Article: What Does Matt Boldy Have To Do To Take the Next Step?

[Kalisha Turnipseed]

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[mnfaninnc]

The Wild will start with Zuccarello-Hartman-Kaprizov. This sounds like the beginning of training camp. How long does it last? Well, 1st scrimmage, Zuccarello tries an east-west pass to Kaprizov while Dino picks it off and races the other way on a breakaway....line is broken up immediately!

At least, that's how I see it. Boldy-Ek-Kaprizov was money. Trying to make the other pieces fit together because Guerin signed them is difficult. Can Rossi effectively center a Zuccarello-Rossi-X line? Put Ohgren in the X spot and see if it works. 

The big problem here is that Zuccarello is slowing down and won't go into the dirty areas often to get bounced around. He's also a liability going back down the ice. At his age, would he be faster or slower this year? Odds are slower by game 30. 

If Zuccarello isn't playing with Kaprizov, there's going to be a point drop off that will make his contract appear to be an overpayment. I think we've got a problem, he is clearly a passenger, a distributing passenger, yet a passenger just the same. 

What if Ohgren and Heidt impress greatly in camp. Could the Wild actually try a Ohgren-Rossi-Heidt line? What would that do to Zuccarello? I don't think a 4th line Zuccarello is going to be happy. Hmmm, unhappy enough for that NMC to be waived? Let's throw another monkey wrench into the plan, what if Milne and Bankier both impress and come in ripped? What if the majority of the resignings get passed in training camp?

Heinzy has promised an open camp. Johansson, Merrill and Gaudreau are all on NTCs (maybe not Merrill) and can be sent to Iowa. This would be a good problem to have. 

[Imyourhuckleberry]

26 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

The Wild will start with Zuccarello-Hartman-Kaprizov. This sounds like the beginning of training camp. How long does it last?

If they can all stay healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if it lasts all season. Having a potent 2nd line that plays just as many shift even strength and elevates Boldy/JEE to 1st line PP is probably best, but that depends greatly upon the wing of that 2nd line.

If Johansson is that line 2 wing and he can't top 40 points, then it's a waste.  Rossi as that 2nd line wing would likely make for 2 strong lines, but if Ohgren's game is strong enough that they can play him there, Boldy, JEE, and Ohgren could be an excellent 2-way line.

Rossi centering line 3 again where he started strong last year wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing as the Wild will play line 3 a lot and he was scoring there last year.

The Wild are much better positioned going into this year than they were last year as far as depth and injury replacements, but getting Yurov over to replace Johansson next year is where this team could really take off.

[Will D. Ness]

I think Boldy really started to show confidence in his game and abilities when playing with KK and Ek to end the 23-24 season.  I personally think he is the real deal but I also think that his development and confidence was partly due to playing with KK and Ek.

I wonder that if we put him on a line where we replace KK with a complete dud then will that help or hinder his ability to take the "next step"?

[Lovehockey]

Agree with mnfuninnc 100%. I think changing the lines is pure Guerin idea. He believes in his signings but to show this he needs multiple lines to be able to score. Problems I wee with this:

1. First line will have a lot of turnovers, the risky plays will be the only option for them. The oppositions figure out how to handle them - just be physical. They will score but less , aging Zuccarello would not help. Kaprizov will be overworked and overpowered 

2. Second line will score but Boldly and Ek success depended a lot on playing with Kaprizov. So they will regret statistics wise for sure

3. We had this wealth distribution before and this is actually cost Dean Evanston job.

In addition for me personally:

- it will be much less entertaining hockey

- it will make Wild much less desirable destination for Kaprisov. Cannot say if he want or does not want to sign as of now but he definitely cares about his personal numbers and they will be down for sure 

[Imyourhuckleberry]

10 minutes ago, Lovehockey said:

2. Second line will score but Boldly and Ek success depended a lot on playing with Kaprizov.

Boldy scored 31 goals the year before and JEE averaged roughly 25 goals the 2 prior seasons. The even strength goals might come down a bit, but the total scoring output of lines 1 & 2 could increase.

Zuccarello needs Kaprizov far more than Boldy and JEE do, which is why I suspect they'll try to stay with it if Hartman and Zuccarello can stay health and that Kaprizov line is producing goals.

Having 1 goal scoring line was problematic against teams that had excellent shut down lines, particularly in road games.

I could be certainly be wrong, but injuries and a slow start, possibly due to some complacency, led to Evason's firing, not rolling more than 1 scoring line. When I heard that Evason was telling guys they could skip the morning skate, and a lot of people starting choosing that route, I wondered if it might lead to some complacency--the long term deals Guerin handed out didn't help in that department either.

Guerin was ready to move for new leadership as soon as the team faltered under Evason, and after a frustrating season, I think the Wild will come into this season in better shape and ready to fight for the playoffs again.

[Pewterschmidt]

12 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

possibly due to some complacency, led to Evason's firing

Don’t forget about him getting badly outcoached in both his first round playoff losses

[WIWild]

I want to see this:
L1 - Hartman between Kaprizov, and Zuccarello
L2 - Rossi between Boldy and Ohgren
L3 - Ek between Foligno and Trenin -- if GREEF got so much credit, why wouldn't this work? Or are Foligno and Trenin on the same wing?
L4 - Knut between Freddy and Lauko

[Pewterschmidt]

9 minutes ago, WIWild said:

L3 - Ek between Foligno and Trenin

FEkin-A line