Mikael Granlund's assimilation into the NHL hasn't gone exactly the way he or the Wild had hoped.
After three points in nine games and an arduous adjustment to the "best league in the world," Granlund was a healthy scratch Thursday night to make room for new acquisition Mike Rupp's Wild debut against Vancouver.
It's safe to say this is the first time in the heavily hyped 2010 first-round pick's career that Granlund, 20, was removed from the lineup without being hurt.
"I just need to be better. This is a tough league," Granlund said.
Coach Mike Yeo liked Granlund's response after being put on the fourth line Monday at Phoenix, but he became the victim of a numbers game after Yeo said a few "less than average games" put him in this position.
"It's good for young players to have to work for everything that they get," Yeo said. "Not to say that he hasn't, but he's never had to push through something like this. These kind of things make you stronger. And that's what we want around here."
Granlund, a star in Finland, coincidentally was scratched at the exact time several Finns, including sponsors from his old team, IFK, traveled to attend Thursday's game.
He is learning what he can and cannot get away with in the NHL. Besides offensive adjustments, Granlund must be more cognizant in his own end. The biggest issue for the 5-foot-10, 186-pounder is learning how to prosper in spite of the limited time and space that comes on a smaller ice sheet against bigger players.