The Minnesota Wild grade reports keep rolling in, and the spotlight is still on the defensive core. The next player up for a grade is probably the only player on the Wild who will receive a higher average grade because of all he did for the team. Brock Faber has proven his talent and shown he has the potential to be a star, which, in a way, he already is.
Faber’s young, but he stepped up this season in ways far beyond his years. He did so much for this team, and despite not making the postseason, he was easily their best all-around player, excluding points. In this article we’ll take a look at a rough part of his game, a good part of his game, and give his overall grade. We’ll start with the rough part, which focuses on confidence.
Faber Must Be Confident
Faber’s composure level is higher than most rookies who enter the NHL, but with his talent level, his confidence in himself should be even higher. He should carry the puck more and be willing to lead rather than allow others to take over. He’s great at setting things up and should use that to run plays.
Like his teammates, his turnovers were high at 35 in 82 games played, so there’s work to do there. It shouldn’t be a surprise that a rookie defenseman who was thrown into the positions he was in would have so many turnovers. Now that he has had time to adjust and see what the NHL is like, he should be able to dwindle those numbers next season.
The confidence should also increase as he knows what to expect from those around him. Hopefully, he can trust that confidence level and continue to push forward to improve next season.
Faber Unlike Anyone Else
After watching Faber throughout the season, it’s clear he’s unlike any player the Wild have had. While Kirill Kaprizov is a star offensively, Faber is a star defensively, and he can show some offense when needed. He was put into situations most rookies never have to go through, and he shined. He stepped into the top defensive role when Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin were sidelined with injuries.
While he took over that spot, he also ran the number one power play unit and worked on the penalty kill. He did this for weeks, and finally, the Wild changed things up just to give him a break, even though he was like an energizer bunny for most of the season. He even played through broken ribs and never let on.
His ability to do all of that and keep calm was amazing to watch, and it gives exciting hope for the future. Hopefully, he can avoid the “sophomore” slump and keep doing great things as he starts his second full NHL season.
Faber’s Grade
It was stated earlier in this article that Faber will likely be the only Wild player to earn a grade higher than average. He consistently played strong the entire season and never gave up, regardless of how the team played. With those efforts, he earned a B, and while it could’ve been higher, there is a slight deduction for no postseason, even though the majority of the blame falls on his teammates for their lack of consistent efforts.
Related: Wild’s Faber Earns Calder Nomination with All-Around Play
For those wondering why his grade is higher than everyone else’s, he outperformed everyone else. However, hockey is a team game, and it takes more than one player to give their all to win. He also played in every possible situation rather than just one position. He had multiple responsibilities and stepped up for every one.
Faber did all he could to help his team win, and while they fell short this season, hopefully, they’ve learned how to adapt and can make it count next season. They’ll need everyone, including Faber, to find a way to step up even more.
