Dropped off a bunch of hockey gear...but missed out on the drawings. I think only 10 people entered so good odds...I was 7 and I think 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 won. Oh well. One of the refs tossed my kid a puck, so that's pretty sweet.
Always great for the Wild to open up their doors. Yeah they make cash but it's a really cool thing. It was dead today so pretty much everyone could sit near the glass. Also they opened up the entire rink not just a few sections. If you're going tomorrow, bring some old hockey gear and get a good spot.
Hackett I swear didn't get scored on at all in warmups. He is just awesome. Didn't see much of Kuemper.
Brodin is such a smooth skater and literally controlled play on the ice seemingly at will. There were shifts he skated the puck from his end, dumped the puck in, grabbed it at the point, shot it in, just dominant. Amazing for a 19 year old kid from Sweden.
Larsson was a similar player but up front. He could really be a great player. He was one of those guys who would get the puck in the D zone and press it all the way up the ice. He has some puck skills too, but I think we'll like his work ethic and the whole package.
Granlund I didn't see much and wasn't super impressed except for his play on the PP. He looks bigger and stronger, more so than most of the guys on the ice. Didn't expect that. Anyways, when pressured he could get knocked off the puck easily but with a little time and space, like on the PP, he was just ridiculous. He could sauce the puck and pass it anywhere right on the tape without looking. Just amazing. Kind of looked like he was coasting though.
Coyle wasn't all that impressive. He also kind of looked like he was coasting but his speed wasn't anything to write home about and just average puck skills. My two cents. Maybe it's just the scrimmage where he isn't trying to kill anyone.
Zucker obviously was great with timely goals. He didn't have much opportunity to showcase his speed (honestly nobody did, it was a pretty defensive/tight scrimmage). But his shot is obviously NHL quality.
I should also point out all the prospects played a physical game in that they went to the corners, took their lumps in the corners, etc. No worries at all.
Phillips seemed to be really good at ragging the puck up the ice, like Larsson, didn't see him much in his end but he was good getting the puck in. Sweet flow too.
Scandella looked fine. Not much to write home about good or bad. Still think he's a solid bottom six NHL'er.
Cuma had flashes where he looked nearly as good as Brodin in moving up the puck and flashes where he did dumb things. Like passing right through the slot to his partner, one time getting picked off. Actually lots of guys were doing that, no clue why. But he could still be an NHL'er if he puts in another solid year in the minors.
Bulmer looked decent. He wasn't pissing anyone off. Used his reach to rag the puck up the ice. I really think he's like a tall Cal Clutterbuck.
I completely forgot Kampfer was even playing if that tells you anything.
That's all I can remember. Overall nobody was a stud or a disappointment (outside Brodin and maybe Larsson and Zucker). Good warmup for the guys.
I said that last month and I got castrated for it. I completely agree.
And I can understand why people would fly off the handle. Yes, in general....no good can come out of a lockout. I probably should have used the phrase "silver lining" in that initial post as opposed to saying "one good thing." In this work-stoppage, nobody wins. But it is what it is. It's happening and there's nothing we can do about it. Buckle up for the long ride. But like it or not, we're fortunate enough to have a slice of a silver lining as opposed to some teams who may be facing the extra dagger of having their team in a situation where the window is starting to close. Our window isn't opening yet, but it's been unlocked.
I completely forgot Kampfer was even playing if that tells you anything.
Isn't it okay to not notice a defenseman?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NHL1674
And I can understand why people would fly off the handle. Yes, in general....no good can come out of a lockout. I probably should have used the phrase "silver lining" in that initial post as opposed to saying "one good thing." In this work-stoppage, nobody wins. But it is what it is. It's happening and there's nothing we can do about it. Buckle up for the long ride. But like it or not, we're fortunate enough to have a slice of a silver lining as opposed to some teams who may be facing the extra dagger of having their team in a situation where the window is starting to close. Our window isn't opening yet, but it's been unlocked.
Exactly. We're one of the teams best off in a lockout. Can't look at all negatives.
And I can understand why people would fly off the handle. Yes, in general....no good can come out of a lockout. I probably should have used the phrase "silver lining" in that initial post as opposed to saying "one good thing." In this work-stoppage, nobody wins. But it is what it is. It's happening and there's nothing we can do about it. Buckle up for the long ride. But like it or not, we're fortunate enough to have a slice of a silver lining as opposed to some teams who may be facing the extra dagger of having their team in a situation where the window is starting to close. Our window isn't opening yet, but it's been unlocked.
A thanksgiving start might be the ideal situation for the Wild. Give these kids some time to gel, learn the pro/ NA style game, and get to know their future teammates. Dont get me wrong - a lock out is a pathetic, giant mistake but there are positives for the wild (and a lot of negatives).
I just hope that GMCF does whats right for Granlund, even if that means leaving him in Houston awhile. That goes for all of our prospects (esp Charlie Coyle and Phillips).
Dropped off a bunch of hockey gear...but missed out on the drawings. I think only 10 people entered so good odds...I was 7 and I think 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 won. Oh well. One of the refs tossed my kid a puck, so that's pretty sweet.
Always great for the Wild to open up their doors. Yeah they make cash but it's a really cool thing. It was dead today so pretty much everyone could sit near the glass. Also they opened up the entire rink not just a few sections. If you're going tomorrow, bring some old hockey gear and get a good spot.
Hackett I swear didn't get scored on at all in warmups. He is just awesome. Didn't see much of Kuemper.
Brodin is such a smooth skater and literally controlled play on the ice seemingly at will. There were shifts he skated the puck from his end, dumped the puck in, grabbed it at the point, shot it in, just dominant. Amazing for a 19 year old kid from Sweden.
Larsson was a similar player but up front. He could really be a great player. He was one of those guys who would get the puck in the D zone and press it all the way up the ice. He has some puck skills too, but I think we'll like his work ethic and the whole package.
Granlund I didn't see much and wasn't super impressed except for his play on the PP. He looks bigger and stronger, more so than most of the guys on the ice. Didn't expect that. Anyways, when pressured he could get knocked off the puck easily but with a little time and space, like on the PP, he was just ridiculous. He could sauce the puck and pass it anywhere right on the tape without looking. Just amazing. Kind of looked like he was coasting though.
Coyle wasn't all that impressive. He also kind of looked like he was coasting but his speed wasn't anything to write home about and just average puck skills. My two cents. Maybe it's just the scrimmage where he isn't trying to kill anyone.
Zucker obviously was great with timely goals. He didn't have much opportunity to showcase his speed (honestly nobody did, it was a pretty defensive/tight scrimmage). But his shot is obviously NHL quality.
I should also point out all the prospects played a physical game in that they went to the corners, took their lumps in the corners, etc. No worries at all.
Phillips seemed to be really good at ragging the puck up the ice, like Larsson, didn't see him much in his end but he was good getting the puck in. Sweet flow too.
Scandella looked fine. Not much to write home about good or bad. Still think he's a solid bottom six NHL'er.
Cuma had flashes where he looked nearly as good as Brodin in moving up the puck and flashes where he did dumb things. Like passing right through the slot to his partner, one time getting picked off. Actually lots of guys were doing that, no clue why. But he could still be an NHL'er if he puts in another solid year in the minors.
Bulmer looked decent. He wasn't pissing anyone off. Used his reach to rag the puck up the ice. I really think he's like a tall Cal Clutterbuck.
I completely forgot Kampfer was even playing if that tells you anything.
That's all I can remember. Overall nobody was a stud or a disappointment (outside Brodin and maybe Larsson and Zucker). Good warmup for the guys.
Basically, I noticed that Coyle, Granlund, Brodin, Bulmer, and a few other guys like Scandella kind of coasted, which is expected. I watched Coyle play in the Q many times. He would kill guys in the corner. It was his intent going into the corners. Today, as with Bulmer, there was no intent there. We won't see any of these more experienced or gifted players true colors until game 1 of the regular season.
I said that last month and I got castrated for it. I completely agree.
Well, I think you got castrated because it's a double edge sword. On the one hand, our kids are benefiting greatly from it, on the other hand, Parise, Suter and Koivu are a year older, and they're in their prime right now. All things equal, I'd rather have NHL hockey than not have it.
Well, I think you got castrated because it's a double edge sword. On the one hand, our kids are benefiting greatly from it, on the other hand, Parise, Suter and Koivu are a year older, and they're in their prime right now. All things equal, I'd rather have NHL hockey than not have it.
Duh. Thats beside the point. We can't control that.
bah, i still think people overexaggerate this AHL vs NHL thing. Guy didn't pan = he was rushed!
blah!
IMO, if you got dem skills to play in the NHL, a stint in the NHL/AHL won't ruin that. If you stuck Shep or Gillies in houston for 5 years, I don't think they'd be any better to the team than they are now.
You can't honestly be that naive as to think peoples development paths are the same and they hone their skills whether they are playing 4th line minutes in the NHL, or first line AHL minutes. If you really do think Shep or Gillies wouldn't have done better starting out in the AHL, I will say it outright, you sir, are an idiot.
You can't honestly be that naive as to think peoples development paths are the same and they hone their skills whether they are playing 4th line minutes in the NHL, or first line AHL minutes. If you really do think Shep or Gillies wouldn't have done better starting out in the AHL, I will say it outright, you sir, are an idiot.
If a guy is gonna succeed, he's gonna succeed. After all of his years playing, being thrown into the NHL a little early or playing in the AHL a little late isn't gonna do much in the long run. The stars of teh NHL would've succeeded no matter what. No matter what we did, Shep wasn't gonna beast, and neither was Gillias. Sorry, but an extra year or two of AHL wasn't going to make him awesome. It was just a bad pick.
Finishing my thoughts now that I'm not typing on an iPhone.
Phillips was my #1 star, without a doubt. Any questions about his skating can be completely ignored in my opinion. He played a really strong two-way game and back-checked like a beast. A year in Houston will do him a lot of good, it seemed like he had just a tad bit of a hard time adjusting to the speed of the good D he was up against.
#2 would be Larsson. Same scenario, really smart player, really good positioning. Really impressed with his two-way game. His line was arguably the best there, at the absolute least, they lead the way in offensive zone time.
#3 is Brodin. Him and Scandella were great together. The only reason I'm not talking up Scandalla is because he should've done well here, and he impressed me quite a bit. Brodin though... Man, I can't wait to see him breaking out of our zone for the next 10 years... The guy skates like he was born with skates on, his vision is really, REALLY impressive and he's not completely inept on offense. A year in Houston, hopefully with a lot of PP time, will do wonders. His natural skill for the game really lead me to believe that he can become an offensively talented player as well. Maybe not the kind of guy who anchors the PP on his own, but he will be a guy that you want out there as much as he can handle.
#4 is Zucker. The man among boys line came up more than a couple times. He's got an NHL shot (his first shootout attempt was just dirty). He's got good instincts and good positioning. If he can handle the physical rigors of the high-speed game he plays, he should fit nicely in a top-6 roll.
I'm going to stop at 4 for some reason, and just start sharing random thoughts.
With the exception of his one pass, Coyle did absolutely nothing to change my lack of excitement about him. He just didn't seem to be where he needed to be at any point throughout the game. Obviously he's not going to be a physical force in a scrimmage, but he was nearly invisible to me for nearly the entire night.
Granlund looked good, but I got the impression he wasn't really putting in a ton of effort. He made some really nifty passes, and had a few good chances, but he didn't wow me at all. Good vision, good hands.
Hackett looked solid, didn't look like he was frazzled at all with the really unorganized play coming at him, followed everything well. I didn't really get a good look at any of the other goalies.
Bulmer stood out for a couple of good shots he gave, and took. But didn't really stand out otherwise.
That's most of what I remember. I walked right past basically the entire Wild front office, too. Fletcher, Yeo, CL, Darby and I think there were one or two other faces that I couldn't put names to. I'm wishing I had tried to get a handshake or two, but, oh well.
Duh. Thats beside the point. We can't control that.
Do we control anything? Sorry if I seemed like I'm being a dick, I just meant that I can see both sides of the equation and I side with wanting NHL hockey immediately. As I expect all of us do.
OpRedDawn, I agree that Shep and Gillies weren't going to be beasts, but they still could have been better than they were. I think that's all he's saying. Not spectacular, but effective. There is no doubt that confidence and slow but steady steps up in difficulty help players of any sport/game along in skill. Anyway, super excited to hear the updates, on Brodin and Zucker especially. Thanks.
bah, i still think people overexaggerate this AHL vs NHL thing. Guy didn't pan = he was rushed!
blah!
IMO, if you got dem skills to play in the NHL, a stint in the NHL/AHL won't ruin that. If you stuck Shep or Gillies in houston for 5 years, I don't think they'd be any better to the team than they are now.
development isn't a linear path, there are many factors in making of an NHL player, one of them is confidence.
when gillies made the team for a year when he shouldn't have it played with his head, he was not ready for NHL duty, he was still way too young, way to raw. now if he had been sent to WHL for one more year and a year in houston he still may not be better then a 3rd liners, but that play time he would have received of 20ish min a night would help him mold his game more, get ready and grow.
same with Shep, we can all argue about their selection, but their development was messed up, look at what GMCF has done, letting guys play in a league suited to their skill, look how much bulmer grew last year, look at Zucker, Coyle, guys who had a chance to develop and round out their game.
development is key and is on a per player basis, both Shep and Gillies were rushed with theirs, it did effect the final product
And again on a play with Mikael involved... Loved that.
