Article: Will Faber and Buium Be More Dangerous Together Or Apart?

[Tony Abbott]

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[Citizen Strife]

I would keep Brodin-Faber together as much as possible.  Faber seems to do better with Brodin than Middleton.  Spurgeon's health is a huge X-factor, but Buium/Spurgeon for a year or two wouldn't be a bad situation.

But if they keep someone like Chisholm for a few years, maybe Buium/Faber, Brodin/Chisholm, and Middleton/Spurgeon while the team sees if Lambos/Peart/Hunt/etc make strides.

Too many unknowns, but a good problem to have.

[Tony Abbott]

3 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

I would keep Brodin-Faber together as much as possible.  Faber seems to do better with Brodin than Middleton.  Spurgeon's health is a huge X-factor, but Buium/Spurgeon for a year or two wouldn't be a bad situation.

But if they keep someone like Chisholm for a few years, maybe Buium/Faber, Brodin/Chisholm, and Middleton/Spurgeon while the team sees if Lambos/Peart/Hunt/etc make strides.

Too many unknowns, but a good problem to have.

I could see Spurgeon being effective sliding back to the defense option like he did with Suter.

[OldDutchChip]

thanks Tony for article

the one point i'll make though is that you do not delve into the size and physicality of the two. or maybe i missed it? but basically when the season gets old and goes into playoff mode, physicality drives results and finesse offense defensemen take a step back. So comparing either Buium or Faber to Alex P is like comparing him the same duo to Pronger or Niedermayer. Icing a defense top 4 that consists of Spurge, Brodin, Faber and Buium is going to be very fun for the opposing central teams comes playoff time (if Wild get that far). that would be my caution of optimism here. They are all too small. Sure one can have a little Darius K hidden in them in their smaller frame but i don't know....i see that as red flag to build such a "tiny" core 4 on back end 

[Protec]

They're similar and effective, Buium with the greater offensive bent. 

If you paired them late in a game or on a PP, that could be killer.

I think the more appropriate thing is to pair each guy with a complimentary player. Then balance their ice time to get the max value and results.

Faber played a lot this past year, that was fine but I think the Wild could benefit most from better balance. My opinion is to let them each QB a d-pairing or combine with a more defensive power guy like a Midds or Bogo. 

In the past Soucy or Stoner were the kind I'm talking about.

[Tony Abbott]

Russo: "Faber's built like a linebacker." I don't worry about Faber holding up physically.

[Protec]

18 minutes ago, Tony Abbott said:

Russo: "Faber's built like a linebacker." I don't worry about Faber holding up physically.

I agree, he's more durable than Spurgeon or Brodin. Long game, balance with options to shuffle or load-up pairings is what I like to see. 

[MNCountryLife]

Zeev is only 18yo.  I am hoping he joins us either late in the year or next summer.  Put him right in the lineup and be give him loads of ice time.  The two will be our staple on D for the next 10 to 12 years.  It is by far the most confidence I have had in our D prospects for as long as I can remember.  With any luck maybe we can have 1 or 2 more D prospects take a big step forward and really create tough decisions for BG.  Quite a few are hitting that 21 to 22 year old stage where they are more comfortable stepping into a big role.

[B1GKappa97]

2 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

Icing a defense top 4 that consists of Spurge, Brodin, Faber and Buium is going to be very fun for the opposing central teams comes playoff time (if Wild get that far). that would be my caution of optimism here. They are all too small. Sure one can have a little Darius K hidden in them in their smaller frame but i don't know....i see that as red flag to build such a "tiny" core 4 on back end 

Spurgy is tiny, sure. The other 3? 

Brodin: 6'2'', 196 lbs

Faber: 6'1'', 200 lbs

Buium: 6', 186 lbs (as an 18 year old..)

Plus you've got Middleton (6'3'', 219 lbs) under contract, even though you hate having him on the roster despite him adding the size you're so nervous about 😛

[OldDutchChip]

3 minutes ago, B1GKappa97 said:

Spurgy is tiny, sure. The other 3? 

Brodin: 6'2'', 196 lbs

Faber: 6'1'', 200 lbs

Buium: 6', 186 lbs (as an 18 year old..)

Plus you've got Middleton (6'3'', 219 lbs) under contract, even though you hate having him on the roster despite him adding the size you're so nervous about 😛

i understand that they are at 6 ft but the way they play matter. they are just not built for physical game. we have seen how late season bruising playoff games take a toll on spurge and brodin. this is something that will likely bother faber and buium too.  the top 4 just seems too small to have that long season success. midds is big but soft and slow.... 🙂

 

[Patrick]

But imagine when they are both on the ice with KK, Ek and Boldy....🤩🤩🤩

[viper3119]

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

they are just not built for physical game.

Faber played with broken rips for 2 months this past season.  I think he'll be just fine.

[OldDutchChip]

5 minutes ago, viper3119 said:

Faber played with broken rips for 2 months this past season.  I think he'll be just fine.

you want him to brake more stuff? if his partner is brodin or buium, there is more likelihood that happens than if his partner is Alex P for example. its just the ways things are. 🍻 but maybe buium is fiesty and mean. that be good.

[bisopher]

I know this conflicts with listing them LHD - RHD, but I hereby dub them:

FABIUM!!!

And I agree with the general idea here (which was used often last year w/Brodin and Faber after Spurgeon got hurt), keep them separate through most of the game to keep one elite D on the ice as often as possible, but put them together late in games for the highest impact.

[Outskated]

Man I am so stoked about Buium, he is going to be a difference maker back there for a long time!  Pairing him with Spurgeon to start would be tremendous.  I'm not sure I would be excited to burn his first year for a month of play.  I think we should evaluate that come Spring time and see if we need to get him here or not.  How they are going to slot these guys is all going to depend on health, but this is probably how it should play out.  

Brodin - Faber

Buium - Spurgeon

Middleton - Whoever

 

 

 

 

[Pewterschmidt]

6 minutes ago, Outskated said:

Buium - Spurgeon

Middleton - Whoever

I'd bet Spurge goes back to being Middle's crutch when he returns.  

[B1GKappa97]

1 hour ago, Patrick said:

But imagine when they are both on the ice with KK, Ek and Boldy....🤩🤩🤩

I feel like I'd rather keep Zeev there and if Yurov is legit, him instead of a second defenseman. 

Faber would be a great PP2 blue-liner though. 

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

i understand that they are at 6 ft but the way they play matter. they are just not built for physical game. we have seen how late season bruising playoff games take a toll on spurge and brodin. this is something that will likely bother faber and buium too.  the top 4 just seems too small to have that long season success. midds is big but soft and slow.... 🙂

Yeah, maybe, but that happens to everyone. Nobody is completely healthy by the end of the year. Even the big teams. I completely agree on Spurgeon in the playoffs, he is definitely not built to be able to out muscle big guys if push comes to shove. 

Brodin I don't think has to. He's still a shutdown defenseman because of his skating. Physical toughness not necessary, though he is able to take a hit because of said skating. (Unless he's blindsided blocked into the boards with no effin' call...)

Faber can definitely play physical, and you're right that Zeev probably won't be able to immediately, but, again, that's why they have Middsy too. Idk that he's soft. He's definitely not fast but you can get away with that as a blue-liner with good positioning. Look at Suter. 

 

 

[B1GKappa97]

1 minute ago, Pewterschmidt said:

I'd bet Spurge goes back to being Middle's crutch when he returns.  

They complement each other's strengths and weaknesses well. 

[B1GKappa97]

16 minutes ago, Outskated said:

Man I am so stoked about Buium, he is going to be a difference maker back there for a long time!  Pairing him with Spurgeon to start would be tremendous.  I'm not sure I would be excited to burn his first year for a month of play.  I think we should evaluate that come Spring time and see if we need to get him here or not.  How they are going to slot these guys is all going to depend on health, but this is probably how it should play out.  

Brodin - Faber

Buium - Spurgeon

Middleton - Whoever

I thought they'd play the long game with Faber and they didn't. I suppose when you've got a guy who's ready to play, you bring him up and worry about the contract later. It is cheaper, in the long-run, to pay them a year sooner than a year later. 

Personally, I'd try to shelter Buium a bit. Putting him with Spurgeon is going to make him more of a defensive defenseman and his game is really all about his offensive tools. If they put him with a Middleton, they can shelter him a little more with an enforcer type of teammate on the ice who'll help him feel more comfortable playing against men with years of experience on him, while also letting him play more to his strengths. 

Brodin-Faber

Buium-Middsy

BOGO-Spurgy

 

Edited July 17 by B1GKappa97

[OldDutchChip]

9 minutes ago, B1GKappa97 said:

I thought they'd play the long game with Faber and they didn't. I suppose when you've got a guy who's ready to play, you bring him up and worry about the contract later. It is cheaper, in the long-run, to pay them a year sooner than a year later. 

Personally, I'd try to shelter Buium a bit. Putting him with Spurgeon is going to make him more of a defensive defenseman and his game is really all about his offensive tools. If they put him with a Middleton, they can shelter him a little more with an enforcer type of teammate on the ice who'll help him feel more comfortable playing against men with years of experience on him, while also letting him play more to his strengths. 

Brodin-Faber

Buium-Middsy

BOGO-Spurgy

 

its been a long day, so hold the pitchforks but what about this - 

ask spurge to waive his NTC, go to Maple Leafs and work out a deal that would look like something like this - Spurge+Wall for Nylander

Yeah we loose our #1 goal prospect but Leafs are soft on D and G so they may bite. we then put Nylander with Kap and EK and move Boldy down to Rossi. Now we pack a punch on offense. Our D will be tested, but we can then see what Buium is made off, pair him with Middy, lean on Faber and Brodin and leave Bogo with Chissy. 

Probably going to get some weird looks for it. But i am used to it! 😉

 

[IllicitFive]

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

its been a long day, so hold the pitchforks but what about this - 

ask spurge to waive his NTC, go to Maple Leafs and work out a deal that would look like something like this - Spurge+Wall for Nylander

Yeah we loose our #1 goal prospect but Leafs are soft on D and G so they may bite. we then put Nylander with Kap and EK and move Boldy down to Rossi. Now we pack a punch on offense. Our D will be tested, but we can then see what Buium is made off, pair him with Middy, lean on Faber and Brodin and leave Bogo with Chissy. 

Probably going to get some weird looks for it. But i am used to it! 😉

 

Not looking weird at ya, you had me interested until including the Wall. I could see trying to move Spurge to open money, and Nylander would be an amazing get. The reason I don't like Wall being part is look at how many teams don't have a good goalie situation (us included, especially if gusbus doesn't bounce back). I don't know if I would want to trade what is widely considered one of, if not the best goalie prospects. I'm not penciling him as a HOF or anything, but goalies don't seem to come available often, and IF he lives up to the hype he is one of the few prospects that I think are untouchable, along with Yurov and now Buium. 

[Willy the poor boy]

2 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

its been a long day, so hold the pitchforks but what about this - 

ask spurge to waive his NTC, go to Maple Leafs and work out a deal that would look like something like this - Spurge+Wall for Nylander

Yeah we loose our #1 goal prospect but Leafs are soft on D and G so they may bite. we then put Nylander with Kap and EK and move Boldy down to Rossi. Now we pack a punch on offense. Our D will be tested, but we can then see what Buium is made off, pair him with Middy, lean on Faber and Brodin and leave Bogo with Chissy. 

Probably going to get some weird looks for it. But i am used to it! 😉

 

Would Gus and the Captain get it done?

[mnfaninnc]

I still think we need to look at what we have inside the organization. Buium is a ways off to being signed, at least until mid April. If we are playoff bound, I could see burning a year, if not, I think it would be wise to hold off until next season.

I think they've pegged Faber to be with Lambos. Both are similar build, both can move the puck, both can skate real well, I think they'll end up being partners.

I would skate Buium on the right side of Brodin. Buium is comfortable playing both sides I read somewhere. Brodin's stick and skating set him apart defensively, though now later in his career, I do wish he'd be playing between 205-210. I think the extra strength weight would help him now with the punishment of the season. Buium can learn a lot from a partner like Brodin, defensively. Offensively, he just needs to keep on doing what he does. 

Now, let's just say that plans change, and the selection of Buium changed the projected pairings. If we look back at 2012, after we signed Suter and Parise, Suter took on a very young Brodin as his protege. But, coming up from Houston at the time, was another pairing used down there: Spurgeon and Scandella.

What if down in Iowa, they started playing a pairing of Lambos and Spacek? And, perhaps they are grooming them to be a pairing up with the big club? Well, just a passing thought.

2 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

ask spurge to waive his NTC, go to Maple Leafs and work out a deal that would look like something like this - Spurge+Wall for Nylander

On this, I simply do not like trading The Wall out. I think he's going to be really, really good for us and I'd like to keep it that way. However, I am a longterm outlook guy, and don't usually like to think of simple short term success.

But, as far as Spurgeon being asked to waive his NTC, he has an M-NTC, blocking at most 15 teams, possibly just 10 this season. I would assume that Toronto is not on his blocked list since it is the capital of the hockey world in Canada. I would think that places like Chicago, CBJ and San Jose would be more likely to be blocked.

Also, in a stunning move, Carolina waived Kuznetsov so he could go back to Russia to play. One has to wonder if this was always in the cards for him, it was a mutual agreement. I'm guessing Carolina gets his salary back in cap due to it being mutual. But, if this were always in the cards for him, I wonder why Carolina waited so long to do it? You'd think they'd want that extra money at the start of free agency. I thought it was a weird transaction.

[OldDutchChip]

2 hours ago, IllicitFive said:

Not looking weird at ya, you had me interested until including the Wall. I could see trying to move Spurge to open money, and Nylander would be an amazing get. The reason I don't like Wall being part is look at how many teams don't have a good goalie situation (us included, especially if gusbus doesn't bounce back). I don't know if I would want to trade what is widely considered one of, if not the best goalie prospects. I'm not penciling him as a HOF or anything, but goalies don't seem to come available often, and IF he lives up to the hype he is one of the few prospects that I think are untouchable, along with Yurov and now Buium. 

yeah its tough, but may need to pay up to get a prize like Nylander. 

maybe billy goes back to his nashville connection and tries to get askarov for a pick + prospect? seems like nashville are not really giving him the keys yet, with saros getting 8 more years.....maybe trouble a brewing and we can come out ahead with a winger + a number 1 goalie (i think he was rated higher than Wall)

dreams.....

[OldDutchChip]

1 hour ago, Willy the poor boy said:

Would Gus and the Captain get it done?

i don't think so 😞 maybe MAF! and freddy of course