Article: Middleton's Offensive Surge Unlocked Something For the Wild

[Luke Sims]

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[Citizen Strife]

Middleton was one of the players who needed a bounce back.  The fact that he went from near worst in +/- last year with only Freddy being worse, to being tied at +5 or +6 (I think +6) tied with Kap is pretty telling.

It is becoming clearer week by week that the supposed Iowa defenders are years away from meaningful action or hope of unseating the top-4.  I supported the extension because the Wild needed Top-4 quality guys due to Brodin and Spurgeon aging out eventually.  With Buium really the only elite level prospect, the options were to keep Middleton or pay an arm and a leg via trade or free agency.  Middleton DIDN'T cost an arm and a leg, and has done pretty damn well in the first set of games.

Sometimes, it's further evidence that GMs and coaches..."probably" know hockey and its players better than we do. Shock I know.

 

 

 

Edited November 1 by Citizen Strife

[mnfaninnc]

Last season, early on, with all the injuries especially to Spurgeon, to me, it looked like Middleton had gained a step of speed and was being more offensive. However, without that trusty partner next to him, it looked to me like he was trying to do too much and when he got caught deep, his partner could not bail him out. That was only part of the issue.

Am I saying Midsy will get to 64 points? NO! But, what if he crossed the 30 mark? Just like Soucy used to go backdoor, it looks like Midsy is starting to do the same. 

On a different note, did anyone else pay attention to Carter's comments in the 1st period Tuesday night? Simply put, he kept saying that Pittsburgh's defense is a push the puck forward type of defense and they're not built to defend. Does that remind anyone of anything? Let me remind you:

Spacek, Lambos, Masters, Pionk, Buium, to some degree Hunt, Kiviharju, Peart. If there's anything this army of defenders has in common, it's the same statement that Carter had. If we had someone with eyes on Iowa, I think we'd see the same thing. The traits for these guys are similar, smooth skaters, puck movers, good 1st pass, and, likely, good hockey IQ. 

My point is simple, having a couple or 3 of these guys as your defensive corps is not bad, but you also need some muscle and that's where Bogosian and Middleton come in. You cannot have all 6 guys like the above list. It just won't work out, and as Carter pointed out: Pittsburgh after us was on a 6 game losing streak, but they had leads in most of those games. They simply could not keep them. Guys who are lighter and probably more skilled cannot keep these leads. 

So, here's my question to the Wildverse: Which 3 do you want to keep? My picks will be Faber, Buium and Lambos. I think Hunt will be larger and can defend so I'd throw him in also. The other guys? Well, develop them into great puck movers and trade them for larger defenders. What this likely means is that Chisholm will need to be dealt too (of the N group). I believe Spacek will end up making an impact as I see him as being able and willing to defend and hit. His body just needs more meat. 

If I'm looking at defenders, Jiricek looks like a target to me. So does K'Andre Miller. Size with some offensive punch would be very good for this team.

[MrCheatachu]

1 hour ago, Citizen Strife said:

Sometimes, it's further evidence that GMs and coaches..."probably" know hockey and its players better than we do. Shock I know.

BAN THIS MAN!

[FredJohnson]

Minnesota’s third pair of Zach Bogosian and Jon Merrill leaves much to be desired, but Merrill has been okay this season. 

Wow, Bogo catching a stray bullet! I think he's playing well enough as a 3rd pair D. Especially with Merrill as his partner. Am I wrong? (He's +3 on the season...)

[FredJohnson]

On 11/1/2024 at 10:25 AM, Citizen Strife said:

Sometimes, it's further evidence that GMs and coaches..."probably" know hockey and its players better than we do. Shock I know.