What can you tell me about Darcy Kuemper?

[MVNWriter23]

I've seen a few clips of Darcy Kuemper at Wild prospect camp and I've been following him statistically speaking this season but I'd love to hear your thoughts on his game. What part of his game do you think is his greatest strength. Mentally, does he stay focused enough; does he let bad goals get to him or does he sharpen his intensity? Have you noticed how he communicates or does not communicate with his blueliners? Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[SectionNDeserter]

Well, he is quite big and very agile for being a big guy, positions himself well. He doesn't typically give up a bad goal on the first shot, but his one weakness is that he does tend to give up big rebounds, and often they are directed into the worst possible areas of the ice. If he ever plays pro hockey, he is going to have to stop handling the puck as much as he does, as I don't think he is good enough at it to get away with the things he does now at the pro level.

[Hitmen1]

Anyone else hear the rumors of Kuemper and Archer being shopped? Someone told me possibly the Pats are looking at them both.

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Anyone else hear the rumors of Kuemper and Archer being shopped? Someone told me possibly the Pats are looking at them both.

Where did you hear this or is it just your speculation??

[Hawkie]

Anyone else hear the rumors of Kuemper and Archer being shopped? Someone told me possibly the Pats are looking at them both.

Actually, the rumor that I heard is that the Pats are interested in Jones & Stone.

[Hitmen1]

Where did you hear this or is it just your speculation??

I heard it from someone I talk to regularly at the game the other night. I don't know if he has connections but he told me about the Mappin trade just before it happened.

[Hitmen1]

I didn't see this thread earlier but here is a thread started by a Pats fan.

http://www.whlfans.ca/showthread.php?t=21158

[MVNWriter23]

Well, he is quite big and very agile for being a big guy, positions himself well. He doesn't typically give up a bad goal on the first shot, but his one weakness is that he does tend to give up big rebounds, and often they are directed into the worst possible areas of the ice. If he ever plays pro hockey, he is going to have to stop handling the puck as much as he does, as I don't think he is good enough at it to get away with the things he does now at the pro level.

Bad rebounds eh? Pekka Rinne was like that when he first came to North America from Finland. Would you say he handles the puck because of him trying to be overly helpful to his defenseman or because he gets bored and simply wants to go an escapade out of his crease? Or is it a little of both. So would you say he's dangerous with the puck or just makes risky plays with it from time to time?

[SectionNDeserter]

Would you say he handles the puck because of him trying to be overly helpful to his defenseman or because he gets bored and simply wants to go an escapade out of his crease? Or is it a little of both. So would you say he's dangerous with the puck or just makes risky plays with it from time to time?He mishandles weak dump-ins at times, whiffs on passes and every so often and puts the puck into heavy traffic other times. Tough to say, might be him just doing it in an effort to work on that part of his game. I can't say that I have ever seen him directly cause a goal because of his handling of the puck, but I do know that his adventures outside the crease cause a lot of panic with some of the Rebel faithful.

[MVNWriter23]

Very interesting points. So does he cross his hands on the stick when playing the puck like Dwayne Roloson does or does he hold the paddle like normal? Do you think he really thinks that much to where he plays the puck; meaning where he directs it or does he just throw it to an open area and hopes it goes to a teammate?

[SectionNDeserter]

Seems to me that he changes hands to play the puck. He puts some thought into where he plays the puck, but I think what makes most of the fans nervous about his playing of the puck, is that he really doesn't seem pay any attention to the forechecking opposition players or where they are in comparison to himself (he just plays the puck anyways). A few games back was the first time I really saw his playing of the puck hurt the team in any way though (he was penalized for playing the puck in the restricted area).

[MVNWriter23]

That is an excellent explanation and precisely what I was looking for. He sounds a lot like Roloson except he would more likely botch the handling of the puck and that would lead to a disastrous turnover. Roloson rarely seemed to consider where the forecheckers were coming from either. It always made you gasp a bit when he'd send the puck towards a forechecker and on some occasions would luck out and it would skitter along the boards / glass and by the would-be attacker. Othertimes it would end up in the goal...and you wish you could tie a rope to him to keep him in the crease.

Thanks for the info!

[MVNWriter23]

So I see Red Deer appears to be doing a bit better since I last checked in. Has Darcy Kuemper's play improved? Has he made his voyages from the crease a little less nerve wracking?

[SectionNDeserter]

Has Darcy Kuemper's play improved? Has he made his voyages from the crease a little less nerve wracking?He has really stepped up his game in the last few months, and even stolen a couple of games along the way. His adventures away from the crease are still very unsettling, but I think that as long as he is able to eliminate that part of his game from the next level he will do ok. I don't think I have ever seen a goaltender that was worse at playing the puck than Cam Ward--so much so that I am pretty sure in his final season here the coaching staff just asked him not to do it anymore, and he didn't, and he still doesn't. He seems to have done ok for himself. ;)

[MVNWriter23]

Wow...but do you think he stops pucks as well as Ward did when he was with Red Deer? That sounds very encouraging. Matt Hackett (Plymouth, OHL) is also having a strong season and with Khudobin looking like a viable goaltender the Wild seem to have some depth between the pipes.

[SectionNDeserter]

Wow...but do you think he stops pucks as well as Ward did when he was with Red Deer?Absolutely not. You rarely see a goaltender with the talent and consistency that Ward had roll through your league, much less your team once in a blue moon. I was just making a point that you don't need to be strong at handling the puck to have success in goal--as long as you can recognize that it is not a strength and play within your limits.


Matt Hackett (Plymouth, OHL) is also having a strong season and with Khudobin looking like a viable goaltender the Wild seem to have some depth between the pipes.Kuemper is a bit of a late bloomer. He didn't see any real WHL action until he was an 18 year old rookie. I suspect that he won't really show what sort of goaltender he can be unless he has another year in Major Junior--hopefully Minnesota doesn't rush him into an AHL/ECHL role.

[MVNWriter23]

I don't think the Wild will rush Kuemper; Hackett might get a shot next year but I think Kuemper would stay another season in the WHL. Well that's interesting so sort of like a Kyle Kettles, if you remember him?