Wild Starting Significant Road Trip In St. Louis

ODC - Just keep the idea of NoJo sucks in your frontal-mind and buy into the group-think. In this case it's 100% justified and not weird. NoJo is indeed brutal. He's mentally toast in the NHL and only little flickers remain in his non-factorish game which hinges on short obvious passes. He doesn't create any chances or shots on his own. He regularly puts a Boldy setup into the goalies pads or gets boxed out at the net-front. His hustle-effort is like a 4 out of 10. He doesn't sacrifice the body. I really can't spend the time going over it all again. He's got the same goals as Gus and he's on the second line. His linemate is a point per game guy and NoJo is just +1 in 17 games. He's dead weight. A passenger.

I have argued that Hartman or Ogie should be in that spot and bump up a depth guy to fill out the bottom six. I know it ain't gonna happen, but the first time NoJo was here we secretly applauded his playoff injury. MN went to seven games against Vegas while the refs and Fleury shut the Wild down. I don't think NoJo should be hated as a person, just as a hockey player. He exemplifies every Euro stereotype perfectly so we can't deny that. You're right, Russians, and Americans can do it too. Zegras was highly-touted and now looks like kinda a blowbag. What's that all about? Gaborik was this way. Talented but at home with groin injury playing race car simulator while the Wild have a losing season. NoJo isn't intentional IMO, just not an NHL 2nd liner.

6 minutes ago, Protec said:

ODC - Just keep the idea of NoJo sucks in your frontal-mind and buy into the group-think. In this case it's 100% justified and not weird. NoJo is indeed brutal. He's mentally toast in the NHL and only little flickers remain in his non-factorish game which hinges on short obvious passes. He doesn't create any chances or shots on his own. He regularly puts a Boldy setup into the goalies pads or gets boxed out at the net-front. His hustle-effort is like a 4 out of 10. He doesn't sacrifice the body. I really can't spend the time going over it all again. He's got the same goals as Gus and he's on the second line. His linemate is a point per game guy and NoJo is just +1 in 17 games. He's dead weight. A passenger.

I have argued that Hartman or Ogie should be in that spot and bump up a depth guy to fill out the bottom six. I know it ain't gonna happen, but the first time NoJo was here we secretly applauded his playoff injury. MN went to seven games against Vegas while the refs and Fleury shut the Wild down. I don't think NoJo should be hated as a person, just as a hockey player. He exemplifies every Euro stereotype perfectly so we can't deny that. You're right, Russians, and Americans can do it too. Zegras was highly-touted and now looks like kinda a blowbag. What's that all about? Gaborik was this way. Talented but at home with groin injury playing race car simulator while the Wild have a losing season. NoJo isn't intentional IMO, just not an NHL 2nd liner.

I could not have worded that any better.  Spot on!

13 minutes ago, IllicitFive said:

On here yes, hands down number 1, but the reports of the team not liking Rossi seem to be making the rounds again. Fiala treatment? Maybe where there is smoke there is fire, but from what I have seen Rossi has done his job, playing with Kap helps but I see him fighting in the corners, getting on the forecheck and having success, yet hes the whipping boy while NoJo does...... well you let me know his positive besides bringing the puck up the ice on PP2.

I agree it looks bad and Rossi has done a good job. The key thing is that he's young and has value. NoJo has zero trade value.

I would rather anyone play than NoJo. It is mind-boggling that at his price, Guerin/Hynes don't just admit he's not good enough and move him down the lineup. Hartman just scored against STL and can play wing. He's got way more guts and scoring pedigree in recent years but NoJo is locked into that spot. It's so dumb guys, I can't come to terms with it. The Wild have good young players like Ogie who could play a protected role alongside Ek and do at least as good as NoJo with less than a half-dozen points playing with two of the Wild's best forwards. Absolutely unreal how committed Guerin/Hynes are to NoJo.

23 minutes ago, Protec said:

ODC - Just keep the idea of NoJo sucks in your frontal-mind and buy into the group-think. In this case it's 100% justified and not weird. NoJo is indeed brutal. He's mentally toast in the NHL and only little flickers remain in his non-factorish game which hinges on short obvious passes. He doesn't create any chances or shots on his own. He regularly puts a Boldy setup into the goalies pads or gets boxed out at the net-front. His hustle-effort is like a 4 out of 10. He doesn't sacrifice the body. I really can't spend the time going over it all again. He's got the same goals as Gus and he's on the second line. His linemate is a point per game guy and NoJo is just +1 in 17 games. He's dead weight. A passenger.

I have argued that Hartman or Ogie should be in that spot and bump up a depth guy to fill out the bottom six. I know it ain't gonna happen, but the first time NoJo was here we secretly applauded his playoff injury. MN went to seven games against Vegas while the refs and Fleury shut the Wild down. I don't think NoJo should be hated as a person, just as a hockey player. He exemplifies every Euro stereotype perfectly so we can't deny that. You're right, Russians, and Americans can do it too. Zegras was highly-touted and now looks like kinda a blowbag. What's that all about? Gaborik was this way. Talented but at home with groin injury playing race car simulator while the Wild have a losing season. NoJo isn't intentional IMO, just not an NHL 2nd liner.

i think we all agree on MJ on here 🙂  but my gripe was to a stereotypical link to other Euro players who get grouped under this undeserving label. my man Kaspy would disagree.

let's root for the best team out there for the Wild. if there are no MN born players - then you know - i'll deal with it just fine, as long as the team is good. we've had some great Euro players and some not so, same with North Americans. 

Rossi has his issues but they are mostly a product of being young.  Nojo isn't going to change regardless of how clean of a slate Heinz pretends he is giving.  There is a hypocrisy there that I just don't understand.  

It is apparent by every measure that Nojo is not deserving but yet given every opportunity like he is some sort of Heinz nepobaby.  It's crazy.