SAINT PAUL, Minn. – When Chuck Fletcher said he would rebuild the team from the ground up, he apparently wasn’t kidding. Shrewd moves coupled with injury replacements have made this a different team from the one Fletcher inherited. Whether or not these moves will make a difference where it matters most, in the standings, has yet to be seen. Fletcher, however, does not seem ready to give up on the season.
The entire NHL has suffered from a rash of injuries, and the Wild have not been exempt. The injuries here in Saint Paul, however, are top heavy. They have lost playmaker Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Petr Sykora, and now Brent Burns to concussions. Bouchard has missed almost the entire season, while Sykora has been out since the beginning of the month. Burns has not missed any time, but with this being his second concussion in a year, you can bet the team shuts him down completely and takes it very slow.
Martin Havlat, the prize off season acquisition, has missed time with lower body injuries, mostly related to his hamstrings. This could explain the almost total lack of production from the man who was supposed to be the center of the offense.
Recently acquired Chuck Kobasew is also out of the lineup with an upper body injury, and has not returned to practice as of this writing. Kobasew was brought in via trade with the Boston Bruins to help fill holes while Petr Sykora and Havlat were injured earlier in the season.
With the recent injuries, the organization has turned to inside and outside sources for help. Despite a lack of NHL ready talent at their AHL affiliate Houston Aeros, the Wild have called up multiple players including giving AHL journeyman Danny Irmen his NHL debut. Other Aeros skating this season are Nathan Smith and Robbie Earl. Smith was sent back to Houston earlier this week, but Earl has shown some hop and energy and has remained with the big club.
While AHL call-ups are nice for a temporary fix, the Wild need long term solutions, and Fletcher has been active in that regard as well. After passing on him earlier in the season, the Wild claimed center Andrew Ebbett off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks. In practice, he has been skating on the second line with Cal Clutterbuck and Owen Nolan, but that could change should any of the injured forwards return. Ebbett looks to be penciled in on the second line, but who his wings are will be determined by chemistry.
In his latest move, Fletcher offloaded a major disappointment for the organization. The team traded center / wing Benoit Pouliot, a former fourth overall draft pick, to Montreal for Guillaume Latendresse, who has provided his own share of disappointment for the Canadiens. On the surface, this looks like a trade geared toward swapping forwards who have failed to live up to expectations, and hopefully will benefit from change of scenery.
Beneath the surface, this is a move geared at removing players from the roster that are not playing up to standard, making it clear that no one is above reproach, and that Fletcher is willing to hold everyone accountable, regardless of pedigree. It is also a bold statement, even if unacknowledged, about the Risebrough era. Pouliot was just the latest in disappointments by high Risebrough picks.
All of these moves will take some time to sort out, and the Wild do not have much time left to play with. They currently sit at just 8-12-2, in last place in the Northwest Division, second to last in the Western Conference, and third from the bottom of the entire league. They have played well against Eastern Conference teams (5-1-2), but have not fared as well against their own conference (3-11-0). They have struggled all season with five-on-five play, and recently, their power play has turned into a complete game killer.
The situation in Minnesota turned ugly last week after the Phoenix game, when Coach Todd Richards changed his tone with the team and came down hard during practice. Michael Russo reported that sticks were broken over the boards and players also threw sticks into the stands in frustration. They came back after that practice and beat the New York Islanders 3-2, but still had moments when they looked completely beatable.
The next two weeks will tell us all where this team is headed. There are new players in town, and they will need to learn where they fit on a team that currently is not playing very well. Heading into December, the Wild will begin to know if there is any hope at all of resurrecting the season, or if it will be time to start selling assets for draft picks and young prospects.
As has been the mantra all season, only time will tell.
The author can be reached at bryan.reynolds@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.