Also the fact that after Mikko`s injury Wild started loosing games. Maybe 1+1=2?
If Brodziak is MVP of the Wild -
The key stat here? 77 vs 50. Also, Koivu is expected to be better than Brodziak, and he gets the luxury of playing with Heatley and Setoguchi, while Brodziak usually plays with guys like Powe and Clutterbuck.
To put up even those kind of numbers when you're essentially a #3 center makes it even more amazing. He's been basically carrying our offense AND defense all year along with Heatley, Powe and Spurgeon.
I'd say Spurgeon had the far more consistant season. You could always count on quality play from him back there, which was sorely lacking amongst his blue-line teammates.
Brodziak comes in second, because he had a pretty bad stretch when the slump started in Dec, and it took him a while to come out of it.
Heatley has been disappointing, he is as slow as Bruno was. I'm sure he would have done better had the teams skilled players been healthy but man I didn't think he would NEED someone to get him the puck to be effective in the offensive zone.
Koivu played good when he was healthy but we need him to lead the team to victory every game with the lack of skill on the healthy roster. He needs to be in beast mode night in and night out.
Also the fact that after Mikko`s injury Wild started loosing games. Maybe 1+1=2?
If Brodziak is MVP of the Wild -
Help? Probably. That is the state of affairs in the State as we all know. Brodziak has really been the de facto leader of the club this year just by him being there, but his numbers have been great as well, considering they were more or less to differing degrees an AHL team some times this year.
Also the fact that after Mikko`s injury Wild started loosing games. Maybe 1+1=2?
If Brodziak is MVP of the Wild -
We've been over this a thousand times, Koivu's injury didn't have much to do with the slide. It helped it along, but it wasn't the source. Bouchard's injury was a clear turning point in this season from which we've never recovered.
To answer the question, I don't know how anyone can say anything other than Heatley. He came in from San Jose, learned the system, played beyond his role, managed to be the only plus player who had at least 55 appearances (Koivu and Stoner are the only other plus players with at least 20 appearances), while still leading the team in points even though the team behind him changed daily.
Brodziak is a nice story, and probably gets my runner up vote, but while it's admirable he played so many lines higher than he should be, he wasn't facing quite the same competition as Heater. As much as people ripped Clutterbuck and Staubitz for their penalties, our #3 PIM guy got a free pass. Brodziak has been good, but Heater has been better.
Also: 2nd HM vote goes out to Bouchard. He was the most valuable, and I think we can all agree the stats prove that.
Heatley has been disappointing, he is as slow as Bruno was. I'm sure he would have done better had the teams skilled players been healthy but man I didn't think he would NEED someone to get him the puck to be effective in the offensive zone.
Koivu played good when he was healthy but we need him to lead the team to victory every game with the lack of skill on the healthy roster. He needs to be in beast mode night in and night out.
Good thing he doesn't then. He's not Crosby, if there's no one else to worry about, teams are able to shut him down. Consider that, despite there being no one else on the team for opponents to worry about, he still put up 48 points so far, even though teams manufactured their game plans around stopping him.
Halfway through I said Brodziak and I stand by it. He's been healthy, played his heart out every game, good on both ends of the ice, and second on the team in goals. Not a top six center but he is about the only one who stepped up this year and he deserves a letter on his chest.
I'd go with Heatley - will likely end season as team's leading scorer, and only forward to play all season and still be a + player. Given the amount of time his line has been out against other team's top lines, that's no mean feat.
He's played a lot more complete game than I expected. With a little puck luck he could have better numbers, but it hasn't been for lack of effort.
Spurgeon has been the most consistent defenseman till he got injured twice.
Also, I thought he looked good defensively when he played. Let's just hope his concussion won't affect his play much.
I think he looked a lot better than he actually is because of who we had on hand to compare him with. Being the best of a sad bunch doesn't make you good. You could be an average, serviceable 3-6 defenseman and look like a Norris candidate next to the rest of our group. Especially when you maintained that level of play while they were all over the place. Spurgeon had nowhere near the positive impact on the team that Brodz had. Or heatley. I'm not talking about goals, either.
Minnesota Wild MVP could be Kyle Brodziak
By Bruce Brothers bbrothers@pioneerpress.com
Posted: 03/29/2012 12:01:00 AM CDT
Updated: 03/29/2012 11:46:01 PM CDT
Kyle Brodziak, who has career highs with 21 goals and 43 points while playing in every game for the Wild, might be the team's most valuable player this season.
Mikko Koivu has missed a third of Minnesota's 77 games, Dany Heatley has been limited to 21 goals, Jared Spurgeon is sidelined by a concussion, and Niklas Backstrom has missed a bunch of games because of injuries, while Brodziak has jumped from line to line and remained consistent.
He scored the Wild's first goal in their 3-2 overtime win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, March 29, at the Xcel Energy Center.
Brodziak, who signed a new three-year contract on Feb. 19, has five goals and six assists in his past 10 games and is 4-4-8 in his past five home games.
After picking up 16 goals and 37 points in 80 games last season, Brodziak said he began this season just looking to improve.
He has, but that doesn't mean it has been a good season.
"If you ask anybody what their goal is, it's to make the playoffs," he said.
I suppose there's a case for a few people, but none stronger than brodziak. best fletcher signing to date. For someone to have this type of season on the worst team for the last half of the season and looks to be a strong team leader too. I hope to see an A on his chest next year.
yep.
