hf101 Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Boudreau and staff are taking a solid look at Jordan Greenway at center during this training camp. Currently, they have him on a line with Ek and Coyle and it makes a lot of sense as the Wild are weak down the middle compared to most other playoff teams. Coyle has some good things to say about it. “He doesn’t know how good he is. He’s going to get confidence, too,” Coyle said. “I know he’s gonna. I think it throws a whole different dynamic with him in the middle, I don’t think people expected it much. They always view him as a winger, but in the middle, it’s huge. He can skate, make plays off of there and just get his feet moving. I think it’s going to be huge.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starofthenorth Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 The Wild have always needed a true first line center. Hopefully Greenway will keep improving and develop into that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetshot Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 Quote #1 centers are usually born, not developed. I think it would be a huge bonus for the Wild if he could develop into even a #2 center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted September 16, 2018 Author Share Posted September 16, 2018 21 minutes ago, sweetshot said: #1 centers are usually born, not developed. I think it would be a huge bonus for the Wild if he could develop into even a #2 center. Greenway did play center st BU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 3 hours ago, hf101 said: Boudreau and staff are taking a solid look at Jordan Greenway at center during this training camp. Currently, they have him on a line with Ek and Coyle and it makes a lot of sense as the Wild are weak down the middle compared to most other playoff teams. Coyle has some good things to say about it. “He doesn’t know how good he is. He’s going to get confidence, too,” Coyle said. “I know he’s gonna. I think it throws a whole different dynamic with him in the middle, I don’t think people expected it much. They always view him as a winger, but in the middle, it’s huge. He can skate, make plays off of there and just get his feet moving. I think it’s going to be huge.” Not sure why they are moving Eriksson-Ek to wing. He played center all last season and was supposed to supplant Mikko Koivu this season as the 2C. So moving him to wing simply to get Greenway more time at center is kind of curious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonkkis Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 6 hours ago, IllaZilla said: Not sure why they are moving Eriksson-Ek to wing. He played center all last season and was supposed to supplant Mikko Koivu this season as the 2C. So moving him to wing simply to get Greenway more time at center is kind of curious... If Greenway plays better at center than wing, and Eek plays just as well in wing as center, I'd do it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetshot Posted September 16, 2018 Share Posted September 16, 2018 6 hours ago, hf101 said: Greenway did play center st BU. Why just swap Greenway and Ek? I like the fact they're trying Greenway at center, but then moving Ek to wing doesn't seem to gain the Wild anything at center. Do you think they've given up on Ek at center? I would have thought playing Greenway at center would add to the center position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fargocase Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 It's PRACTICE. Not even a preseason game. I have high hopes for Greenway. I'll believe him an NHL Center when I see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetshot Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Sort of where I'm at with EEk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey J Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Ek and Greenway will probably both be playing center in 2 years anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenrefs Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 32 minutes ago, Davey J said: Ek and Greenway will probably both be playing center in 2 years anyway... Possibly. But we all know ho the Wild flubs developing players and rush them in early to meet their demands where the whole team is falling short. We need a capable #2 center guy now... About 5 years after the fact that Koivu isn't much more than a 3c guy playing 1c minutes. Is 5 years too harsh? Okay I'll be gentle on him... For no less than the last 3 years he should have been playing center on the 3rd line. If the staff took their heads out of their asses... Maybe putting him in as a 3c and use him on special teams... Like the PP... Maybe then he'll show some hunger to take the damn puck to the net instead of burning time off the clock for opposing teams. Talk of Greenway as a center is discouraging. Why? Because you're right. If they do move him to center it'll take a couple years for him to progress correctly. chances are they won't though. If they do move him and bring him up it'll be too early. Ek though, has at least played a season knowing what he's up against. Like Haula (unless Koivu was injured) he was never given decent wings to see what he can amount to. My guess is he's not going to get worse and his chances to get better are greater. At least Ek isn't afraid to take shots within 20 feet of the net and when someone checks him he doesn't automatically fall down. He has recovery speed - something Koivu has completely lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetshot Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 8 hours ago, rottenrefs said: Possibly. But we all know ho the Wild flubs developing players and rush them in early to meet their demands where the whole team is falling short. We need a capable #2 center guy now... About 5 years after the fact that Koivu isn't much more than a 3c guy playing 1c minutes. Is 5 years too harsh? Okay I'll be gentle on him... For no less than the last 3 years he should have been playing center on the 3rd line. If the staff took their heads out of their asses... Maybe putting him in as a 3c and use him on special teams... Like the PP... Maybe then he'll show some hunger to take the damn puck to the net instead of burning time off the clock for opposing teams. Talk of Greenway as a center is discouraging. Why? Because you're right. If they do move him to center it'll take a couple years for him to progress correctly. chances are they won't though. If they do move him and bring him up it'll be too early. Ek though, has at least played a season knowing what he's up against. Like Haula (unless Koivu was injured) he was never given decent wings to see what he can amount to. My guess is he's not going to get worse and his chances to get better are greater. At least Ek isn't afraid to take shots within 20 feet of the net and when someone checks him he doesn't automatically fall down. He has recovery speed - something Koivu has completely lost. Aren't centers generally the guys that are supposed to make their linemates better and have some playmaking skills. EEk didn't show much of that at all last year. He doesn't appear to have enough game(skills--passing, stickhandling, etc) to be a center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenrefs Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 1 hour ago, sweetshot said: Aren't centers generally the guys that are supposed to make their linemates better and have some playmaking skills. EEk didn't show much of that at all last year. He doesn't appear to have enough game(skills--passing, stickhandling, etc) to be a center. I dunno... Maybe we should ask Mikko Koivu? How good was Parise when Mikko was centering him? Paltry for two years. Like I said, Ek has yet to be matched with 2nd line wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetshot Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 You're right, he hasn't been...but IMO unless he all of a sudden shows skills we haven't seen yet, I don't ever see him higher than a 3rd center. If he's our #2, and it looks like that's a possibility next year because we don't have any other options at this point, we're not looking too good. In fact, with Coyle as #1, we're looking pretty bad. Maybe we can sign MK for another 2 years and our problems at center disappear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Check Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 12 hours ago, sweetshot said: Aren't centers generally the guys that are supposed to make their linemates better and have some playmaking skills. EEk didn't show much of that at all last year. He doesn't appear to have enough game(skills--passing, stickhandling, etc) to be a center. IMO, WAY too early to determine that a 21 year old Swedish player is destined to be a third liner. Transitioning to a completely different style of game on a smaller ice surface and, for the most part, playing with 4th line grinders is not enough of a template to draw any final conclusions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey J Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 11 hours ago, rottenrefs said: I dunno... Maybe we should ask Mikko Koivu? How good was Parise when Mikko was centering him? Paltry for two years. Like I said, Ek has yet to be matched with 2nd line wings. Considering the fact that all the Wild have are 2nd and 4th line wingers...I'd say he has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetshot Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 45 minutes ago, 4Check said: IMO, WAY too early to determine that a 21 year old Swedish player is destined to be a third liner. Transitioning to a completely different style of game on a smaller ice surface and, for the most part, playing with 4th line grinders is not enough of a template to draw any final conclusions. You may be right, but honestly, what stands out about this guy? We've seen him for a whole season with consistent minutes, granted he didn't have Messier and Tikannen as his wingers, but I didn't see the puck skills that would make him a high end center. He's got decent size and skates pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Check Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 15 minutes ago, sweetshot said: You may be right, but honestly, what stands out about this guy? We've seen him for a whole season with consistent minutes, granted he didn't have Messier and Tikannen as his wingers, but I didn't see the puck skills that would make him a high end center. He's got decent size and skates pretty well. You're right, decent size and skates well. And I would also agree on your suggestion he's not a high end center. I, too would be surprised if he was 1C material. But I do think it's too early to determine whether he has 2C potential. A further point in your favor, the Wild right off the bat have moved him to LW. But, with three of the 4 current centers at or near their mid 30's, I'm not certain that will be a long term move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetshot Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 1 minute ago, 4Check said: You're right, decent size and skates well. And I would also agree on your suggestion he's not a high end center. I, too would be surprised if he was 1C material. But I do think it's too early to determine whether he has 2C potential. A further point in your favor, the Wild right off the bat have moved him to LW. But, with three of the 4 current centers at or near their mid 30's, I'm not certain that will be a long term move. I may not think too much about EEk's skills, but you're right, it can't be a long term move. Right now and for the near future they need him, even if I think he is only a 3C. He may have to be put in the 2C spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenrefs Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 8 hours ago, Davey J said: Considering the fact that all the Wild have are 2nd and 4th line wingers...I'd say he has. Didn't Foligno flank him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icechipper Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 On pp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted September 23, 2018 Author Share Posted September 23, 2018 A +3 night for each of Coyle Greenway and Ek with Coyle getting a hattrick. This like looks to be moving in the right direction tonight. Good to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 preseason AHL squad not going to get to excited about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 Greenway, Eriksson Ek and Coyle have been a pretty decent line in pre-season thus far. I've noticed that all 3 have been used on the penalty kill too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wild.source Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Hey 7-0 win against the Avalanche...The WIld had a good night on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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