By Tony Abbott -
The biggest head-turners both have to do with Mikko Koivu. Not only was he parted from Zach Parise for the first time since Parise hit the ice with the Wild, he finds himself on the third line. Now, "third line" offers a lot of opportunity to sensationalize things, but it's not what you may think by reading that headline. As you'll read, these changes were made to balance out lines to create more scoring across the board, something that many Wild fans, including myself, have hoped to see for some time. Furthermore, Koivu's ice time does not stand to decrease by any means. He'll almost certainly still get time on the power play, and being with a capable goal-scorer in El Nino announces an intention to keep Koivu in a role where he's expected to provide offense as well as defense.
What's not to like? If you like leadership, there are even K/Captains on each of the top three lines.
Also, Happy Halloween. Post pictures of your costumes, and I'll make fun of them.
On to the Walk.
Wild News
Also, Stephane Veillieux was waived. This is a minor move, and it's extremely doubtful that he will be claimed. Expect to see him back in Iowa in a short amount of time.
Mike Yeo explains the Wild's potential new lines and more | Russo's Rants | StarTribune.com- Mike Yeo goes in depth on the new lines.
Minnesota Wild to try Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu on separate lines - TwinCities.com- More on these line changes.
The Team of 18,001: The Evolution of Mikael Granlund- Giles reviews the film to point out examples that show how much Granlund has improved. It's pretty impressive and exciting to see him adjust so quickly.
Tending the Fields
JK, he actually likes Gilmour very much.
Off the Trail
The Hockey Writers: Havlat's Return Will Lift the Sharks Higher- For 10 games, until his groin or whatever explodes again. I still can't believe that was a Chuck Fletcher signing, it seems so long ago.
Jokerit to KHL in 2014-15 is huge step for Russian league | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports- The KHL gets their first team from a country that was never connected to Russia.
The top 25 creepiest hockey logos of all-time | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports- Not as creepy as
Big dumb jerk Maple Leafs fan vows to marry girlfriend after Cup win (Photo) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports- Girlfriend's cute, too. He'd better not wait that long to jump on that.
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