Article: How Should the Wild Handle Trenin Moving Forward?

[Phillip Garrett]

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[Protec]

Big Yak getting some grief is okay, but overall the Wild's troubles aren't on just one or two guys. 

There's injuries and cap-penalties for a mid-season struggle. Minnesota can recapture the momentum but it's never gonna be easy. Getting more from guys is pretty important but how much can Chisholm or Trenin do? Not to choke or make bad decisions is an okay expectation but the Wild need to get healthy and get back some confidence. 

[Pewterschmidt]

Ok I guess we're finally acknowledging that T-Bag isn't bringing anything to the table.  (see: healthy scratch).  At least he's only here for 3 more seasons.

Seriously though, I assumed Hynes was coaching him to not finish checks in effort to stay out of penalty box.  Now we know that's not the excuse.  So wake up call Trenin: your NHL "skill" is your size.  You need to make contact with the opponent to access your NHL "skill".  Please begin to do that or your future is as a sweetener in a future trade.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

They should move Trenin to line 1 with Rossi and Foligno, and have them be a tone setter to start games.

Boldy, JEE, and Zuccarello line 2, and getting top ice time.

Gaudreau centers Ohgren and Hartman on line 3.

Leftovers on line 4.

I initially was kind of joking with that first line, but honestly might not be such a bad idea to try for a game or 2. Rossi and Foligno have some chemistry and Trenin has hit a dozen goals more often than not in his career. Wild will need to lead with defense until Kaprizov's return.

They could always switch up the lines as games progress.

[M_Nels]

He'll be fine, he's shown why we acquired him but there's times where he leaves you scratching your head. I think his defensive metrics were still good from last I've seen but he needs to bring it every shift, every night.

Hynes has history with him and probably knows which buttons to push to get him going.

[WheelSnipeCelly]

49 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

They should move Trenin to line 1 with Rossi and Foligno, and have them be a tone setter to start games.

Boldy, JEE, and Zuccarello line 2, and getting top ice time.

Gaudreau centers Ohgren and Hartman on line 3.

Leftovers on line 4.

I initially was kind of joking with that first line, but honestly might not be such a bad idea to try for a game or 2. Rossi and Foligno have some chemistry and Trenin has hit a dozen goals more often than not in his career. Wild will need to lead with defense until Kaprizov's return.

They could always switch up the lines as games progress.

You're not too far off for the lines for tonight's game (via NHL.com – not sure how accurate these are):

Matt Boldy -- Joel Eriksson Ek -- Mats Zuccarello
Liam Öhgren -- Frederick Gaudreau -- Yakov Trenin
Marcus Foligno -- Marco Rossi -- Ryan Hartman
Devin Shore -- Marat Khusnutdinov -- Jakub Lauko

Jake Middleton -- Brock Faber
Jon Merrill -- Jared Spurgeon
Declan Chisholm -- Zach Bogosian

Filip Gustavsson

 

One silver-lining is it looks like the Wild aren't alone with the injury bug — the Leafs  are without Knies, Tavares, and Stolarz.

Edited 20 hours ago by WheelSnipeCelly

[Enforceror]

Going to be a tough game tonight against a top team with big guys all over the lineup. We're going to need Trenin to battle tonight. Let's see how he responds to being scratched. 

[Pewterschmidt]

28 minutes ago, M_Nels said:

Hynes has history with him and probably knows which buttons to push to get him going.

Seeing as t-bag was healthy scratched after being sent not so subtle signals thru course of season I’m not sure trenin has any buttons to push

[M_Nels]

Just now, Pewterschmidt said:

Seeing as t-bag was healthy scratched after being sent not so subtle signals thru course of season I’m not sure trenin has any buttons to push

Just have to mash them down like an old keyboard. But seriously, talk/hints/signals are different than action. Don't think he's going to come out tonight and get a hatty but I'm expecting he'll bring it. Just have to wait and see.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

At this point, I'm hoping that Nashville drops 4 of 6 games before the break to help encourage changes, and the Wild can swap out Chisholm for Nyquist, then put Nyquist in Johansson's traditional spot on the other side of Boldy.

Nashville has cap space to retain the cap difference, which should only be around $1M by that time. Wild have less than $250K in cap space right now.

[Pewterschmidt]

4 minutes ago, M_Nels said:

Don't think he's going to come out tonight and get a hatty but I'm expecting he'll bring it.

Agree.  No one expected him to get points, but at 28 yrs old if he needs to be benched in order for him to play the way he’s supposed to, in first year of 4yr contract, I wouldn’t hit submit order on that #13 Wild jersey order

Edited 20 hours ago by Pewterschmidt

[Dis-allowed display name]

As much as I tend to root for the callups to live their dreams and play well, I can not stand to see Shore get a nice pass somewhere near the goal or on a break and not be able to put a stick on it.  Over.  And over. And over.

You hear people talk about a hockey player with great hands and that does not mean much until you see the really good ones handle pucks and passes with ease and those struggling to be borderline NHL players look like they are made out of stone.

I think I have seen him in position to chip one into the net a dozen times and just can't seem to even put it on goal.

And as long as I am complaining, how can a team be this bad at the PK?  Like seriously?  HOW??????????????

Edited 20 hours ago by Dis-allowed display name

[Sam]

13 minutes ago, Dis-allowed display name said:

And as long as I am complaining, how can a team be this bad at the PK?  Like seriously?  HOW??????????????

By acquiring a pk specialist who isn’t so special at his job..

[hydguy75]

1 hour ago, Protec said:

Big Yak getting some grief is okay, but overall the Wild's troubles aren't on just one or two guys. 

Very true.  This is supposed to be a team, but when several players in the core are AWOL for various injuries, illnesses, ruptured sacks, etc. that makes it difficult to form a new core, mid-season, with mostly your middle to bottom 6, and any emerging A callups.  

To put this in approximate perspective, $88M cap space less $14M buyouts leaves about $74M.  Thus far, the missed games this season have cost the Wild about 10% of their total salary, and at this rate about 17% of their total salary for the entire season.  This isn't actual cost, just the dollars assigned to the players not on the ice.  Essentially, the Wild are playing with roster of $63M.  Nearly with 30% less than teams we play against (not factoring their own player losses due to injury).  

Many of the players missing are also our key players.  The difference makers.  When you're dealt that kind of hand for a season, makes it tough to even split games.  Finally, if you are one of the guys who's left not injured, you have a choice to level up and fill some of that gap, or be cautious to not catch the injury bug. I suspect more than a couple players are playing more conservative.  

 

[Burnt Toast]

29 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Nyquist,

I’ve been wondering about the Wild getting Nyquist back. He’s probably close to the best player the Wild could afford as a top 6 upgrade. Sign me up for this move!

[MNCountryLife]

If Hynes really wants to send a message sit a veteran mainstay.  Send one of Boldy, Ek, Zuc, Hartman or even Spurgeon to the Press box.  Figure out which one is performing the worst and that one sits.  Everyone will get the message quick.  Sitting Trenin is not the same message.

[Dis-allowed display name]

44 minutes ago, Sam said:

By acquiring a pk specialist who isn’t so special at his job..

Well sure, that is part of it.  They could take that guy OFF of the PK.  

They are giving up goals ten seconds into power plays.  They lose nearly every face off, they gain possession and fumble the puck, when they clear, half the time it is not even to center ice so they can't change.  It is just bloody awful to watch.

If they lined four guys up and made them form a barrier in front of the goalie and just take slap shots to the face the PK percentage would go up 20 points.  On a related thought, this would be a role where NoJo could really earn his money.

Edited 19 hours ago by Dis-allowed display name

[Imyourhuckleberry]

43 minutes ago, Sam said:

59 minutes ago, Dis-allowed display name said:

And as long as I am complaining, how can a team be this bad at the PK?  Like seriously?  HOW??????????????

By acquiring a pk specialist who isn’t so special at his job..

Technically, Trenin has the lowest goals against per 60 while short handed of any Wild player who is getting regular minutes on the PK, and it's a reasonably low number. Even strength, the Wild have outscored their opponents with Trenin on the ice. He has not provided much offense, but he is doing fairly well in the defensive game.

Edited 19 hours ago by Imyourhuckleberry

[Enforceror]

Not sure how much stock to put into this since Hynes juggles lines so often but....thought this was an interesting projected lineup.

12 Matt Boldy - 14 Joel Eriksson Ek - 36 Mats Zuccarello

28 Liam Öhgren - 89 Freddy Gaudreau - 13 Yakov Trenin

17 Marcus Foligno - 23 Marco Rossi - 38 Ryan Hartman

19 Devin Shore - 22 Marat Khusnutdinov - 94 Jakub Lauko

5 Jake Middleton - 7 Brock Faber

4 Jon Merrill - 46 Jared Spurgeon

47 Declan Chisholm - 24 Zach Bogosian

Maybe Hynes sees some chemistry with Trenin/Gadreau? Is Rossi dealing with something? He always seems to me that he plays hard so why 3rd line? ...and we've got Merrill on 2D. I could see Hynes being underwhelmed by Chisolm's effort maybe. Interesting to see how this pans out and if it sticks. I kind of enjoy seeing all the different line combos tbh.

[Pewterschmidt]

5 minutes ago, Enforceror said:

28 Liam Öhgren - 89 Freddy Gaudreau - 13 Yakov Trenin

17 Marcus Foligno - 23 Marco Rossi - 38 Ryan Hartman

I'd argue Marco is getting the better wings here.  Call it line #3 or call in line #2.  If I'm Marco I'd feel demoted is Ogz and The Yak were my wings.  By the way Fred is still a bubble NHL'r.  He's now the 2025 version of Tyson Jost.

Edited 18 hours ago by Pewterschmidt

[Enforceror]

7 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

I'd argue Marco is getting the better wings here.  Call it line #3 or call in line #2.  If I'm Marco I'd feel demoted is Ogz and The Yak were my wings.  By the way Fred is still a bubble NHL'r.  He's now the 2025 version of Tyson Jost.

I'll buy off on that take. Rossi has 5p in 5g, Foligno has 3p in 5g and Hartman has 2p in 5g (7p in 10g). I'd sure like to see Ohgren take a step forward. 

Regarding Freddy, I think he is still quite a bit better than our AHL callups. I don't see him being more than a 4th liner though. 

[Dango]

Id like to see knudi sort of hang around the blueline and try sending him off on some 1 on 1s   sort of like Zuker used to do  .

[Pewterschmidt]

17 minutes ago, Enforceror said:

Regarding Freddy, I think he is still quite a bit better than our AHL callups. I don't see him being more than a 4th liner though. 

Agree.  A solid 4th liner, but bro plays on PP#1 and PP#2.  Maybe Hynzy is sending a message putting the Phone Booth Frenchman on PP#1, but he's got no business playing either PP on a playoff team.  None.

[OldDutchChip]

i really want them to let Marat loose a bit, play him with any one who has some skill. sometimes he does amazing things out there and there is jones and lauko and the play just dies....it would be great for his confidence to play up a bit now that we are mix and matching (and wild too to see who we got there as a player - what can he do out there) i know we've seen a shift here and there - but i'd throw him out there with top dogs for a game or two, get him maybe as a wing to EK and Boldy or Center Boldy and Zuccy. Just to give the kid a chance to play with some good skill.  

[AKwildkraken]

13 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

Just to give the kid a chance to play with some good skill. 

I was thinking the same thing, but our talent is quite depleted at the moment.