Bouchard skating, scrimmaging, aiming for start of Wild training camp
Sounds like Bouchard is progressing well in his recovery from multiple concussions. He's still not 100% there, but is trying to be ready for training camp three weeks from Saturday.
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So while he's definitely pushing himself, he's trying to pace himself, too. He's yet to experience contact and that'll probably wait until training camp.
Bouchard said he's still a little rusty, but he's pleased with how quickly he's rediscovered his skill level.
There's also this gem, which I'm sure some smartass can make a good joke out of it.
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Also, Richards will be at Winter Park on Tuesday to watch the way the Vikings coaching staff does things. Later in the week, he may also get together with Don Lucia and the Gophers' men's hockey staff.
"The more people you talk to in the coaching world only makes myself and my staff better. So it's a chance to experience a couple different things."
Great news but I still don't like the part about him still feeling pressure and saying how he is just going to have to deal with it because no he won't be able to. Come back when there is no pressure at all.
Don't worry, when he steps on the ice for a game, his headaches will suddenly reappear... He hasn't had to face a check in quite some time, he's just forgotten how much he fears them, then he'll stop working out to take care of his "post concussion" syndrome.
Great news. as i've said before: even if you think he's only worth ~$2 million, we're still closer to getting that ~$2 million dollar player back which is better than having him sit on the bench.
Hope he has a Bergeron (the good one) type recovery.
I'm curious where PMB is going to fit in our top 6. Lats and Havlat showed great chemistry last season. And I'm guessing Cullen will be centering them. Butch played well back when he had super shooter Rolston as a line mate. Suppose he probably will be slotted on the opposite wing of the Brunette/Koivu line. Don't know who will be the finisher on that line. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Butch is better. I just don't think he is the best fit based on the make up of the team.
I'm curious where PMB is going to fit in our top 6. Lats and Havlat showed great chemistry last season. And I'm guessing Cullen will be centering them. Butch played well back when he had super shooter Rolston as a line mate. Suppose he probably will be slotted on the opposite wing of the Brunette/Koivu line. Don't know who will be the finisher on that line. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Butch is better. I just don't think he is the best fit based on the make up of the team.
I don't think he fits in the top 6; at least not this year.
I would put him with Kobasew and Brodziak/Madden/Sheppard on line 3.
Antti Miettinen is not a 1st line-caliber player. Let Butch try a spot on the first line and give it back to Mittens if it doesn't work. Only real concern is that Butch might not be ready for 1st-line play yet; he might need to ease into playing more minutes.
Antti Miettinen is not a 1st line-caliber player. Let Butch try a spot on the first line and give it back to Mittens if it doesn't work. Only real concern is that Butch might not be ready for 1st-line play yet; he might need to ease into playing more minutes.
It's proven to not work when you put 3 playmakers on the same line. Not to mention, taking away Miettinen would put even more defensive responsibility on Koivu.
I don't think anyone on this board has the authority to say where he can play or not. He'll dictate that with his play when he comes back. I think he'll start out on the third line if everyone else is healthy, and he may jump up to the Koivu line at some point in time.
Koivu's not just a pass-first player. He gets more assists than goals because he chooses to stay high and move the puck to a winger. If Bouchard plays as strong on the wall as he has most of his career, I don't see any problem with him playing with a guy who loves to clean up the trash or with a guy who has a great shot from the high slot.
Unfortunately, shooters are not this organization's depth. Frankly at the forward position, they have Brunette, Koivu, Latendresse, Havlat, and a truckload of interchangeable/replaceable players. (No comment on Cullen; I'm just not familiar enough with his play.) Since Havlat seems to have decided to act like a playmaker as of late, that leaves Latendresse as the only legitimate shoot-first forward on the team who's really top-six talent––and this is all assuming his performance last year was not a fluke, which is completely untested. Plus the Wild would be crazy to break up the Havlat-Latendresse combo. Why we haven't seen a Havlat-Koivu-Latendresse line, I have no idea. (No, seriously; I imagine there's a reason for it, as I'm sure I'm not the first person with that idea, but I'd be really grateful if someone could tell me what it is.) My point is, the organization is stacked with playmakers, and it's almost a luxury the Wild can't afford to avoid making a line of three playmakers at some point.
Play makers playing with other play makers tend to pass up prime scoring chances to make the perfect play. You will pull your hair out while yelling the word "shoot!"
No, they won't play hot potato exactly, but they pass on scoring chances quite often.
While i firmly believe Bouchard will be getting more ES/PP minutes than Mittens eventually, he'll get light duty at the beginning of the season as he works up to 100%.
Koivu + Bouchard will be a lot better offensively than Koivu + Mittens. Defensively? Not sure, but I don't want my #1 player playing a primarily defensive role; it's enough that he plays responsibly and doesn't give the opposition free shots down ice--he doesn't have to make scoring prevention his focus.
Play makers playing with other play makers tend to pass up prime scoring chances to make the perfect play. You will pull your hair out while yelling the word "shoot!"
No, they won't play hot potato exactly, but they pass on scoring chances quite often.
This is why Bouchard with Brunette - Koivu won't work...
brunette may have deficiencies as a first line player, but passing up scoring chances isn't one of them.
You guys worry too much. Koivu will shoot more if some else can carry some of the set-up burden. And if the set-ups are better quality, in better areas, his percentage will go up.
The problem with Bouchard replacing Miettinen is now it isn't a match-up line. Latendresse-Cullen-Havlat isn't a match-up line. Then we're back to the days where line 3 plays as much as anyone ES because its the best match-up line.
Bouchard doesn't have a place on this team, which is why I'd have tried to dump him by any means necessary this offseason. He's a 40 point player on our 3rd line over 80 games IMO, and that isn't worth 4M.
match up line? did we have one of those last year? Didn't seem like it.
Koivu played consistently against other team's top lines.
@Gopher, I was referring to my willingness to deal him for a player like Jeff Finger, Jason Blake, or Brian Rolston, for the 1 less year, much cheaper buy-outs in Finger/Blake's cases, and players that arguably fit this team better.
