Article: What Should the Wild Do To Optimize Their Second Line?

[Beast]

I’d be surprised if they start Yurov or Ohgren in the top 6.  My guess would be Ohgren on the 3rd and Yurov on the 4th.

Id like to see Boldy headline the second line.  He’s going to be a monster this year.  He can drive play and score points on his own, and we need to distribute the scoring depth (or lack of) a bit.  Can’t just have 1 line that can score.

They’ll almost certainly start off with Tarasenko in the top 6.  Wouldn’t surprise me much to see him squeezed in with Kaprizov and Ek at times.  Also wouldn’t surprise me to see Foligno on the 2nd line with Boldy and Rossi.

If they do that, I feel it’s inevitable we see Mojo on the 3rd line.  Potentially with Hartman and Ohgren.  I wouldn’t put that past them.

Yurov/Haight, Trenin, Hinnesota on the 4th.

Also wouldn’t surprise me if they ran Buium out sparingly even strength on the 3rd pairing, even with Brodin out.

This isn’t what I think they should do.  But I think they’ll do something pretty close to that.

 

 

 

[1Brotherbill]

On 10/2/2025 at 9:15 PM, Scalptrash said:

Why not? He has zero trade protection.

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/marco-rossi-trade-rumors-spark-171904848.html

RFA and new contract loopholes since the Wild still own him even after the contract he can't be traded this season.  Though there might be a loophole for the trade deadline but from what I understand they could only have traded him if he signed a contract that would have put him to his UFA years and then only if he agreed to the sign and trade.  

But like most things NHL contract related I could be wrong. 

[raithis]

Quote

Hynes seems to have doubts about Rossi's defense, as evidenced by his demotion to the fourth line in the playoffs.

This makes zero sense.  If that were the case, why would Hynes decide to put Rossi on the PK this year?  If Hynes thinks Rossi is a defensive liability, why is his idea to fix the penalty kill is to put Rossi out there when the team is a man down?

Granted, at 30th in PK%, you can't get much worse, but that should be a big red flag that the reasons why Rossi was put on the 4th line were something other than the conclusion you came to - and my thinking is that those reasons are more complex than one particular thing.

 

[Pablo]

They need to trust and play the heck out of the youngsters!! Insert NOJO only in an emergency. 

[Mateo3xm]

On 10/2/2025 at 3:14 PM, Scalptrash said:

I wouldn't consider only having $5M left "spending to a minimum". In order to make a big move, they will have to part ways with a starter. Probably Rossi because that is exactly why his contract was structured the way it is. Trade bait. Billy ain't done with the Rossi saga yet, just watch.

Like I said earlier, trade him, a prospect, and some picks for Thompson. Basically whatever it takes, IMO. And do it now, don't wait for the deadline. Kirill needs a new toy to play with, Zuccy is broken.

Buffalo isn’t trading Thompson dude. It’s nice to say and it’d be wonderful but it’s not happening. Might as well dream of McD coming to Mn if you’re going to mention TT

[M_Nels]

12 hours ago, Pablo said:

They need to trust and play the heck out of the youngsters!! Insert NOJO only in an emergency. 

The youngsters were extremely underwhelming in the preseason, both Ohgren and Yurov were given every chance to win a top6 role and neither capitalized. 

The inevitable but, but, but, you have to play them with good players to succeed and 4th line will stagnate their development. Truth be told neither one of them has earned it yet.

Not necessarily on this site but people are scared that Yurov will bolt back to the KHL if sent to Iowa. If he's going to be that big of a diva let him. He looked more promising then Ohgren in the preseason and if he can take full advantage of even 4th line minutes he will move up in the lineup. Hynes is very fluid with his lines in that aspect.

[Pewterschmidt]

1 minute ago, M_Nels said:

The youngsters were extremely underwhelming in the preseason, both Ohgren and Yurov were given every chance to win a top6 role and neither capitalized. 

The inevitable but, but, but, you have to play them with good players to succeed and 4th line will stagnate their development. Truth be told neither one of them has earned it yet.

Not necessarily on this site but people are scared that Yurov will bolt back to the KHL if sent to Iowa. If he's going to be that big of a diva let him. He looked more promising then Ohgren in the preseason and if he can take full advantage of even 4th line minutes he will move up in the lineup. Hynes is very fluid with his lines in that aspect.

I’d be very surprised if he leaves for khl this season.  He understands that won’t improve his standing with the team.  I’d argue that that clause is why he’s not starting this season in Iowa.  

[Scalptrash]

10 hours ago, Mateo3xm said:

Buffalo isn’t trading Thompson dude. It’s nice to say and it’d be wonderful but it’s not happening. Might as well dream of McD coming to Mn if you’re going to mention TT

Ok Kevyn, I guess you would know. Just like Eichel and Marner aren't going to Vegas or Rantanen ending up in Dallas. You're 100% correct if they never try. 

The Wild will never win a Stanley Cup if they don't pull off a trade like this, period. It doesn't have to be Thompson, but he fits the team and the cap space perfectly.

[Pablo]

3 hours ago, M_Nels said:

The youngsters were extremely underwhelming in the preseason, both Ohgren and Yurov were given every chance to win a top6 role and neither capitalized. 

The inevitable but, but, but, you have to play them with good players to succeed and 4th line will stagnate their development. Truth be told neither one of them has earned it yet.

Not necessarily on this site but people are scared that Yurov will bolt back to the KHL if sent to Iowa. If he's going to be that big of a diva let him. He looked more promising then Ohgren in the preseason and if he can take full advantage of even 4th line minutes he will move up in the lineup. Hynes is very fluid with his lines in that aspect.

I agree. Nothing has to be handed to anyone.  They definitely have to earn it and they will or they wont earn it. I actually like that Sturm is centering for the two on the 4th line. They can learn alot from him. Depending on matchups, the 4th line may look different game by game and minutes played vs the 3rd line is always fluid.