Top Five Wild Players To Watch This Season.
By James Beck
5. Marco Scandella-
Big Strong defense man coming in at the right time and right. As the wild stand now they are an ok defense with only one true number one in Suter. The rest could easily be surpassed with a good preseason showing by Scandella. He is a good skater who can make that pass to get out of the zone. Also brings a physical game with him as well as hockey smarts. My prediction is a 3 or four this year but will be a 2 with some experience. Reminds me a lot of Dan Girardi when he first came up with the New York Rangers.
4. Charlie Croyle- http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/charlie_coyle/. Again another kid with good size at 6-2 205 lbs . He is a physical forward that uses his body well. High hockey IQ and knows how to put the puck in the net. He can also pass the biscuit. The wild are going to need secondary scorers and Croyle will fit that mode. Prediction- Second line winger average 22-28 goals a year. Player- Shane Doan
3. Zach Parise. This is obvious isn’t it, for the contract he just signed he better be a player to watch. Let’s be honest Parise brings many attributes to the Wild. His leadership, work ethic, penalty killing prow less. I could go on but if he don’t score it all means nothing. This team needs goal scoring and I don’t know if Parise can do that here. Will the rose grow on home soil or will it wilt? That is why he makes the top five. Prediction- 30 goals 68 pts. http://philly.stats.com/nhl/playerstats.asp?id=3355
2. Ryan Suter- Unlike in Nashville this is Suter’s show now. Can he be the same dman without the best dman in the league by his side. Can he make his partner better, better yet can he make this group better? If not it will be a long season not just a long 13 years. I believe in Suter do you?. I believe because I don’t think the Wild are done yet, I think a trade for another dman is coming. For Suter’s sake he better hope so. Prediction- 11 goals 28 assists. http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/player.cgi?3506
1. Mikael Granland- http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Mikael+Granlund/2012+World+Junior+Hockey+Championships+Semifinals/wG5i9W4aDd8 The 5ft 10 180 scares the belief right out of me. Then I look at the skill, the ease this kid skates with, plays with and the belief is back. He is the can’t miss prospect right? skilled play maker with scoring touch. The Wild better hope this is all true. Because if it isn’t it could set a club back a few years. So Wild fans click your heels together 3 times and say let this be real, let this be real let this be real. Prediction- 25 goals 40 assist for 65 pts.
Of course all this is subject to change if trades are made, shortened s2eason or no season or the rookies don’t make the team.
Quiz time-
1) Who were the only two Minnesota born players to play for the Wild the year they came into the league?
2) Who scored the Wilds first ever home goal?
3) To what coach is Manny Fernandez related to and what was their relation?