Mikko Koivu C FA Thu 9/22/11 11:25 AM
Mikko Koivu
C FA
Wild coach Mike Yeo is optimistic about Mikko Koivu's chances of having a big season while playing alongside Dany Heatley.
"I have very, very high hopes for Mikko," Yeo said. "I'm not going to say he's going to get 125 points next year, but I know one thing, he's going to have a great chance to succeed with the players he's going to have around him. One thing I already started talking to Mikko about is I'm going to push for that guy to win the Selke Trophy [NHL's best defensive forward]. I don't know if he's going to win the Hart [MVP] next year, but I believe he can win the Selke. In order to do that, you have to get a lot of points, but you also have to be great defensively." Koivu had 17 goals and 62 points in 71 games last season. We don't expect him to dramatically improve due to his new linemate, but we wouldn't be surprised if he reaches the 70-point mark for the second time in his career.