Spurgeon praises ‘underrated’ Jonas Brodin

Jonas Brodin has been a calming force and one of the major reasons why this Minnesota Wild team keeps on winning so many damn games.

Certainly not the only reason, but the once defensive stalwart has evolving into this two-way powerhouse that has fit so well within head coach Dean Evason’s system, that it appears to be made exactly for him — maybe that’s what a good coach does anyway.

And even beyond praise from some blogger that runs a website dedicated to a very loveable hockey team, the Wild’s captain Jared Spurgeon is full of good things to say about his fellow blueliner.

“I think just his skating and the way he thinks the game,” Spurgeon said when asked what exactly makes Brodin a special player. “Defensively, he gets out of positions that most of us can’t, with pucks in his feet. He always seems to keep his feet moving. And then his offensive ability that he has shown this year, with jumping up in the play; he’s got a great shot and vision as well.

“He just makes everything look so easy. It is fun to watch from the bench, we have a lot of jokes with him, ‘Slippery Jimmy.’ He’s such a good player, he’s one of the most underrated, if not the most underrated player in the league. And he’s a great guy to have on your team.

“Just watch him. Every shift there’s something he does on the ice, where you’re just like ‘wow.’”

Yeah, we’re saying “wow” too Jared.

Before this season, Brodin’s career-high in points was a mere 28 in 69 games. Now, through 26 games, the 28-year-old has scored 3 goals and 14 points. Hell, he might break his own personal best by the halfway point in the season if he gets even hotter.

It’s not even just some random point streak or increased production either. The Wild are purposefully playing as a five-man unit, unlike before, and really buying in the increased responsibility for all skaters to be available to cover any position. Like, Brodin is unafraid to even crash the net, set up his own shot, and score on his own rebound for God’s sake.

We have already spilled ink on just a wonderful player from the back he is, at both sides of the puck, and how he simply nullifies opposing scoring chances and his own forwards benefit from having him at the back, being the ultimate responsible adult in charge of possession.

He just doesn’t slip up and he makes all hockey nerds like us just go all googly-eyed for his innate ability to play the sport of hockey. If we could make a team up of 20 Jonas Brodins, we would.