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Article: Sustainable? Nope. But the Wild Power Play Is For Real


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39 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

Buium has balls.  The sort of balls this team needs.

I recall watching Heiskanen 2-3 years ago and being a bit jealous. The Wild never seemed to have a player who can be that type of difference maker(mobility, IQ, stick handling) to control the game from the back end.

I was ecstatic when Buium was drafted by the Wild at #12 after being projected in the #5-#8 range.

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The "NHL EDGE's Goal Visualizer" is kinda cool. Adds a different perspective. 

It's pretty early yet to call Buium our Makar but I really like what I see (since the Blue Jackets game) and feel optimistic about continued development. He has the tools and if he can make sure to collect passes rather than mishandling or outright missing, I believe he'll be an asset as opposed to a liability. At least for net positive. He doesn't have a man's body yet but that will come I think. Kids still 19.

I also feel like Boldy and Kaprizov seem to be playing well together. Like something clicked or maybe a friendly rivalry...I dunno. 

Lastly, from what I understand, Hynes focused on special teams for a big part of preseason. It would be interesting to see a comparison of special teams systems between this year and last.

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The kid is doing well.  The minus six is a number that most fans point to.  But honestly the entire team is a minus right now. 

Special teams always toss a monkey wrench into the flow of the 5 on 5.  Especially when you take players from two different lines to make the Power Play unit.  A goal is a goal however.  

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Everyone knows that this is not sustainable. But what could be sustainable is the fear other teams have of this unit. What would the fear factor do? Perhaps teams are less likely to take penalties against the Wild? 

Last season when Buium QB'd the PP in the playoffs, I thought he was tentative. Not so this season. All 5 of the starting unit can score. That makes it a little scarier. With Boldy and Kaprizov moving around and even showing up on the weak side, that means a PK has to cover the whole zone. That should open up space for everyone. 

I could see it ending up somewhere in the 25% area.

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55 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

All 5 of the starting unit can score. That makes it a little scarier. With Boldy and Kaprizov moving around and even showing up on the weak side, that means a PK has to cover the whole zone. That should open up space for everyone. 

I could see it ending up somewhere in the 25% area.

As long as Kaprizov and Boldy stay healthy, I agree. It's moving, flowing, and finding results in a way it hasn't seemed to regularly in the past. They've had fast starts in prior years, but with this blazing hot start and high level talent, they just might set a new team record for power play success.

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16 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

I recall watching Heiskanen 2-3 years ago and being a bit jealous. The Wild never seemed to have a player who can be that type of difference maker(mobility, IQ, stick handling) to control the game from the back end.

I was ecstatic when Buium was drafted by the Wild at #12 after being projected in the #5-#8 range.

Heiskanen is a fantastic player but I feel like he’s been closer to a Faber type of player than Makar in his career. He’s had that one 70pt season but he’s now more of a defensive defender. I feel like Buium is definitely similar to Makar in the way he plays.

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37 minutes ago, Mateo3xm said:

Heiskanen is a fantastic player but I feel like he’s been closer to a Faber type of player than Makar in his career. He’s had that one 70pt season but he’s now more of a defensive defender. I feel like Buium is definitely similar to Makar in the way he plays.

I think it was the 22-23 season that I was watching him that I retain those memories from--he just looked incredibly smooth, poised, and an in control of the ice throughout the entire rink.

I don't want to limit where Buium could reach, but I still hesitate to make Makar comparisons at this point. I understand what you're saying though.

I'd love to have Buium reach a level that he can be in the conversation with Makar for end of season awards one day, but he needs to get stronger defensively.

I believe it took Quinn Hughes a couple seasons to really figure things out defensively. Somewhere between Quinn Hughes(2nd to Makar in 2020 Calder voting) and Cale Makar wouldn't be a terrible place to be for a young NHL defenseman. Adam Fox was 4th in that 2020 rookie class, so quite a bit of offensive talent in that rookie class of defensemen.

Edited by Imyourhuckleberry
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🙈

Quote

Boldy had 17 shot attempts in Tuesday’s loss in Dallas (10 on net). His line with Marco Rossi and Kaprizov was broken up during the game but reunited for Thursday’s practice at Capital One Arena.

Coach John Hynes likes how Marcus Johansson adds another dynamic as a “puck transporter” on the second line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Vladimir Tarasenko and believes they’ll eventually break through. -- The Athletic

🤦‍♂️JEE and Tarasenko need a setup guy who can put them in positions to score the puck, not a transporter who delivers the puck in non-advantageous ways and often to the other team.

I mean, I hope he can do something against his former Capitals teams, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Edited by Imyourhuckleberry
Adding Caps comment
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3 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

I don't want to limit where Buium could reach, but I still hesitate to make Makar comparisons at this point. I understand what you're saying though.

I'd love to have Buium reach a level that he can be in the conversation with Makar for end of season awards one day, but he needs to get stronger defensively.

Do you know when Buium has reached that level of conversation? When newly drafted defenders are called the next Buium!

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