The Wild's Next Change Is CLEAR...

The Minnesota Wild are 8-3-2, first in the Central Division, and they just sent a player to the minors to get him more playing time. Here's the strange part, though. This team has allowed 2.31 goals a game, and they have scored 3.15. That is 15th out of 32 teams in Goals For. And one player is doing almost all of the lifting. 13 of the 41 goals belong to one man. So when you hear the Wild is changing up the bottom of the lineup, you have to ask what they're really fixing. and what they can't afford to touch plus one name Charlie Strambell that i would not hate to see in the lineup right now and i'll be honest there's no substance behind that one just yet but i'll tell you exactly why i still think that has a significant impact and matters quite a bit i want to start with the move Riga Lawrence is going down to Iowa in the AHL the Wild made that move here earlier today he's 22 years old has played six NHL games this season he has one assist 15 penalty minutes, 7 hits, and a fight, and he averaged 8 minutes and 39 seconds of ice time. The part that matters is he was a healthy scratch in 3 of the last 4 games for the Wild. Minnesota does not need 2 healthy forwards sitting in the press box, so the move is more so about minutes, getting down in Iowa, he plays every night, and has a better chance of being recalled sooner rather than later. But who stays as the extra forward is Mason Shaw. The Wild recalled him on October 24th and in 9 games in Iowa this season. He has 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, 29 shots on goal. And I get why fans groan whenever a player's sent down, because nobody likes seeing a name leave, especially a super young forward. But when a young forward like this, who's playing eight minutes a night, gets to sit in the press box for the last handful of games, he's not going to grow. Down there in Iowa is the right place for him right now, and he does and will end up coming back better when the Wild recall next time. So to read it plain and simple, Shaw's the extra man here who gets the next look, has had some production down in the AHL on the positive side, and Lawrence is just going to get his minutes in Iowa. This is a roster managing move, not anything about the whole team just yet. As I'm sure we know, the reason that the bottom of the lineup is so thin is because Nick and Marcus Foligno are both on the injury reserve and neither one of them are ready just yet. Nick has only played three games this season and scored one goal. Marcus has played four with no points. Between them, seven games, one goal, and both already out. Coach John Hines said before the road trip that they would stay in Minnesota to rehab and might rejoin the team near the end of it. A projected return date in the game previews is October 29th, a home game against the Islanders, so it doesn't appear they will be making any appearances on this trip. And on top of that, the next test is not an easy one. Tuesday, the Wild play at Utah. The Wild are second in the Central with 16 points, just two behind Minnesota, and they have one played game fewer. This is a division game with, you know, very high stakes. At this point, the Wild will play without both Folinos. And it's such a big deal because the Folignos are players that the Wild like to lean on in the bottom of your lineup. When they come back, the picture is going to change again. So everything Minnesota does for this week is really just kind of a bridge to get things until they get back. Looking at last game though, there was a very good sign. Bobby Brink scored on Sunday in Vancouver in that 4-2 win. His first goal of the season and one that he desperately needed. And it took 13 games. Through those 13, he has one goal, five assists for six points, 18 shots on goal. playing about 13 minutes a game but I like his game this year he's been very hard-nosed and continuing to show this wild team that he just needs to up his production and he's a player this team wants in the lineup last season between Philadelphia and Minnesota he had 15 goals 30 points in 68 games so this is not a player who forgot how to score he's still very good at it this is a player who got the puck to go in for the first time this season finally and look at where he plays Brink is on the second line right now with Blake Coleman and Michael McCarron that is the line that this whole depth conversation is about, and if it starts to score and continues to get that pace going once it does, the Wild stop being kind of that one-man offense, that one-line offense. So here's where the goals come from. The first line of Kaprizov, Eriksson, Boldy has 21. That's more than half of the team's 41. The second line has six. The third line, Maxim Shabunov, Daniil Yurov, and Yakov Trenin has seven, and the fourth line has one, with Ryan Hartman, Niko Sturm, and Tyler Pitlick all having none. Tyler Pitlick specifically, seven games no goals no assists nine shots on goal and under eight minutes of ice time a night so the Wild's problem is real it's a narrow one it's not the top of your lineup you don't touch that it's the fourth line it's your depth scoring or two behind you know the three men who are putting that puck and in the back of the net and producing on a regular game by game basis very quickly if you are enjoying this be sure to subscribe to the channel currently sitting at 5,713 subscribers on the goal to 6,000 it really helps out before anyone says change everything look at what is already being working. The first line, it's working. Your defense, it's working while injured because it's a long list and quite a bit bigger than people think. Daniil Yurov has got four goals in 13 games. Maxim Shabunov has three goals, five assists, eight points in 12 games. Blake Coleman's four goals. Those are three depth forwards that are already giving you something. The defense is scoring too. Quinn Hughes has three goals, 13 assists, 16 points in 13 games. That's second on the whole team in points behind Kaprizov's 21. And the team is trending in the right way. This is the important part. In the last three games, the Wild have scored one goal in Calgary, then five against Seattle, and four in Vancouver. Ten and three games, and it came with Lorenz scratched and Mason Shaw waiting. And here's the thing that people forget when you're making a line change. You do not want to trade or call up or do anything to disturb a line that just scored five and four in back-to-back games. The right depth and the right fixes are small, strategical, they're surgical almost. and change the 13th form, change the 4th line, left wing, whatever, leave the rest of it, keep the top 9 alone. There's a lot of things that can work out in a good direction for the Wild to get this depth offense really going. I'll say this, and I really mean it when I do. The worst thing the Wild can do right now is panic. Because one line is not scoring. It's your 4th line. It's not a big deal just now. It hasn't been healthy. The Wild are 8-3-2. When your 1st line is 1st in the division, when your first line is scoring at a first in the NHL pace. You don't blow it up. You keep doing what you're doing and adjust the bottom. You stay patient. You make sure you get the Folinos back. You make sure you do these little adjustments before you really go ahead and even make any major changes. The Wild also cleared some room on the back end on October 23rd. They've placed defenseman Damon Hunt on waivers. Nashville did end up claiming him, and that tells you Minnesota is making a lot of small moves, not a big one. You know, Damon Hunt, whether it was the right or wrong move, it's a move that they felt was necessary at the time. So keep doing the small moves. Keep a clear head. You know, keep a team that keeps on winning. That's the Wild's really only move right now. And I'll tell you what right now, I would not hate to see Charlie Schramm in for someone like Tyler Pitlick. And I want to be clear, you know, nothing is on the way. Nothing has been reported just yet. There's no recall. Nothing has been quoted. But when you're looking at Tyler Pitlick, zero points, doing cardio out there, I understand that he is there for some experience, but Charlie Stramel would be a very interesting option to see with this team to get some sort of depth offense going. In Iowa this season, Stramel's played 10 games, one goal, two assists, and three points. Hunter Reid is nine games played, three goals, two assists, five points. Riley Height, 10 games, one goal, three assists for four points. None of them have really gotten going, but a change of scenery is always in the cards. And obviously, those numbers don't really scream call-up. there's no substance to this that's really the case for this right now but all of these guys are names that we will see in the near future as the Wild would have to make some lines do other things whether it's a body or a score or whatever it may be and that's why Charlie Stramel is the one I like he's a big physical forward if you want to replace Pitlick and bring in a fourth liner with that edge that the Foligno usually bring he got the profile he has the offense we know what kind player he is at this point and really that's what any depth fix will look like you don't need a star on your fourth line you don't really want a star on your fourth line you need a player who plays a clean 10 minutes wins puck battles wins face offs don't take penalties keeps the puck out of the zone keeps it in the offensive zone and if Stramel can do that you know it matters more than a goal a month from a veteran down here in the fourth line so even though there is no report for this yet i I wouldn't be shocked to see that come very, very soon. So where he landed, I mean, the Wild are not broken by any means. They have goaltending, they have great defense, they have it all. They just need to fix something on that fourth line in the depth, and help is coming with the Folignos on their return. Mason Shaw gets his shot as an extra forward. Like I said, the Folignos could be back soon on October 29th. Brink just scored the second line, it's one to watch. And, you know, if the Wild do end up changing Pitlick for any of the guys I mentioned, you're getting a strong four lines here. And think about what it means for the next two weeks. You play Utah, you play the Islanders, you play Washington. Those are games where, you know, you can really find your bottom line guys while still also competing against some of the NHL's top teams. So, whether it's your senior players carry the weight, you know, if Mason Shaw maybe gets into a game, if Bobby Brink can keep scoring, if the rest of the lines can keep scoring, the Wild don't need to make any big, big moves at all. So, at the end of the day, it is pretty easy to do and change up what's broken right now without breaking everything else on this lineup you know that's the main thing right now that's the main goal you fix the bottom you be patient you know while you're doing it and because this team is winning you're in a good spot so let me know in the comments below who you think and want on that fourth line