Article: Joel Eriksson Ek Is On A Superstar Run When Wild Need It Most

[Tony Abbott]

View full article

[B1GKappa97]

I remember back when we were playing the Canucks in the play-in tourney. Ek was doing his usual thing, got to the front of the net, but, for some reason, was holding his stick upside down and whiffed on a beautiful scoring chance because of it. 

Now that he's holding his stick the right way, its a lot easier for him to score goals! 

At that point of his career, I would've never imagined the guy getting close to 30 goals in a season but here we are. Now he's the engine of the team. If only all our prospects could develop a scoring touch as quickly as Ek did after the '19-'20 season. 

[Citizen Strife]

Ek is playing out of his mind right now.  Putting that Kaprizov/Ek/Boldy line together was the best thing Hynes could have done.  I wouldn't have pegged Ek as a Staal-like goal scorer, but here he is now.  Nothing like having someone like Angry Mikko, but he's on all the time.

[Protec]

1C...

 

[Will D. Ness]

1 hour ago, Citizen Strife said:

Ek is playing out of his mind right now.  Putting that Kaprizov/Ek/Boldy line together was the best thing Hynes could have done.  I wouldn't have pegged Ek as a Staal-like goal scorer, but here he is now.  Nothing like having someone like Angry Mikko, but he's on all the time.

Something clicked because we have tried for years to put Ek and Kap together with no success.  I think moving on from the bromance of Zucc and Kap probably was key because this line plays a little stronger on the puck.

[B1GKappa97]

5 minutes ago, Will D. Ness said:

Something clicked because we have tried for years to put Ek and Kap together with no success.  I think moving on from the bromance of Zucc and Kap probably was key because this line plays a little stronger on the puck.

I think it helps they added Boldy as well. Before it seemed like it was just one or the other, rarely ever both at the same time. Also probably helps that Boldy and Ek have been developing chemistry since Dean put them together last year.

If you think about it, its pretty much just a supe'd up version of the Zuccy-Hartman-Kap line. 

Boldy is an upgraded Zuccy who can make great passes but also is capable of some beautiful goals. Ek plays the 'get to the net' Hartman role perfectly while also providing some better defensive play. And the Kap can just continue to be Kap. 

[Citizen Strife]

I think if Kaprizov and Boldy are going to be half playmaker/half shooters, having someone like Ek at the front is great.  He's developed an almost killer instinct for not only screening, but net front shots on his own, and no one can take the puck from him.  He's a +15 on the season, so his offensive skillset hasn't dulled his defensive prowess at all.  He may not be the flashiest player on any line, but he just IS the line.  Kaprizov elevates who he plays with, Boldy is a solid but inconsistent scorer and playdriver, but I think all of their skillsets just mesh.  Kaprizov can pass AND shoot and make both work because Ek is there.  Boldy can shoot first when he needs to, so either option is a huge threat, unlike Zuccarello and Kaprizov, who always seemed to defer first, rather than trust themselves.  Ek is a better center option than Hartman, because he plays heavy without losing discipline.  If he takes penalties, it's more a result of getting punched in the face so much and refs being dumb, rather than him being at fault.

I'm not saying the line is always going to score every time out, but they haven't been stopped yet.  Don't stop that train now.

Edited February 20 by Citizen Strife

[joebou15]

I pegged JEEk as the Chuck Fletcher archetypal player in his draft year. His attributes absolutely sounded like a guy the Wild would pick. 200 foot guy, center with size, plays hard, didn't score much. 

And he pretty much was that his first two seasons. A good, reliable player, but never a player that was going to rise to star level.

Then something changed the season the Wild played the Golden Knights in the postseason. He began scoring goals by adding the most important factor to his game that has led him to this point - going to the paint. Add up his shots game to game, I bet it won't add up to more than 6 feet from the goalmouth. He did what Zach Parise was so good at for so long, but with his size and strength, can battle with the best. Instead of trying to score from distance, he realized that he needs to score by being at the net.

I asked Tony if JEEk is a star yet just a couple weeks ago. While not a star, he's absolutely a stud for the Wild.

[Willy the poor boy]

13 hours ago, joebou15 said:

I pegged JEEk as the Chuck Fletcher archetypal player in his draft year. His attributes absolutely sounded like a guy the Wild would pick. 200 foot guy, center with size, plays hard, didn't score much. 

And he pretty much was that his first two seasons. A good, reliable player, but never a player that was going to rise to star level.

Then something changed the season the Wild played the Golden Knights in the postseason. He began scoring goals by adding the most important factor to his game that has led him to this point - going to the paint. Add up his shots game to game, I bet it won't add up to more than 6 feet from the goalmouth. He did what Zach Parise was so good at for so long, but with his size and strength, can battle with the best. Instead of trying to score from distance, he realized that he needs to score by being at the net.

I asked Tony if JEEk is a star yet just a couple weeks ago. While not a star, he's absolutely a stud for the Wild.

He's been my favorite Wild player for a few seasons now. I think league wide he wouldn't be viewed as a star by fans but to most MN fans I think he qualifies as just that. I'd be willing to bet also if you polled NHL players and coaches they'd say he's a star, maybe even a superstar..

Edited February 21 by Willy the poor boy

[Beast]

I’ve seen a few references to him as a superstar lately, and as evidence that you don’t need high draft picks to find championship caliber players.

Im not there yet.  He’s a great player…not ready to label him a “superstar.”

In 26 career playoff games, he’s got more penalty minutes (12) than points (10).  He’s well under 50% for his career on face offs.  A high percentage of his points come from the PP (not bad, just an observation regarding his 5v5 scoring).  The team’s record in the playoff since he’s been on the team is 10-23, and they’ve been out scored by 32 goals in those games, and have had poor PP and PK percentages in most years.  They haven’t won a series over that time frame.

I know one player can’t do it by themselves and he’s just now entering his “prime.”  But, a “superstar” doesn’t get their butt kicked in the playoffs 6 years in a row with decent supporting casts around them.  In my mind, you have to put Matthews/McDavid type numbers to be considers a “superstar” on regular season performances alone.

Thats also what’s holding Kaprisov back from true superstar status also, IMO.  He’s a -5 with 18 PIM and 12 points in 19 games.  Two of those years consist of 13 games with 4 points and a -6.  Last year agains the Stars, he had a 5.9% shot %.

I think we need to be careful referring to these guys as superstars, and proof that you can win championships without high draft picks.  These guys have stunk in the playoffs and have won nothing.

If you look at the top producers on the the last 5 Stanley Cup champs:  

Knights:  Kessel, Pietrangelo, Eichel all drafted top 10.  Various other on top 15.

Avs: MacKinnon, Makar, Rantanen, Kadri, Landeskog, Nichuskin all drafted top   Various others in top 15.

Lightning:  Stamkos, Hedman, Sergacehev, all top 10 (McDonagh was 12, Foote was 14).

Blues: Schenn, Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester  top 10 (and numerous others drafted in the top 15).

I don’t see any evidence of winning Stanley Cups while picking in the 20s every year.  We have 4 forwards and 1 defenseman on our entire roster that we’re drafted in the first round.  Not a single player drafted in the top 10.  2 in the top 20.

Sure, some guys slip through the cracks.  But, it sure seems like you need highly talented players who are drafted highly to win a championship (in addition to multiple guys like Ek drafted in the 20s - and diamonds found in later rounds like Kucherov, Kaprisov, etc.).

 

[raithis]

3 hours ago, Beast said:

We have 4 forwards and 1 defenseman on our entire roster that we’re drafted in the first round.  Not a single player drafted in the top 10.  2 in the top 20.

You need to count again.

Rossi was drafted 9th overall and Brodin was drafted 10th overall.

And if you are doing to include Kessel, Pietrangelo, and Eichel for Vegas just because they are on the roster even though they weren't drafted by the team they are on, then you have to include Fleury (1st overall) and Bogosian (3rd overall) for the Wild.

And if you are going to note players drafted just out of the top 10 for other teams, you can also mention Boldy at 12.

Ek and Johansson were also in the first round, just later on, so there are more first rounders than you say.  You could make a case that our high first rounders aren't like theirs, but instead you are making claims that simply aren't true to make us seem worse than we are.

And that's not counting anyone outside of the NHL.  We have a lot of 1st rounders who are still developing.

Your criticizing the current team for Fletcher trading away first round picks and prospects, therefore requiring us to get rid of our old cores in order to build through having more first round picks.  The roster is in transition.

If it's just high firsts on the roster than mean you win Stanley Cups, then based on that, I guess we're a contender.  I wouldn't say that, but I would say that we at least as good as Saint Louis when they won.