But, it does seem that the Wild are starting to get the system down. Since I last blogged, a couple of changes to the Wild have taken place:
- Claimed Andrew Ebbett off waivers
- Traded Pouliot for Latendresse
- Robbie Earl called up (sent down over weekend)
The most noticeable move is obviously the Pouliot for Latendresse trade. Now, after two viewings of Latendresse, I like what I see. But, it is a new team and a contract year so if anything can get a hockey player up, it is those two things.
He's 6'2 and 230 pounds, skates a little better than Bruno and has decent hands. The knock on him from the various websites across the interwebs is that he will play hard one game and everyone will think he's a top-6 player, then he will play soft and uninterested. Well, that sounds a little like Pouliot so the theory is they might thrive with a change of scenery.
As with most trades and younger players, only time will tell.
Ebbett has been around the net in his first few games and appears to have a shooting mentality, something that the Wild lacks. His energy has been great but you wonder what his role will be once Havlat, Miettinen, Sykora and Bouchard come back (not counting on Bouchard, but you get the point). A 5'9 winger with speed can be good on the forecheck but I'd rather have someone who can bang and wear down the defensemen, ALA Clutterbuck and Brodziak. But, he certainly doesn't hurt us as we gave up nothing to get him and he isn't under contract. If he works out, great, and if he doesn't, then he will find himself on waivers once again.
I actually thought Robbie Earl was a great bottom six player. He isn't very big but will take the body, has speed to get there and showed he has an NHL caliber shot when he scored his first ever two goals. He played as well as Ebbett has but is not a center and he can be sent down to Houston with no risk of being claimed since he has already passed through waivers.
All in all, as the local press has stated, the Wild have shown they can win games when they outwork the opposing team. They don't have any snipers or game-breakers (although Koivu continues to make my man-crush grow with all the little things he does) but they are starting to become a team that no one will want to play. But, with other guys coming back into the lineup, one wonders if the inconsistencies that were there early on will come back. Yes, I'm talking about Havlat and Sykora (and Bouchard if he ever comes back). Heck yea, they add skill to a team and an ingredient that would make this team even better. But, if you take out two guys that have been busting their balls off and start losing games, then what happens? You aren't going to bench Havlat because there is just too much skill there. And Sykora is a goal scorer who might be able to get us something come trade deadline. The positive spin on this is that we know we have players that will hustle. Yea, it is more fun watching a team win with a bunch of nice moves, passes and highlight reel goals. But, losing sucks. And it sucks even more when a bunch of guys float around, uninterested.
It will be interesting to see the decisions Fletcher and Richards make once some of these injured players return to the lineup.
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