house rules for the kids

From the top (at left) with the outlook for each player:

Jonas Brodin

defenseman

• Cerebral and smooth skating; next step is to liven up his game offensively and be a scoring threat.

Charlie Coyle

center/winger

• The prototypical power forward, he's at his best when he asserts himself physically on the attack.

Mikael Granlund

center

• Emerged as a first-line center last season and is determined to rise higher, to be a star in the NHL.

Erik Haula

center

• Showed great promise as a rookie, but can he carry that surprising success over the long haul?

Nino Niederreiter

right winger

• Has the toughness, skill and shot to be a big-time goal scorer, which is what the Wild really needs.