Article: The Wild Need To Establish A Role For Liam Ohgren

[Kalisha Turnipseed]

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[Sam]

The photos I saw of him all bulked up would make any fan enthused, especially mnfaninnc. He definitely worked on his pectoralis major.

[Scalptrash]

I think he just needs a permanent role so he isn't worried about being sent down all the time. Let him get comfortable and form some chemistry. Comparing him to Tarasenko and Kaprizov isn't fair, why not Boldy or Zuccarello as a ceiling? Wouldn't that be nice?

[Citizen Strife]

Ohgren needs to establish it for himself.  The lines are likely these.

 

Kap/Ek/Boldy

Zucc/Rossi/Vlad

Foligno/Yurov/Hartman

Mojo/Sturm/Trenin

Ohgren

 

Ohgren is fighting for 4th line duty.  He should be good enough to beat out Mojo and Trenin for most games, or God help him.  

 

Edited August 25 by Citizen Strife

[Citizen Strife]

21 minutes ago, Scalptrash said:

I think he just needs a permanent role so he isn't worried about being sent down all the time. Let him get comfortable and form some chemistry. Comparing him to Tarasenko and Kaprizov isn't fair, why not Boldy or Zuccarello as a ceiling? Wouldn't that be nice?

Ohgren getting into the same sphere as either would be a home run.

[WildRam]

I'd prefer: 

Kap - Ek - Boldy

Ohgren - Rossi - Vlad 

Zucc - Yurov - Hartman 

Foligno - Sturm - Trenin 

Hoping Mojo spent his summer watching the wind blow 

[Patrick]

1 hour ago, WildRam said:

I'd prefer: 

Kap - Ek - Boldy

Ohgren - Rossi - Vlad 

Zucc - Yurov - Hartman 

Foligno - Sturm - Trenin 

Hoping Mojo spent his summer watching the wind blow 

I really like this. 

Top Line should be top 5 in the NHL

Its unlikely Zucc can play 1st or 2nd line minutes. 3rd line PP specialist makes sense. Maybe he can be to Yurov what he was to Kap?

It also gives Rossi and aggressive forechecker and veteran scorer. If Ohgren can deliver its a nice line.

That 4th line would be a wrecking ball defensively.

I really, really like your lines!

 

[FredJohnson]

1 hour ago, Citizen Strife said:

Kap/Ek/Boldy

Zucc/Rossi/Vlad

Foligno/Yurov/Hartman

Mojo/Sturm/Trenin

Ohgren

Didn’t Moose and Rossi have insane metrics when paired together last season? (No matter who the other wing was)

[FredJohnson]

1 hour ago, Citizen Strife said:

Ohgren getting into the same sphere as either would be a home run.

[mnfaninnc]

I really wonder how this is going to work with 5-6 rookies. I don't think Yurov and Ohgren start off together. Since the article is focused on Ohgren, what do we want him to learn first?

I saw him playing slot hockey last season when up. I'd like him to learn a little more freedom. I also thought he went into a scrum too slow, start throwing the body around. There are 2 specific guys I'd like him to be around: Foligno and Tarasenko. 

I think he should 1st start out on Foligno's line, and I could picture a Foligno-Rossi-Ohgren line. I'd like to see Ohgren start throwing the body, it's big enough. His calling card with Sweden was doing the dirty work. Foligno does that too. 

Later in the year, I'd like to see him play significant time with Tarasenko. There are guys with great shots, and then there are guys who score with great shots. IMO, OgZ needs to learn how to score. Accuracy is often a key, but learning how to set up the shot so there's a slight screen or pulling the trigger a bit quicker would help. 

If I were a film coach, I'd be finding old Nino tape and showing that to OgZ. Get him to fire in the home plate area, get him to dig for rebounds, get him to screen without losing a nut (maybe that's what he learns from Zuccy). 

Some players need to be physical at the start of a game just to settle in. I think OgZ may be one of those players. Foligno doesn't always use this part of his game. Learning to pick and choose in the regular season to lean on your physicality will be a process. I'm not worried about too many goals this season, I'm more worried about him getting better. I do think he needs regular N shifts to get that done.

[FredJohnson]

17 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I really wonder how this is going to work with 5-6 rookies.

Different kind of "rookies" though. Guys coming from KHL or Euro leagues are a little different from the AHL via Canadian juniors.

[mnfaninnc]

13 hours ago, FredJohnson said:

Different kind of "rookies" though. Guys coming from KHL or Euro leagues are a little different from the AHL via Canadian juniors.

True, but, they aren't all going to be Kaprizov's and hit the ground running. We saw that with OgZ last season. My hope is that Yurov will be able to do that. I think we'll be pleasantly surprised by The Wall. 

I would rank K training better than S training. But we do agree that our A training has been woeful.

[FredJohnson]

2 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

I would rank K training better than S training. But we do agree that our A training has been woeful.

Agreed on all this.

Never a dull moment for the Wild.

[MNCountryLife]

2 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

I think we'll be pleasantly surprised by The Wall. 

I agree.  I think the Wall will be much better behind a D-Friendly team.  He may even push Gus for the #1 role.  Will be a very interesting year.  I'm hoping that some of these young guys push for top line minutes and make decisions at the TDL extremely difficult for BG.

[TS102]

I'd like something like the below to start the season. The top line is small in size, but separating Boldy and Kaprizov will help manage Kaprizov's ice time and increase the top 6 depth. I also do not think Zuccarello, at this stage in his career, is talented enough to play on a line without Boldy or Kaprizov. Additionally, putting Ohgren with a fellow Swede (Ek) and a power forward like Boldy, both of whom can play in their own zone, could help to shelter Ohgren a bit. Similar idea with putting Tarasenko on the 3rd line with Yurov: It gives Yurov a fellow Russian to mentor him on that line, doesn't force Tarasenko to be his prime self, and Hartman can provide some toughness + the elusive right-hand shot. It also prevents a youth line of Ohgren-Yurov, which I think would be very risky for both of their developments. I see little to no risk starting Ohgren in the top 6 over Tarasenko; if anything, it could serve to improve our depth. With Brodin injured to start the year, the defensive pairings could vary, but I think Buium-Spurgeon is too small and Buium-Jiricek is too risky; ergo, Buium-Faber (and Middleton-Spurgeon have experience together).

Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello

Boldy-Ek-Ohgren

Hartman-Yurov-Tarasenko

Foligno-Sturm-Trenin

 

Buium-Faber

Middleton-Spurgeon

Bogosian-Jiricek

 

Gustavsson

Wallstedt

[Up North Guy]

40 minutes ago, TS102 said:

I'd like something like the below to start the season. The top line is small in size, but separating Boldy and Kaprizov will help manage Kaprizov's ice time and increase the top 6 depth. I also do not think Zuccarello, at this stage in his career, is talented enough to play on a line without Boldy or Kaprizov. Additionally, putting Ohgren with a fellow Swede (Ek) and a power forward like Boldy, both of whom can play in their own zone, could help to shelter Ohgren a bit. Similar idea with putting Tarasenko on the 3rd line with Yurov: It gives Yurov a fellow Russian to mentor him on that line, doesn't force Tarasenko to be his prime self, and Hartman can provide some toughness + the elusive right-hand shot. It also prevents a youth line of Ohgren-Yurov, which I think would be very risky for both of their developments. I see little to no risk starting Ohgren in the top 6 over Tarasenko; if anything, it could serve to improve our depth. With Brodin injured to start the year, the defensive pairings could vary, but I think Buium-Spurgeon is too small and Buium-Jiricek is too risky; ergo, Buium-Faber (and Middleton-Spurgeon have experience together).

Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello

Boldy-Ek-Ohgren

Hartman-Yurov-Tarasenko

Foligno-Sturm-Trenin

 

Buium-Faber

Middleton-Spurgeon

Bogosian-Jiricek

 

Gustavsson

Wallstedt

Bold lineup but interesting.

[FredJohnson]

If NoJo is on a top-6 line to start the season, it better be because the rookies ALL SUCK or 4 guys got hurt. Otherwise, Billy needs to be investigated for rigging games!

[1Brotherbill]

Ohgren just needs to play.  He will be slotted into the position he wants to play.  I personally think a Foglino, Hartman, Ohgren line would be the new GREEF line.  Just go out there and annoy the pants off the other team.  But with a line like that where does that leave everyone else.  

The Wild have an lot of right wingers and few spots.  They also have few left wingers and too many spots.  Ohgren is a left winger and will probably get top six minutes due to lack of options on that side. 

 

[mnfaninnc]

3 hours ago, TS102 said:

I'd like something like the below to start the season. The top line is small in size, but separating Boldy and Kaprizov will help manage Kaprizov's ice time and increase the top 6 depth. I also do not think Zuccarello, at this stage in his career, is talented enough to play on a line without Boldy or Kaprizov. Additionally, putting Ohgren with a fellow Swede (Ek) and a power forward like Boldy, both of whom can play in their own zone, could help to shelter Ohgren a bit. Similar idea with putting Tarasenko on the 3rd line with Yurov: It gives Yurov a fellow Russian to mentor him on that line, doesn't force Tarasenko to be his prime self, and Hartman can provide some toughness + the elusive right-hand shot. It also prevents a youth line of Ohgren-Yurov, which I think would be very risky for both of their developments. I see little to no risk starting Ohgren in the top 6 over Tarasenko; if anything, it could serve to improve our depth. With Brodin injured to start the year, the defensive pairings could vary, but I think Buium-Spurgeon is too small and Buium-Jiricek is too risky; ergo, Buium-Faber (and Middleton-Spurgeon have experience together).

I like your thinking here, though I'd rather Buium start with Spurgeon mainly because he has a lot to learn that Spurgy can teach him. But, without Brodin that could leave Lambos with Jiricek which might not be wise either. Could Midsy cover for Jiricek? Maybe. Lambos has just as much to learn from Spurgy and is a little larger. 

The point on Zuccarello, I think is valid. So, my proposal is to play Zuccy 4th line minutes, but when he plays, play him in the top 6. I think he's still crafty enough to make that work, but I don't think he can keep up over the long haul with elevated minutes. If that works, who would you move up for a few shifts to play on the Kaprizov line?

[mnfaninnc]

3 minutes ago, 1Brotherbill said:

The Wild have an lot of right wingers and few spots.  They also have few left wingers and too many spots.  Ohgren is a left winger and will probably get top six minutes due to lack of options on that side. 

I see this the other way around, mainly because we are so short of RHS forwards. I think both Kaprizov and Tarasenko can easily play the left side. 

[Enforceror]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

So, my proposal is to play Zuccy 4th line minutes, but when he plays, play him in the top 6. I think he's still crafty enough to make that work, but I don't think he can keep up over the long haul with elevated minutes. If that works, who would you move up for a few shifts to play on the Kaprizov line?

Hynes isn't afraid to mashup lines. I think a lot of us here are getting hung up on 4 lines when in reality, the lines will be changing constantly based on matchups, scenarios, etc. 

[Pewterschmidt]

Article: The Wild Need To Establish A Role For Liam Ohgren

Article: Ogzy Needs to Play at an NHL skill and intensity level to earn himself NHL minutes.  There's no conspiracy here.  $%#&@ Nojo is the player he's trying to beat out.