The Minnesota Wild have spent the last month experimenting with their lineup and roster to evaluate their organization to see what they have and what needs they should address. The results seem to suggest the future is bright for the Wild who have a lot of flexibility for possible moves heading into the trade deadline.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have spent the better part of the last month “experimenting” with their lineup. Head Coach Bruce Boudreau in concert with GM Chuck Fletcher have made roster and lineup moves to see what exactly they have from a top down perspective in the Wild organization. With a tough summer ahead, and the March 1st trade deadline even closer, the Wild have been looking for game results to guide them on their looming player decisions.
The main focus of the Wild’s evaluation was to see exactly if some of their younger players who looked on the cusp of being ready for NHL action were indeed ready for NHL action. Somewhat secondary to that was to see if different players were better at different positions, and if different line combinations were needed.
Both focuses were to inform the Wild’s personnel game plan that they are no doubt formulating and finalizing right now. The Wild are planning for two futures simultaneously right now. The first future is that they are looking to possibly bolster the current squad in this franchise record season with an eye on a big playoff run. The second is the busy summer and free-agent priorities that are already stacked up.
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With the respect to the trade deadline, the Wild look to be in much the same position as they were before this experimenting started. They still might need a bottom line or depth forward to round out this season. The one noticeable caveat to that finding about their forward corps is that the Wild thought initially that they needed another center, but now with Charlie Coyle playing so well at center they’ve found that a deadline addition can be a center or a wing.
Another big revelation forward wise is that Alex Tuch may not be as ready for NHL action as many had thought. The young forward struggled to find his game while up with the Wild for 6 games. Tuch recorded no points and was a -3 in plus/minus despite playing quality minutes on the top line with veteran Eric Staal. Boudreau explained to Michael Russo of the Start Tribune that “He’s the same pace all the time. I’ve seen him skate fast. He can skate, and he can handle the puck and he’s big and strong. I think sometimes he’s overthinking the game and not playing the way he’s capable of playing.”
Of course, the Wild are not giving up on Tuch, and he could even have a spot on the team next season, but right now he’s shown he’s got some more maturing to do in the AHL. His struggles are mental as Boudreau points out and that can be worked out fairly quickly with some concentration in Iowa. Bottom line here is that the Wild feel Tuch is not ready to contribute to this seasons’ run.
Looking at the defensive corps the Wild seem to have found opportunity in the recent injury to Jonas Brodin. His freed-up lineup and roster spot gave way to regular playing time for youngsters Mike Reilly and Gustav Olofsson. Like Tuch, the idea here was to see if Reilly and Olofsson were ready for NHL action now or later with an eye on roster flexibility.
The difference in the defensive side of these two situations is that the Wild were looking to see if they could move a defender, rather than if they needed another one. The Wild’s excellent defensive depth is no secret, but the one question mark has been if that young defensive depth can fill the void if the Wild move one of their veteran blueliners.
Looking at the performances of Reilly and Olofsson you can argue that Olofsson looks to be ready now. His game was solid in his 6 contests with 2 assists tallied and 0 in plus minus. Most of all he showed excellent maturity and poise with the puck. His presence in the lineup for Brodin was much like having Brodin in the lineup due to the similarities in their games.
Reilly played decently in his 7 of games up in this last stint, but still recorded only one goal and made some errors. Overall he showed that he’s very close, but still can benefit from a tad more growth in Iowa. He might be a little further along than Tuch, but Reilly like Tuch is more of a consideration for next season’s Minnesota lineup.
Taking all that in the results of the Wild’s experimenting is thus. First, the Wild will be looking very hard at adding another lower line forward/depth forward at the deadline. The market is pretty weak at the moment, but as the next week and half plays out that will change. In addition to the trade market Ryan Carter is back in the fold on a quasi PTO and you could see the Wild simply sign him for that extra forward if they deem him healthy enough and are without a better and feasible option.
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Second, the Wild have the defensive depth and capital to move someone right now with little effect to the overall success of their defensive corps as a unit. Olofsson is ready to step in and play minutes right now. He’s in the mix with Folin and Prosser, and the three would be able to handle the load of the 3rd defensive pairing. Still if the Wild don’t get the right return for a defender, a trade will not happen now or be deferred to the offseason. Brodin’s injury has clearly shown the Wild that life without one of their veteran defensemen is actually not a bad thing.
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All of this talk of movement aside, the best thing to come out of the Wild’s experiments over the last month is that the team they have now is good enough. The resiliency of the lineup and flexibility of the roster makes them good enough to make that playoff run now. A tweak could be made, but the Wild can do it on their terms without panic or impulsivity. As a Wild fan you should take away from the last month’s experiments that the team is pretty good, and the near and far terms look very bright.