I agree with most people's lineups, but I think eventually Wellwood and Burmi are going to switch spots. Wellwood is already starting to cool off (we all knew it wasn't going to last forever) and Burmi and Antro have some great chemistry. I still credit them for getting Kane going early in the season before he broke out.
Looks like a really solid pick up. Good third liner:
Kane / Little / Wheeler
Ladd / Antro / Wellwood
Mitts / Burmi / Fehr (or Staples)
G / S / T
Wellwood & Burmi interchangeable, depending on match-ups and quality of play. Another nice piece that solidifies the hole in our 3rd line.
I think I would move Ladd to the third line and move Burmi up. I think Burmistrov definitely belongs in the top 6. IMO, Ladd has never really been a top 6 guy.
As a supporter of the Finnish national team, I dislike him very much.
Well, it's not really Andy's fault that he is good enough to be in our crappy NT...
I really admire Miettinen's attitude. Man, the guy fooled himself a nice paycheck in Russia, played like **** there and he still had the nerve to come and play in the NHL.
I mean he could've just gone and dominate the SM-Liiga but he chose the ambitious option to play at the top level, even after everything he has gone through.
I'll miss JJ being out there, but I'm super pumped to see Miettinen out there what number will he be? Hopefully he gets a point or goal tonight, it'd be nice to see this really work out and also...a Miettinen Jets jersey? How sick does it get considering we'll be seeing a lot of Minnesota in the next few years....
I'll miss JJ being out there, but I'm super pumped to see Miettinen out there what number will he be? Hopefully he gets a point or goal tonight, it'd be nice to see this really work out and also...a Miettinen Jets jersey? How sick does it get considering we'll be seeing a lot of Minnesota in the next few years....
We have an extremely weak bottom 6 because we have 2 terrible scrub AHL players in Stapleton and Jaffray. Signing Miettinen does wonders for this club because it pushes away one of the ahl for life scrubs.
I think I would move Ladd to the third line and move Burmi up. I think Burmistrov definitely belongs in the top 6. IMO, Ladd has never really been a top 6 guy.
Well, he literally wasn't until last season. Putting up a 29-30 season should put that notion to rest. He may be more of a complementary guy in your top 6, but he's a top 6 player nonetheless.
Back to Mittens, what has to be understood is that he is not a top 6 guy. He's an ideal 3rd liner who is going to produce modest amounts of offense at ES, but he more than offsets his lack of offensive production with his defensive play. The only reason he got a rough ride from Minnesota fans was because he was completely miscast as a first-line player. Yet his agent probably didn't think the same way, hence the lack of interest in July. The NMC clause and $1.5M is overpayment for him, I agree completely. Though I must say, it looks like a bargain compared to some of the UFA signings this summer.
Also, coming soon to The Zoo (not the one at Assiniboine Park):
I like the move. We have been really hurting on the 3rd line lately. I was beginning to feel sorry for Burmi. However, I wish we would of picked up Blake Comeau when he was on waivers. We never should have let the Flames snatch him.
I like the move. We have been really hurting on the 3rd line lately. I was beginning to feel sorry for Burmi. However, I wish we would of picked up Blake Comeau when he was on waivers. We never should have let the Flames snatch him.
I don't think we had a choice, the Flames were ahead of us in the waiver order at the time.
I like it. If he can improve the 3rd line and help us in the PK department I'm happy.
I know he was having some issues getting into the States to play for Tampa and wouldn't play for a while, I wonder if it would be easier for him to get into Canada quicker? I have no clue in that department.
I like it. If he can improve the 3rd line and help us in the PK department I'm happy.
I know he was having some issues getting into the States to play for Tampa and wouldn't play for a while, I wonder if it would be easier for him to get into Canada quicker? I have no clue in that department.
As a general rule, YES . He should be available for Thusday. Hopefully that'll be the end of Jaffray.
Well... The games we played with a line with Jaffray-The Stalper-Klingberg, it doesn't exactly scream top line in the league. Replace them with Miettinen-Burmi-Fehr and it looks a whole lot better.
Agreed. This is a great move in that it gets Jaffray back to St Johns for now and gives us depth for when we lose Fehr, which seems like every few games. I've had enough of Burmi playing with scrubs. Even if Miettinen is primarily a defensive forward as people are saying, he should at least be a reliable line-mate for Burmi at one end of the ice.
Is Kulda really on waivers? I didn't think he had to clear waivers yet. I really hope we don't lose him.
Wild.com: What about winter hobbies? Do you like to ice fish or other do other outdoor winter activities Minnesotans revel in torturing themselves with?
AM: (Laughing) No, not really. I like winter, but I don’t like the cold that much. I go outside for walks with my wife, but I like to stay warm. But I do like to look outside the window at the snow and the sun shining.
Don't really like this pick up. As a Dallas Stars fan I have already had my fair share of Miettinen failures. The guy is one of the softest in the NHL, he is extremely small, weak on the puck and can't hit the net to save his life.
He brings some veteran experience and leadership. Pretty good stick handling and skating abilities. I just hate players like him on the bottom six because he won't throw a hit to save his life.
While I agree waivers for this sort of thing isn't to my liking, rules are rules and we are playin' by them.
May be viewed as a bit of a smug move by some, and I can see that side of the coin most definitely. But, with that being said, I like that our management are willing to do it. I think our management is viewed by many as a group of "nice guys", but I love the fact they viewed Miettinen as a player that could help us and therefore did what it took to add him to our roster, whether it pissed off some people or not (as I am sure the Yzerman and the Lightning are very happy).
Hope he plays tonight!
IOW, waited for someone else to do all the heavy lifting and negotiations, then used a flawed system to snag him. Honestly, I think this is a blessing in disguise. Why we(Tampa) needed a bottom 6 forward was beyond me. I'd take a Solid D(aka, Better than Pavel "Traffic Cone" Kubina) and a goaltender that doesn't relentlessly sabotage our team by letting in trademarked Soul Crushing Softies™.
IOW, waited for someone else to do all the heavy lifting and negotiations, then used a flawed system to snag him. Honestly, I think this is a blessing in disguise. Why we(Tampa) needed a bottom 6 forward was beyond me. I'd take a Solid D(aka, Better than Pavel "Traffic Cone" Kubina) and a goaltender that doesn't relentlessly sabotage our team by letting in trademarked Soul Crushing Softies™.
We don't know that Winnipeg attempted to enter negotiations but Tampa simply beat them to it. In this league you don't rely on other teams to do your work for you. If you want a guy, go get him, don't wait for someone to maybe sign him and then pick him up on waivers. You have less control that way.
There's a reason he had the nickname "Antti Missedthenetagain" here in Minnesota. That aside, always really liked his two-way play; he was just holding Koivu back when he was on the first line. Honestly his shot accuracy is about the only complaint I ever really had.
There's a reason he had the nickname "Antti Missedthenetagain" here in Minnesota. That aside, always really liked his two-way play; he was just holding Koivu back when he was on the first line. Honestly his shot accuracy is about the only complaint I ever really had.
I think I saw on the main forum where a Sharks fan did a couple quick calculations, where Miettinen missed the net about 25% of the time, whereas ****ing all-star Heatley missed over 30% of his shots. I think his lack of accuracy is a bit overstated, but he certainly does have that Stormtrooper quality to him. Fortunately, there are more barns here than in Tampa for him to practice hitting.
I think I saw on the main forum where a Sharks fan did a couple quick calculations, where Miettinen missed the net about 25% of the time, whereas ****ing all-star Heatley missed over 30% of his shots. I think his lack of accuracy is a bit overstated, but he certainly does have that Stormtrooper quality to him. Fortunately, there are more barns here than in Tampa for him to practice hitting.
It wasn't just about missed shot percentage but about the quality of chances he was missing or fanning on.
. He should be available for Thusday. Hopefully that'll be the end of Jaffray.
