Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press
The Wild's three top-10 picks in the past three NHL drafts couldn't be much more different from one another. One is a gifted playmaker with YouTube-ready sleight-of-hand tricks. Another is a sturdy, responsible defenseman who needs to score more. And the third one is a gregarious blueliner who lives on the edge of restraint, shooting hard and hitting harder.
However divergent their games, Mikael Granlund, Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba as a group were a big part of the Wild's sales pitch to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. If general manager Chuck Fletcher's regime is going to succeed, it will have as much to do with what he gets from his top draft picks as with the free agents he has signed.
All three of the draftees are hoping to start proving themselves this season.
At this point, the Wild plan to rely mostly on veterans in 2012-13. But Granlund seems likely to make the team out of training camp, possibly centering the Wild's second line. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Granlund came to prospect camp with some extra muscle to withstand the pounding of a NHL season, and team officials see him being on a different level from most of the Wild's young players.
Continue Reading...
Welcome to Sports Rumor Mill - Sports News & Rumors!
Sports forum & discussion about the latest sports rumors from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and more. Talk about rumors from your favorite team.
You are currently viewing our community forums as a guest user. Sign up or
Having an account grants you additional privileges, such as creating and participating in discussions.
Minnesota Wild's Mikael Granlund, Jonas Brodin, Matt Dumba: High picks, high expectations
Discussion in 'Breaking NHL News' started by SRM Breaking News, Jul 12, 2012.