Could Stars Follow Columbus, Minnesota Blue Print?
A year after surprisingly capturing a Central Division title and an appearance in the second round of the postseason, the Dallas Stars have stumbled this season to a 19-20-10 start and are currently three points out of a potential playoff berth. While there is still plenty of time to right the ship, it’s nonetheless fair to say the team has failed to meet preseason expectations. It’s at least conceivable that barring a deep postseason run the Stars could look to make some significant changes this summer. However, as Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild may have already provided a solid blue print the Stars could follow in their search for success.
Currently Columbus and Minnesota reside among the best teams in the league, which is a far cry from where the were last year. While the Wild made it to the playoffs, they were eliminated in the first round and looked nothing like a Stanley Cup contender. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets were once again one of the worst teams in the league and appeared to be at least a few years away from contention. However, as Heika points out, each team has benefited immensely from recent coaching changes – with John Tortorella taking over early last season in Columbus and Minnesota turning to Bruce Boudreau this past summer – and that could provide the Stars with a more palatable option than potentially making wholesale roster changes.
Current bench boss Lindy Ruff has had a long and accomplished career as a head coach in this league, first with the Buffalo Sabres and then for the last four in Dallas. On the heels of what can only be considered a successful 2015-16 campaign it might seem unwarranted to move on from Ruff after a season derailed by injuries to several key regulars. Nonetheless, Ruff is in the final season of his contract and it’s feasible general manager Jim Nill may conclude a fresh voice and approach is needed at this point.
However, despite some calls from fans to make a move now while the current campaign can still be saved, Heika advises against such a decision, and suggests waiting until after the season when more candidates will be available. As the scribe notes, Gerard Gallant certainly qualifies as an appealing option and any team interested in hiring might be best served doing so now with so few jobs open. But as Heika points out, a veteran bench boss like Gallant would require a three or four-year guaranteed commitment and it might be best to wait until after the season instead of caving to immediate pressures to go that direction.
Heika also identifies goaltending as an area the Stars could look to upgrade and while their are long-term options available now – Marc-Andre Fleury jumps immediately to mind – he cautions that the team might be better off trying to identify a young, up-and-coming net minder that represents more of an upside play rather than taking a chance on an expensive veteran. Martin Jones and Cam Talbot are two goalies that the scribe references that fit the former category. With teams looking ahead to the expansion draft, several backup types could be made available at a reduced rate as opposed to potentially losing them for nothing to the Vegas Golden Knights.
There is no questioning the impact that Tortorella and Boudreau have had on their respective team’s fortunes this season and it makes sense that the Stars could look to duplicate that success by bringing in their own new coach. It’s an easier move to make than trying to trade an expensive core player and/or trying to reshape the organization with blockbuster acquisitions. Yet there are no certainties regardless of what direction the Stars take. Hiring a new bench boss could pay off in Dallas as it has for Minnesota and Columbus. Or, as has been the case in Florida, the move may not yield the dividends the team hopes for.
Snapshots: Panik, Greene, Wild, Miller, Selanne
A little more than a year ago, Chicago and Toronto made a small trade of underperforming players that wound up yielding the Blackhawks a productive forward in Richard Panik, a move that is really paying dividends now, writes Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune.
Panik has played several roles this season, spending time in the bottom six in a defensive role while logging plenty of minutes on their top line as a scorer well. He has responded by matching his career high in goals with 11 and setting a new career best in points with 20.
The 25 year old has provided the Blackhawks with solid value on the salary cap as well as he is earning just $875K. He is slated to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Meanwhile, the player Chicago gave up, Jeremy Morin, is now on Tampa Bay’s farm team. The Leafs flipped him to San Jose last February and then the Sharks failed to tender him a qualifying offer back in June, making him an unrestricted free agent. It may have been a minor move at the time but suffice it to say, the Blackhawks came out on top of that one.
Other news and notes from around the hockey world:
- Although it was looking like Devils defenseman Andy Greene was nearing a return from an arm injury, it’s looking like he won’t be back until after the All-Star break, notes NJ Advance Media’s Chris Ryan. Greene had started to participate in full practices but has been scaled back to skating on his own over the past week. Fellow blueliner John Moore (concussion) is also expected to be out until after the break.
- The Minnesota Wild made a pair of roster moves today, assigning right Kurtis Gabriel to Iowa of the AHL while recalling Christoph Bertschy (Twitter links). Gabriel has played in 13 games with Minnesota this year while Bertschy has seen action in five games; both players have a single NHL assist this season. Center Mikko Koivu missed Sunday’s game due to illness and is questionable to play tomorrow although he did make the trip to Dallas.
- After sending him to the minors earlier today upon clearing, the Red Wings have recalled left winger Drew Miller, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. The roster spot for him to return was created when Dylan Larkin was placed on injured reserve with an upper body injury. Miller can remain on the Red Wings’ roster for 30 days or ten games played without having to go through waivers again.
- Although former NHL winger Teemu Selanne served as an advisor for the Finnish entry into the World Cup of Hockey, he has no plans to move into a management or advisory role on an NHL team in the near future, he told NHL.com’s Lisa Dillman. He wouldn’t rule out getting back into the game at some point in one of those capacities although he does not have any plans to coach in the future.
Tampa Bay Lightning Deadline, Expansion Notes
The Tampa Bay Lightning have had a ton of success the past few seasons, winning at least 46 games three straight seasons and making a Stanley Cup final in 2015. Today, they find themselves in last place in the Atlantic division and one point out of the bottom of the conference. They’re 2-7-1 in their last 10, and haven’t been able to find any consistency at either end of the ice.
When looking at the rest of their season, it’s not all bad. Despite being close to the bottom of the conference, they’re also just four points back of the Maple Leafs for the last wildcard spot (though they’ve played 48 games, four more than the Leafs). They should get Steven Stamkos back at some point, though depending on when he returns (likely mid-March) it may be too late.
When looking at their roster, they have very few expiring deals to sell off at the deadline. Ben Bishop would be a big chip, though most Cup contenders already have a #1 installed firmly in net. He’s also struggled through inconsistency and injury this season, making him a hard player to value for the back half of the season. Brian Boyle is a UFA this summer, and while he’s have a nice season he likely isn’t the 20 goal scorer he once was for New York. He’d be attractive to some teams to plug into a bottom-six, but wouldn’t bring much back.
The biggest problem for the Lightning though may be the upcoming expansion draft, where they will have a tough time protecting their current assets up front. Since Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Ryan Callahan and Valtteri Filppula all have no-movement clauses and come with automatic protection, the team has just four forward spots left to protect.
Nikita Kucherov and Jonathan Drouin are locks to be protected, meaning there are two slots left for the crop of forwards including Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Vladislav Namestnikov among others (many, many others). Losing one of those players for nothing would be a questionable move, meaning GM Steve Yzerman may be busy in the next month positioning his team better for the draft.
Adding a defenseman is a big need for the Bolts, and if they could find one that is exempt from the draft (meaning a young, first or second year player) it would be advantageous. Johnson could likely have fetched a huge price two years ago coming off his 29-goal, 72 point 2014-15, but after the struggles last year and a perceived step backwards defensively it may be selling low on him. He’s an RFA again this summer meaning he’ll be looking for a big-money deal, but perhaps the team could get a better price after letting him play out the rest of the regular season and (hopefully) topping the 50 point mark once again.
Killorn just signed a new deal this summer that locked him up for seven years, which may scare some teams off after a sluggish first half. Palat, though also not having a huge year probably has a bigger upside than Killorn and is two years younger. Though he’s also up for a new deal this summer as an RFA, the Lightning would likely need a big offer to pry him away.
If the team still thinks that it can compete in the Eastern Conference playoffs once Stamkos is back, perhaps they don’t need to sell one of their forwards for help down the line but with the draft looming and this season slipping away they may end up shipping out a well-known name.
Who is most likely to be traded by Tampa Bay before the deadline?
-
Tyler Johnson 38% (109)
-
Alex Killorn 23% (65)
-
Ondrej Palat 21% (60)
-
Other (explain in comments) 9% (26)
-
None 9% (26)
Total votes: 286
(Mobile users click here to vote in the poll)
Snapshots: Tropp, Kruger, Blue Jackets
Just a day after bringing him up, the Anaheim Ducks have decides that Corey Tropp will head back to San Diego and the AHL. As Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register reports, the journeyman winger will head back to the AHL without a taste of NHL action. As mentioned yesterday when he was called up, Tropp hasn’t gotten a crack at the NHL level in more than two seasons, despite establishing himself as a regular on the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013-15. The 27-year old Tropp is having a fantastic season for the San Diego Gulls, with 29 points in 32 games.
- While the Blackhawks are starting the rumor mill early this year with their reported interest in a pair of Red Wings, they might be getting some help back off the injured list sooner than later. Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago reports today that Marcus Kruger is “pretty close” and will hopefully return this week before the All-Star break. Injured on December 30th, Kruger was originally expected to miss only three weeks but faced a setback that has kept him out a bit longer. The Hawks miss his defensive presence and ability on the penalty kill, and will welcome him back with open arms. The team is now just two points back of the Minnesota Wild for first place in the Central division, but have played 48 games already – three more than the Wild. Firmly entrenched in a playoff spot – the team sits 12 points ahead of the third place Nashville Predators – the Blackhawks will be looking to add depth to their roster for another playoff run.
- Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports that both David Savard and Markus Nutivaara are out for the Blue Jackets’ game tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Dalton Prout and Scott Harrington will figure in as the bottom pair. The team is being very hush-hush on Savard’s injury, only saying it occurred in Thursday’s game when he left in the third period. Quietly, Savard is having another excellent season for Columbus, logging over 21 minutes a night, second on the team behind Seth Jones. The 26-year old is locked up long-term on a very tidy contract, earning $4.25MM annually until 2020-21. While he doesn’t get the press that Jones or Zach Werenski get, he’s an integral part of a group of young defenders (26 and under) that Columbus will ride for the next number of years.
Bruins Scouting Ducks-Wild Game
It would be a surprise to no one that the Boston Bruins’ brass are out watching other teams. While the Bruins are still clinging to a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, currently tied with the Ottawa Senators for second with 52 points, that position is only temporary. The Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, just two points behind, have six games in hand on Boston. They are currently doing battle with each other, which could result in a three-way tie with a Toronto win, a drop to third in the division with a Senators win, or the worst-case scenario, a Leafs OT-win in which both results would occur. Regardless, the Bruins are not going to be able to hang on to their spot long with the way they have been playing. Boston has lost three straight, including shutouts by the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders and a crushing 6-5 shootout defeat to the Detroit Redwings wherein they blew two three-goal leads. The Bruins have only won six of their last sixteen games and those six wins have come against four teams that are struggling as much or more than they are: the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers (twice), and Buffalo Sabres (twice). Beyond just wins and losses, there are rumors about coach Claude Julien, reported turmoil in the front office surrounding president Cam Neely, injuries on defense to Kevan and Colin Miller, a 16-game goal-less streak for early-season superstar David Pastrnak, and ongoing issues with line chemistry. The Bruins need a shake-up to save their season, and everyone knows it.
So, when Minnesota Wild beat writer Michael Russo reported that Bruins GM Don Sweeney was on the press box list at tonight’s game, with the Wild hosting the Anaheim Ducks, it came as no surprise. Both teams are known for their immense lack of talented depth on defense, something that Boston would definitely be interested in. While the team has been shut out three times this month, their scoring has actually been trending upward. Patrice Bergeron has begun to shake off his early struggles, Frank Vatrano has been a shot in the arm since his return from injury, and Brad Marchand and Torey Krug have remained on fire. The recent return of Matt Beleskey should help to add some scoring and balance out the forward lines (much-needed), while the AHL’s Providence Bruins, who won 9-1 tonight, have been explosive and could potentially offer support up front. That’s not to say that the Bruins, who will have about $17MM in cap space by the time the NHL Trade Deadline rolls around, won’t still look to add an impending free agent forward with some finish, but despite appearances, the offense should be able to figure itself out in the short-term. The defense is a different story. While the Bruins are loaded with defensive talent in the system, none of it is on its way this year and maybe not next year either, and the Bruins need some help now. Krug has four goals and 25 assists, but has also had his issues in his own end. His pair mate Adam McQuaid has had a nice bounce-back season, but offers little in the way of puck movement and offense. Same goes for the top pairing of Zdeno Chara and Brandon Carlo, who have been one of the better shutdown duos in the league this season, but are slowing down as a 39-year-old and a rookie respectively. John-Michael Liles, an impending free agent, has just recently returned from injury and has yet to make a major difference. Colin Miller, though he has upside, was in and out of the lineup even before his injury, and Kevan Miller, also injured, is likely better suited as an extra man. The Bruins need a legitimate top-four defenseman for this year and for the near future, and both the Wild and Ducks provide intriguing trade partners.
As it stands right now, Anaheim and Minnesota are both guaranteed to lose a top-four caliber defenseman in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, if the Vegas Golden Knights choose to select that player. A team can either protect seven forwards and three defenseman or eight skaters total, allowing them to protect a fourth defenseman. Neither situation works out particularly well for either team. The Ducks will be forced to protect veteran Kevin Bieksa, due to his no-movement clause, and will likely choose to protect young cornerstone blue liners Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, and Cam Fowler as well, even if it means leaving a promising forward like Jakob Silfverberg exposed. However, Vegas could choose to instead take another good young defenseman in Josh Manson or potentially Simon Depres. Similarly, the Wild too are expected to protect four defenseman, selecting from Ryan Suter (a veritable lock), Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Marco Scandella, and Matt Dumba. One way or another, one of those d-men will be exposed and almost certainly scooped up by the Golden Knights. So, with both teams fighting for position atop the Western Conference and with their eye on a Stanley Cup, Anaheim and Minnesota also have to be thinking about trading a defenseman. They would much rather get something in a trade rather than nothing in the draft, even if that means dealing away talent in a Cup-contender season. Armed with a deep prospect system and quality forwards they may willing to part with, such as David Krejci, Ryan Spooner, and Jimmy Hayes, the Bruins would be an interesting suitor for either team. With Don Sweeney in attendance, watching two teams that are facing a difficult situation and may feel like pressured to make a move, an important shake-up trade could be on the horizon in Boston. Could it be the revitalized Fowler? The youngster Dumba? A more Bruin-like player like Scandella or Manson? Only time will tell, but the connection between the Bruins and these defense-deep teams will be something to keep an eye on as we head toward the Trade Deadline in just over a month.
Minor Transactions: 1/21/2017
Here is where we will track the day’s minor roster transactions:
- The New Jersey Devils have announced that Blake Coleman has been reassigned to Albany of the AHL to make room for Vernon Fiddler, who the team activated off of IR. Coleman has appeared in five games, the first of his career, since being recalled on January 10th and registered a single point. Fiddler, in his 14th NHL campaign, has tallied a goal with two assists in 35 contests on the year.
- Erik Condra‘s wild ride in Tampa Bay continues as the winger has once again been placed on waivers by the team, according to James Mirtle. It’s the second time this season he has been on waivers, the first time clearing before a reassignment to the Syracuse Crunch, Tampa’s affiliate in the AHL. Additionally, Condra has shuttled between Tampa Bay and Syracuse seven times in total this season as the Lightning have used the seven-year veteran extensively as a fill-in for several injured regulars. All told, Condra has appeared in 10 games for Tampa Bay but has failed to register a point while averaging 9:41 of ice time per game. Assuming he again clears, Condra will almost certainly be reassigned to Syracuse once more.
- With Jake McCabe forced to leave last night’s game against Detroit due to injury, the Buffalo Sabres this morning have recalled defenseman Casey Nelson from Rochester of the AHL, tweets Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. Nelson, 24, is scoreless in eight earlier appearances this season for the Sabres. In 27 games for Rochester, the Wisconsin native has tallied four goals and five assists.
- The San Jose Sharks brought Tim Heed and Barclay Goodrow back from the AHL ahead of tonight’s game against Colorado, reports Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. Heed has already had three other tours with the big club, making just one appearance on the campaign. The recall also represents the third stint this season with the Sharks for Goodrow. Though he has yet to play for the team this year, it appears that could change tonight. In 74 career NHL contests, Goodrow has scored four goals with 11 assists along with 51 penalty minutes.
Red Wings Notes: Travel Issues, Power Play Woes, Vanek, Shattenkirk
It appears it’s not only the Detroit Red Wings’ power play that’s been grounded. Due to fog in Detroit, the Red Wings plane was grounded in Buffalo and practice was cancelled writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. It’s problematic, St. James writes, because the Red Wings have a 12:30CST game with the New York Rangers Sunday afternoon in Detroit. Such a break in the schedule hurts the Wings because the earlier time for the game negates a morning skate.
In other Wings news:
- The power play continues to be a sore spot for Detroit after a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres Friday night. MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that captain Henrik Zetterberg bemoaned Detroit’s inability to convert on a power play in overtime. Calling four-on-three chances “automatic” for goal scoring, the Red Wings watched as Buffalo cashed in on its overtime power play chance, albeit on a controversial no-call that led to the winning goal.
- Khan’s colleague, Brendan Savage, wonders what decision the Red Wings will make on Thomas Vanek when the trade deadline approaches. While general manager Ken Holland has stated that he’ll wait until closer to the deadline to decide on selling off assets, Savage sees a potentially difficult decision no matter what the Red Wings do between now and then. Vanek has been one of Holland’s best signings after being bought out by the Wild. Vanek leads the Red Wings with 31 points (12-19), and Savage believes Detroit could re-sign him at the right price. However, he concedes that with only a 5.8% chance of making the playoffs, the Red Wings may want to go after a draft pick or more that Vanek could yield at the deadline.
- Darren Dreger writes that St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk would “love” to play in Detroit. Speaking on Buffalo’s WGR 550 (transcribed via Fan Rag), Dreger believes that Holland could still try to pry the defenseman away from the Blues in an effort to not only keep the playoff streak alive, but to also solidify a blue line lacking marquee talent since the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom.
Restricted 2017: Checking In On The Upcoming RFA Class
As the NHL continues to skew towards younger and younger talent with players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews making an immediate impact, the restricted free agent classes become more and more important.
Last year we saw an impressive group, headlined by the dynamic duo in Calgary Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, Tampa’s new sniper Nikita Kucherov and a handful of excellent defensemen like Hampus Lindholm and Jacob Trouba.
While teams have started to lock up their young talent before they even become restricted free agents – like Aaron Ekblad in Florida who signed a $60MM deal just months after his 20th birthday – this year looks like it will be one of the biggest and most expensive RFA crops ever. Glen Miller took a look back in September at this year’s crop in an excellent series of articles that really should be consumed before reading any further (parts one, two, three, four, five and six), but let’s now check in on the group and how they’re fairing this season. Well list just a few of the highlights, as the group is almost endless.
Leon Draisaitl (EDM) – 47 GP / 17 G / 23 A / 40 P
You can’t start this list without mentioning Draisaitl, who will head to restricted free agency for the first time after what looks like a 30+ goal, 70+ point season. Skating alongside McDavid for much of the year, Draisaitl is currently tied for 18th in league scoring and leads the RFA group. He won’t turn 22 until after the 2017-18 season begins, and is an important player for the Edmonton Oilers to lock up long term. Expect the team to shell out big money to buy into a few free agent years this summer.
Mikael Granlund (MIN) – 44 GP / 10 G / 27 A / 37 P
Often forgotten about across much of the league because of the relative gag-order on any Minnesota Wild news, Granlund is having an exceptional season. Playing almost 20 minutes a night and on pace to shatter his previous career high in points, the Finnish forward will get a huge deal this summer. Unlike Draisaitl, Granlund is 24 and has already been through the RFA process before, signing a two-year $6MM deal before last season. With three solid seasons and now one spectacular one, he’ll likely earn something closer to $7MM (AAV) if signed long-term.
Justin Schultz (PIT) – 44 GP / 7 G / 23 A / 30 P
Schultz is such an interesting case, because of the breakout he’s experiencing this year. With Kris Letang on the shelf for much of the season, Schultz has blossomed in Pittsburgh to the player most teams expected when he signed out of college. He’s 26 now, and will turn 27 just days after free agency opens, but will likely fetch a hefty price as an RFA. After not even receiving a qualifying offer last year, has he done enough to prove that a big-money deal is worth it?
Robin Lehner (BUF) – 29 GP / .920 SV% / 2.54 GAA
The best RFA goaltender this year is one who just blew up at his coach after getting pulled and has generally been inconsistent for the Sabres since they traded a first-round pick for him in 2015. He has all the talent in the world to be a number one goaltender in this league, but with Buffalo floundering again near the bottom of the league will he be able to put it all together and lead them back to the playoffs? He’s 25-years old now and has 136 games under his belt with an above-average .916 save percentage. If Buffalo can ice any healthy defensemen, perhaps they’d be able to finish in the top half of the league for a change.
Minor Transactions: 1/19/17
Here is where we’ll keep tabs on today’s minor roster moves:
- Minnesota announced that they have recalled defenseman Mike Reilly from Iowa of the AHL. He has spent the bulk of the year in the minors and has four goals and 11 assists in 29 AHL contests. Reilly also has played in nine games with the Wild, being held off the scoresheet while averaging 12:57 of ice time per night.
- Carolina has swapped backup goalies, announcing that they have recalled Michael Leighton while assigning Alex Nedeljkovic back to their AHL affiliate in Charlotte. The two swapped places earlier this week, allowing Leighton to get into a couple of minor league games to stay in game shape. Eddie Lack, the regular backup for the Hurricanes, remains out of the lineup indefinitely due to a concussion.
- Buffalo announced that they have summoned goalie Linus Ullmark from Rochester (AHL). Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reports (Twitter link) that Anders Nilsson is dealing with the flu so Ullmark will take his place in the interim. This is the fourth recall for Ullmark this year but he has yet to see action with the Sabres this year. He has a 15-13-1 record in the minors this year with a 3.03 GAA and a .908 SV%.
- Ottawa has recalled right winger Casey Bailey from AHL Binghamton per their Twitter page. The Sens are currently dealing with a flu bug, notes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Bailey has played in four games for the Senators this season being held off the scoresheet but sits tied for second in goals in Binghamton with 10 in 33 minor league outings.
- The Canucks swapped out depth defenders, announcing that they’ve recalled Jordan Subban while sending Andrey Pedan back to Utica (AHL). Subban leads all Comets blueliners with 22 points this season and has not yet played in the NHL. As for Pedan, he had been up for the better part of a month but did not suit up in Vancouver and was close to needing waivers to be sent back down having been up for 29 days.
- In what is becoming a daily shuffle, Anaheim announced the recall of winger Stefan Noesen from San Diego of the AHL. It’s the fourth straight day that he has either been recalled or demoted as the Ducks look to conserve as much cap space as possible. Noesen has a goal in nine NHL games with Anaheim this season while adding 15 points in 22 minor league contests.
Wild Blue Liner Brodin Out With Broken Finger
Jonas Brodin met with a hand specialist today to determine the severity and treatment options for a broken finger the defenseman suffered last night, reports Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. Wild GM Chuck Fletcher is expecting the blue liner to be out at least “a few weeks” but his absence could be longer depending on whether he’ll need surgery to repair the break. According to Russo, the worst case scenario could keep Brodin sidelined for up to six weeks and given the compressed nature of the NHL schedule this season, it means he could miss as many as 18 games.
Brodin is an important cog on the team’s blue line, averaging the third-most ice time among the team’s defense corps while seeing action in all situations. In 43 games this season, the 23-year-old Swede has three goals and 16 points. That represents a significant uptick from his 2015-16 performance when Brodin registered just seven points in 68 games.
Russo relays that Wild bench boss Bruce Boudreau will reach out to the head coach of the club’s AHL affiliate in Iowa, Derek Lalonde, for input on whom to call up in Brodin’s absence. He speculates the two most likely candidates are Mike Reilly and Gustav Olofsson and would hinge on whether the team would prefer a more offensive-minded option (Reilly) who could fill in on the man-advantage or one who is better in the defensive zone (Gustafsson).
At least in the short term, it appears the team will dress Nate Prosser, though as Russo writes, the veteran coach has not yet decided which side he will play on. Prosser is a right-handed shot and should Boudreau elect to slot the 30-year-old on his natural side, it would suggest one of Mathew Dumba or Christian Folin could be scratched with the call-up from Iowa drawing into the lineup. The alternative would be using Prosser on his off-side with the call-up serving as the extra blue liner.
While losing a proven, top-four defenseman like Brodin is never ideal, the Wild are at least one of the few teams in the league with enough quality blue line depth to survive his absence. In fact, it’s this depth that has led some to wonder whether the team would attempt to parlay one of their defenders into additional scoring help, though Brodin’s injury likely reduces the odds of that possibility.