Article: Kirill Kaprizov Can Still Get To Another Level

[Luke Sims]

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[M_Nels]

Gotta get some better players around him plain and simple. Hartman & Zucc both good players but KK97 can only carry them so far. Need an elite center to get KK97 to superstardom. 

Would like to see KK97 be a little more selfish shooting the puck. Even last year he would defer and pass even with a good look.

[Protec]

Kaprizov and the Norwegian Hobbit with a healthy Hartman and a full season should be good. The PP becoming a threat is gonna be important. I would love to see the Wild move a few guys out to pick up a center from a struggling team halfway through the year or at the deadline. I mentioned a few teams that if things go South might have a good reason to trade a nice veteran center. 
 

Sure lots of gripes would happen about geriatric guys and blocking youth but the Wild should not disqualify themselves from trying to win a Cup because they lack the stars or salary cap to do it. The Wild have lots of good things going...

[Willy the poor boy]

30 minutes ago, Protec said:

Kaprizov and the Norwegian Hobbit with a healthy Hartman and a full season should be good. The PP becoming a threat is gonna be important. I would love to see the Wild move a few guys out to pick up a center from a struggling team halfway through the year or at the deadline. I mentioned a few teams that if things go South might have a good reason to trade a nice veteran center. 
 

Sure lots of gripes would happen about geriatric guys and blocking youth but the Wild should not disqualify themselves from trying to win a Cup because they lack the stars or salary cap to do it. The Wild have lots of good things going...

You're forgetting, the Wild can't win a cup, they have Deano...

[Up North Guy]

41 minutes ago, Protec said:

The PP becoming a threat is gonna be important.

judging from last nights game, the PP1 has a long way to go. I didn't see a lot of energy or focus. Frankly i didn't see any improvement from the 2nd half of last season. What exactly is the new PP coach doing?

[M_Nels]

2 minutes ago, Up North Guy said:

judging from last nights game, the PP1 has a long way to go. I didn't see a lot of energy or focus. Frankly i didn't see any improvement from the 2nd half of last season. What exactly is the new PP coach doing?

The first 2 I thought looked pretty good, especially the first one. Every pass was crisp, faster, better movement. Got excited for the new look with a new coach but then every subsequent one after that defaulted to last years mess. That 5v3 was terrible, hopefully it's just repetition in game situations in the new system.

[vonlonster67]

What can KK do? He can take over the games like he did in the playoffs, Game 5, two years ago against the Blues where he willed the goals in the net. Unfortunately, it lead to no one else showing up. With KK elevating his "Me Game" he can take over games, with more selfish shots on net. Elevating the talent on his line assisting him and developing the 2nd (Ek/Boldy) and 3rd line, will not allow teams to be able to focus just on KK.

This article above cements why we do not need to overpay for Hartman. Long term more money to Hartman is not going to fix the current situation. Developing Rossi, Dino or Yurov will give KK the line he needs to move from great to elite.

[MNCountryLife]

I like Hartman.  His game checks a lot of boxes and he isn't too old.  There is a reason Hartman has been placed between KK and Zuc.  Nobody else on our roster is better at it.   I hope we sign Hartman... but the dollar figure is going to have a big implication on who else is on the roster.

[vonlonster67]

2 hours ago, Up North Guy said:

judging from last nights game, the PP1 has a long way to go. I didn't see a lot of energy or focus. Frankly i didn't see any improvement from the 2nd half of last season. What exactly is the new PP coach doing?

He's working with players who need to shoot 5 on 5 let alone on the PP!

King will need some help from the whole staff as pass, pass, fancy skating isn't gonna get this done. Love the movement and passing if it ends with rubber in the net!

[Protec]

I'd like to see the Wild have a trigger guy who one-times on the PP.

Dumba once did it but perhaps Boldy shoulda been tuning that skill up over the Summer? Amateur golf is cool though. If I was GMBG, I'd mention that one cause the Wild need a guy like that to shoot from 20-30'. 

More cross ice passes out near the dots VS. in tight. Then guys who will shoot. Lots of goals result from hitting something or a rebound. Quick passes and shots. The Wild PP is something they should be trying to improve full time.

[Willy the poor boy]

11 minutes ago, Protec said:

I'd like to see the Wild have a trigger guy who one-times on the PP.

You hit the nail squarely on the head there.

[Protec]

7 hours ago, Willy the poor boy said:

You hit the nail squarely on the head there.

I would love to see the Wild make a deal with a team who looks like they will miss the playoffs. I don't love Pacioretty and a guy like Perron or Stamkos already have a Cup so perhaps they're less hungry? That type of player would be worth trading some assets to get ahead of the playoffs. MN has played it safe since Guerin's arrival and not sacrificed picks or prospects. I think they could do it now without any danger of wrecking the big picture plan. Not for just anyone though. I trust Guerin knows better than Fletcher who would fit. This would be better if around Christmas or All-Star break to get PP mojo going good before playoffs.

[M_Nels]

17 hours ago, Protec said:

I'd like to see the Wild have a trigger guy who one-times on the PP.

Dumba once did it but perhaps Boldy shoulda been tuning that skill up over the Summer? Amateur golf is cool though. If I was GMBG, I'd mention that one cause the Wild need a guy like that to shoot from 20-30'. 

Spot on about Boldy, hoping he made a priority of working on the timing/mechanics of his one-timer in the offseason at camp etc. Think he could definitely be “that guy” on the PP.

Misfired/mistimed way too many last year on the PP on grade A one-timers. 

[Protec]

When you look at guys like Pastrnak, Stamkos, Ovi, and Thompson firing one-timers it makes me think about MN's pass-pass-pass-pass-methodology. To Addison's credit he would shoot from the top and get it through but the weapon you want is the guy who can hit the net with a crisp 50' pass. 

MN and Dean need to spot defensive schemes and have more PP weapons to deploy to defeat a defensive strategy. Players need to execute of course but the Wild haven't solved PP or face-offs now for a long time. That is an area I'll be among the first to criticize Guerin and Dean.