Wild's Granlund made big jump, vows to get better

The Wild puts a lot of stock into character when it formulates its annual draft list.

Before being drafted in 2010, Mikael Granlund demonstrated on the Finnish ice just how special a talent he was. But Granlund was undersized, so teams clamored to sit down with the 5-10 center so they could gauge intangibles.

Granlund's English wasn't great in his teenage years, but the one thing Wild assistant general manager Brent Flahr recalls is how much Granlund impressed upon his staff his desire to be great.

Four years after the Wild chose Granlund ninth overall, the former HIFK star continues to prove this character trait daily. He is a first-on-the-ice, last-off player, a guy who went back to his native Finland after a torturous rookie season with a long list of things to work on so he could function in the NHL.

During a 27-game, lockout-shortened 2013 season, Granlund often was overmatched. He returned to Helsinki, got stronger, and returned last season to have a breakout 33-assist, 41-point year.

So on what shortcomings did the 22-year-old work this offseason?

"I didn't score a lot of goals last season, and I want to be a threat there … I have to be a threat there," Granlund said. "I tried to work hard this summer to make my shot more dangerous."

"I tried to shoot as much as I could and as often as I could," Granlund said. "I think it has improved a little bit, but I think I still have a lot of work to do with that, and a lot of work to do with my mentality to shoot more in the game. And, maybe that's even the bigger thing."

Wild fans know this type of player. For years, Pierre-Marc Bouchard was a pass-first player and Wild coaches from Jacques Lemaire to Todd Richards to Mike Yeo tried to implore Bouchard to shoot more.

Granlund is trying to "get to that mentality where you really want to shoot the puck and not always pass first. It's not easy. I know it seems like it should be. But that's what I've been doing my whole life.

"I think shooting more will also open up a lot of room maybe for passes. It'll help my linemates, too, because I think defenses always expect me to pass."

In three exhibition games, Granlund has a goal and three assists. But he has only three shots, and Saturday against Winnipeg he tried to force a pass despite a point-blank look at goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

"I just need to read the game better and recognize what you should do next," he said.

Granlund had 104 shots in 63 games (1.65 per game) last season but erupted as a go-to player when Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu were injured at the same time.

He had his most memorable goal in overtime of the Game 3 playoff series against Colorado, which had a 2-0 lead in games. Granlund circled the net, won a board battle, spun away from a defenseman, cut to the net, deked past defenders and scored his first career playoff goal while falling on his belly across the slot.

In Game 4, Granlund had an assist, drew three penalties, won 67 percent of his faceoffs and blocked three Erik Johnson shots to help kill off a 6-on-4 Avalanche power play in the waning seconds.

Granlund enters this season as the Wild's likely No. 1 center between Parise and Jason Pominville.

Granlund is also much surer of himself. His English is outstanding, he says he loves living in Minnesota and he feels comfortable in the Wild locker room.

"There's a difference between last year when I came in here and right now," Granlund said. "Last year, I wasn't sure at all what I was able to do. Now I know I can play in this league and I should play and have a chance to play with really good players here.

"It's a big part of the game to have the confidence, especially my game when you try to make plays. Right now it feels good."