CST up reply actions

Oh, yeah

Forgot about that guy. Though with those players, not sure where he fits.

by eamon17 on Feb 6, 2012 1:28 PM CST up reply actions

Let's not automatically assume the Wild get Parise just yet

And maybe put Christensen on the third line

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

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Feb 6, 2012 1:29 PM CST up reply actions

I thought that is what we were talking about...

With Parise. Without, I would move Clutter with Koivu and EC with Cullen and Seto.

by eamon17 on Feb 6, 2012 1:48 PM CST up reply actions

This season

Actually, with Johnson/Brodziak/Heatley playing so well together right now (and Koivu set to return), it wouldn’t be a bad idea to play EC with Koivu this season. I know this has been suggested by several others.

Play EC on a top line and see what he can bring. According to reports, he’s a skilled playmaker; he could, at least temporarily, fill the void left by Bouchard. The remainder of the season should be a reasonable amount of time for the brass to decide if he’s worth getting a contract extension at the end of this season or not.

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

by Mark It Zero! on Feb 6, 2012 2:00 PM CST up reply actions

I would agree with that

Worth a shot. Let’s see what he can do.

by eamon17 on Feb 6, 2012 2:51 PM CST up reply actions

At practice

The lines seem to be:

Johnson/Brodziak/Heatley; Clutterbuck/Cullen/McMillan; Setoguchi/Christensen/Powe; Kassian/Peters/Ortmeyer and Staubitz

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

by Mark It Zero! on Feb 6, 2012 2:56 PM CST up reply actions

JS makes a very good point here.

Fletch is going to have to do an amazing sell job to convince Parise to come here so let’s not get our hopes up. Assuming Lats and Bouchard do not return next year either due to not being resigned (Lats) or health (Bouchard) that leaves us with some new holes to fill. Granlund obviously takes one spot and probably on Koivu’s right wing. But they still need a left wing for the top line. Brodziak has yet to be resigned, and if he makes it to free agency, he is not going to be resigned. But if he does get resigned, here is what I figure the lines start to look like:

LW – Koivu – Granlund
Johnson – Brodziak – Heater
Clutter- Cullen – Seto
AHLer – Powe – AHLer

Obviously we all want Parise as that top line LW but I would honestly settle for Ruutu on a 2-3 year deal (but Jesse recently informed us that Rutherford is now talking extension for Ruutu). Bouchard or Lats can also fill the top line LW spot but I don’t see them resigning Lats and who knows if Bouchard plays again, and if he does, he might be one violent sneeze from another concussion. I purposely left Christensen off this chart because he has only played one game since Dec. 17th so it’s not fair to say if he will be here or not next year right now.

by cgp711 on Feb 6, 2012 3:53 PM CST up reply actions

By the way

I consider these lines as a top line, plus too very good third lines and a fourth line.

by cgp711 on Feb 6, 2012 3:54 PM CST up reply actions

I still think that Heatley and Koviu were showing great chemistry before Koviu’s injuries (both times), and it just seems foolish to me to break up the best playmaker on the team from the best finisher. I will say, though, that Nick Johnson is impressing the hell out of me lately. He’s playing like the power forward the Wild need to compliment a Heatley and Koivu pairing.

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Regressing all the way back to high school hockey.
Mikael Granlund = Suomi Savior

by JDesthubert on Feb 6, 2012 4:04 PM CST up reply actions

So maybe that is the real answer here.

Johnson-Koivu-Heatley

Johnson seems to be a worker and seems to find Heatley.

by cgp711 on Feb 6, 2012 4:09 PM CST up reply actions

This

by SnowMan218 on Feb 6, 2012 4:18 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

As far as Parise coming to Minnesota

It’s probably going to come down to if he believes the prospects the Wild have in the system can help win the Stanley Cup someday. I don’t think it’ll be an issue of money or being in Minnesota.

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

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Feb 6, 2012 4:48 PM CST up reply actions

Totally agree with this.

by SnowMan218 on Feb 6, 2012 4:50 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

The only one closest to can't miss prospect is Granlund

There are question marks around everyone else, they are all trending upward, but it would be amazing if they all ended up where they are projected to be.

by cgp711 on Feb 6, 2012 4:56 PM CST up reply actions

i would rather see granlund be a center

He play wing, but hes a center. The hypothetical if for me; koivu parise ………, and granlund, heatley ………..

Don't know what I'm fighting for, but I know what I'm fighting against

by PUTTINxONxTHExFOIL on Feb 6, 2012 2:02 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

*he can play wing

Don't know what I'm fighting for, but I know what I'm fighting against

by PUTTINxONxTHExFOIL on Feb 6, 2012 2:03 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

ive done some thinking

Lats, koivu, parise
Gooch,granlund,heatley

Don't know what I'm fighting for, but I know what I'm fighting against

by PUTTINxONxTHExFOIL on Feb 6, 2012 2:10 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

MAJOR assumptions there

One: G-Lat is healthy enough to come back from his concussed state AND stay in the lineup.
Two: G-Lat is re-signed by the Wild.
Three: Parise signs with the Wild.

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

by Mark It Zero! on Feb 6, 2012 3:01 PM CST up reply actions

I think we need to cool the Parise talk for a while.

I’m as guilty of it as anyone, but it’s not even a given he leaves NJ yet.

by cgp711 on Feb 6, 2012 3:55 PM CST up reply actions

But when he does leave NJ, he’s coming to Nashville anyway, so it’s a moot point ;)

Hands go uuppp..... AND THEY STAY THERE!
-nashvillepredators-

by davisca on Feb 6, 2012 6:31 PM CST up reply actions

If he's going to Nashville

Then we’ll just take Weber instead ;)

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

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Feb 6, 2012 6:41 PM CST up reply actions

You wont be able to support

4, 7+ mil contracts, unless you are fine with loosing Weber or Suter?

by wild32384 on Feb 6, 2012 7:29 PM CST up reply actions

I'd think you'd want to keep Weber and Suter more than Parise.

by cgp711 on Feb 6, 2012 8:46 PM CST up reply actions

Eh, If it were me, I would keep Weber and sign Parise.

Suter is nice. but he is not weber, and they need offensive players.

by wild32384 on Feb 6, 2012 9:54 PM CST up reply actions

You may have misunderstood me.

I didn’t say that Parise will sign with the Wild. I said that is one of the 3 major assumptions made by the previous poster.

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

by Mark It Zero! on Feb 7, 2012 8:15 AM CST up reply actions

BTE will be back if healthy...

He will be cheap. He hasnt done well with the injuries, but he can produce, we have seen that, but how many teams will bet on his health? Advantage: Wild.

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by Jolonco on Feb 6, 2012 9:00 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I'd rather not take the gamble on the health.

Unless it is a one year two-way deal or something like that.

by cgp711 on Feb 6, 2012 9:32 PM CST up reply actions

Good for Prosser

Kid earned it, has been one of the most steady presence on our blue line all season. To bad he got jerked around a little bit on the basis of his old two-way contract. Did russo say if the one-way part takes effect immidiatly or does he have two-way for the rest of the season and one way starting next year?

by ThatGuy22 on Feb 6, 2012 10:09 AM CST reply actions

He did not mention that, but this year’s deal is not impacted at all. starts next year.

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

Master of unsustainable passive regression.

by BReynolds on Feb 6, 2012 10:47 AM CST via Android app up reply actions

I think we can skip calling them lines 1,2, etc..

Just because Heatley is on a line does not make it the “1st” line, same goes for Koivu, Seto or others for other lines. No line has proven heads above any other to be considered for this, if they guy is a key player, Yeo will get him the minutes.

Maybe we do Line 1, then Line A, or maybe the Mongooses, yeah, The Fighting Mongooses.

by iLoveHockey on Feb 6, 2012 11:10 AM CST reply actions