Blue Line Becoming Clear for MN Wild.
With the Minnesota Wild currently in St.Louis for a matchup against the red hot Blues, another round of reinforcement for the blue line is on the way. Marco Scandella has been recalled from Houston of the American Hockey League. The corresponding move will be to send 2012 1st round pick Matthew Dumba back to Red Deer of the Western Hockey League. For Dumba I believe the Wild is attempting reinforce for him how close he is to reaching the NHL stage and keeping his focus and work ethic motivated. Dumba currently 18 years old is not currently eligible to play for the Wild’s minor league AHL affiliate Houston Aeros because of age rules for the league requiring a player to be 20 years old or older. What makes this significant is that the same rules will apply next summer as well, which besides injury and a quick out of nowhere start to this season, is why Dumba was brought to Minnesota and spent 4 games on the roster without actually cracking the lineup. General Manager Chuck Fletcher and Coach Mike Yeo wanted to make sure that Dumba spent as much time in Minnesota as possible before returning to western Canada for the rest of the season.
Coming into focus is that the Wild holds a very high opinion of Jonas Brodin and had he not broken his collar bone playing in Houston, he would have been in the lineup for the opening game of this 48 game season. Because of the lockout the Wild’s 7 first year professionals (Mikael Granlund, Jonas Brodin, Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker, Brett Bulmer, Zack Phillips, and Johan Larsson) prospects all were playing in Houston since the opening game of the AHL season. I believe that to have been a very unique important opportunity to eliminate the let down or pressure from not making the NHL club had the Wild’s season started at the same time without these kids making the team. Also during the lockout management and coaching staff not having contact with the NHL roster players allowed them to analyze and evaluate their AHL prospects as well as the organizations prospects in other league like Dumba in the WHL.
So what does this all mean? Well it means the Wild’s defensive corps is going to be very young but wholesale more talented than maybe ever in franchise history. Ryan Suter has been out to a tough start through 4 games but I would argue he will be uncomfortable until he is paired up with a permanent partner. That partner is not Jared Spurgeon. I think it will be Marco Scandella the Wild’s second round draft pick in 2008. If you look at Scandella’s skill set, he is more of a defensive defensemen with two way tendencies. In watching the first four games its clear Suter has been relied on a bit too much to be the sole defensive presence in his pairing and his offensive game has suffered. Scandella has been very good at times and has been abysmal at times over the last two seasons. Scandella is still very young and I think being matched up with Suter will give him the confidence and stability in a pairing to cause him to thrive. Scandella previous to Brodin was the Wild’s most skilled best opportunity at graduating a high draft pick to its starving for talent blue line. Now is time for the Wild to cash in on that promise.
When Jonas Brodin the Wild’s 2011 first round pick, recovered from his broken collar bone suffered in a brutal dirty hit by Edmonton’s Taylor Hall who was playing for Oklahoma City of the AHL, the Wild immediately inserted him into the lineup on its second line pairing with Tom Gilbert. I think Brodin with Gilbert is exactly where he belongs. Brodin playing big minutes for the Wild is exactly what the team wants and needs. It will be very good for Gilbert whose offense has barely translated after coming over last season in a trade with the Oilers for Nick Schultz. Brodin is a big kid at 6’3″ and is extremely smooth in every aspect of his game. He will be the calming presence for the Wild at the blue line. Brodin and Gilbert will also be on the Wild’s second line power play as well.
Onto the third pairing which is shaping up to be a great problem to have for the Wild after years of plugging into their pairings arguably all third pairing type players in each of the three pairings. As I see it now the three man rotation for the longevity of this shortened season will be Justin Falk, Jared Spurgeon, and Clayton Stoner. I have been impressed in Justin Falk’s skill set through four game this season. Falk is a 6’5″ 215LB defensemen drafted by the Wild in 2007 in the fourth round. Falk has spent the last two seasons between Houston and the Wild. He famously was highlighted for not standing up for Goaltender Niklas Backstrom when an opposing player ran into him. Fan outcry lead to embarrassment and a demotion to Houston follow for him during the 2009-10. Last season Falk was called up with the Wild shorthanded. He had his ups and downs but it was clear he would need to play a more physical brand of hockey if he was to stay in the NHL. Through four games it would seem Falk gets it. Clayton Stoner drafted by the Wild in the third round of the 2004 draft, has been in the lineup for 50 games that past two seasons after spending five years in the AHL. Stoner is limited in his physical abilities but he is a heart and soul guy. Jared Spurgeon was selected in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL draft by the New York Islanders. After playing five seasons of Canadian Junior hockey, he was without a contract and was invited to Wild training camp for the 2010-11. Spurgeon is a slight in his build by NHL standards at 5’9″ 180LBs but he is extremely skilled with the puck. While he struggles at times with the physical defensive game, he moves the puck and generates points. He definitely needs to be matched up with a stay at home physical defensemen to be effective but to generate playmaking and point out of a third line defensemen means you have a very deep group on your blue line.
Lineups and defensive pairings are always in flux it would seem with injuries and situational things but to have a blue print in place of an optimal set of pairing would benefit everyone. Currently there exist multiple circumstances that affect the pairings. Scandella and Brodin have been with the team for a combined 4 days. Spurgeon is hurting currently after blocking a shot in Detroit. Prosser is on a one way contract and I have not included him in my pairings below, which is a big omission. I am not sure where Prosser fits into the Wild’s future. He has been very serviceable but is limited in his potential and effectiveness. He was also though resigned to an NHL contract through next season so he will have to be carried on the NHL roster or will have to clear waivers to go to Houston. Assuming everyone remains healthy that will be a bridge GM Fletcher will have to cross at some point. Below is how I see it playing itself out.
MY PROJECTED D-Pairings
Ryan Suter-Marco Scandella
Tom Gilbert-Jonas Brodin
Jared Spurgeon-Justin Falk/Clayton Stoner
Nate Prosser
Just My thoughts
Tony Dean
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