Jacob Middleton – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:37:34 +0000

ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 24: Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) looks on during the first period in Game Three of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild on April 24th, 2025, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

What started off looking like a massive year for the Wild turned into a scratch-and-claw season to make the playoffs. Injuries crushed Minnesota throughout the year. Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon each missed significant time and the fact they finished in the first wild card spot with 97 points and held off the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames is a credit to them and coach John Hynes. Kaprizov had an MVP-like start to the season and had the Wild off and running to start the season while goalie Filip Gustavsson rounded into form, but as injuries piled up, so did the losses. The Wild’s five-on-five numbers were mediocre all-around and as much as their power play struggled (20th best in the NHL) their penalty kill was a nightmare (30th). It’s difficult to judge the team overall given the spate of injuries compared to their numbers, but the talent level on the team is strong enough to carry them into competing again this season.

What’s Changed?

The biggest addition for the Wild came late last season when 2024 12th overall pick defenceman Zeev Buium signed his entry-level deal out of the University of Denver. He made his Wild debut in the playoffs playing four games and had one assist in 13:36 average time on-ice. He’ll be a fixture in the lineup for years to come as their next puck-carrying offensive defenceman. Re-signing center Marco Rossi (three years, $15 million) took care of what was shaping up to be a potential headache and gives him the chance to prove himself further. Minnesota also added veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings for the low cost of future considerations and brought back center Nico Sturm fresh off winning the Stanley Cup in Florida. They also shipped center Frederick Gaudreau to Seattle and defenceman Declan Chisholm to Washington as well.

What Would Success Look Like?

A return to the playoffs with a healthy lineup would be a fascinating success for the Wild. Their parts with Kaprizov, Rossi, Matt Boldy, Zuccarello, Eriksson Ek, Buium, Brodin, and Gustavsson are very good and with role players like Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman and Jacob Middleton able to grind teams up, they could be a deeply frustrating team in the playoffs. They showed that to a degree in the first round against Vegas last season and you can’t help but wonder how things would’ve gone if they hadn’t gone through the wringer all season. Still, a trip back to the postseason and a first-round series win would go a long way in Minnesota for fans who’ve been desperate for success for years. Doing so in a brutally competitive division again would be a big accomplishment.

What Could Go Wrong?

A repeat of the injury luck from last season would be a way to make life a lot harder. They’re getting a taste of that already with Brodin coming off surgery for an upper-body injury that got to him last season. That he’ll likely miss the start of the season is not the way anyone in Minnesota envisioned the year starting. Any kind of bad luck physically could be what determines their playoff fate and with how good and competitive St. Louis, Calgary and Utah were and with Vancouver and Seattle having designs on getting back into the mix, it’s going to be a difficult battle.

Top Breakout Candidate

It’s impossible not to focus all the attention on Buium this season. He’s got the electrifying skill set to make people think of Cale Makar when he came out of Massachusetts years ago and with his affable personality to match his exciting style of hockey, he’ll get the opportunity to pile up points with the Wild. In two seasons with Denver, Buium had 98 points in 83 games including 24 goals. Minnesota has desperately needed a defenceman capable of leading the rush up the ice for years and Buium’s smooth skating and skills will make him an instant fan favourite.

FORWARDS

Kirill Kaprizov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	45	58	103	1.34

When last season began, all signs pointed toward a potential MVP campaign for Kirill Kaprizov. A lower-body injury just before the holiday break in December interrupted a season that began with 50 points in 34 games that included 23 goals. He missed a month of action and returned for three games before going out again to undergo surgery that kept him off the ice until April. In the end, Kaprizov’s regular season finished with 41 games played and 56 points with 25 goals. The Wild finished fourth in the Central Division with only half a season of his brilliance but did get him back for the playoffs as they secured the first wild card. There he had five goals and four assists in their six-game series loss to Vegas. It’s very difficult not to look back on how he played and wonder what might’ve been, but as he enters a contract season and the (long) possibility of hitting unrestricted free agency next summer, the mind boggles wondering what he could do on top of his effort from last year to boost his asking price. There’s little doubt that a healthy Kaprizov makes the Wild a much, much more dangerous (and fun to watch) team. A repeat performance like that without injury would make Minnesota a true wild card kind of team in the West.

Matt Boldy

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	31	50	81	0.99

For all the brilliance we saw from Kirill Kaprizov, it can’t take away from just how good Matt Boldy was as well for the Wild. Boldy had a career high 73 points in 82 games and put up 27 goals to go with it. He again proved to be a strong performer on the power play with 21 points, and his 10 game-winning goals tied him with Sidney Crosby for second most in the league. Not bad for a 24-year-old in his fourth season. What will be interesting to watch with Boldy this season is how his line shapes up. Last season, he was with Marco Rossi most often and he is an unsigned restricted free agent. Rossi has had trade rumors swirling around him throughout the offseason. With additions like Danila Yurov, Nico Sturm and Vladimir Tarasenko, some of the lines will be in flux, but with Boldy firmly locked into a wing spot in the top six, if he loses his centerman that creates a big hole. Fortunately, Boldy’s abilities make it easier for any center to slide in next to him and make them look good because of how well he handles the puck and uses his size to create opportunities. With the Olympics coming in February and the strong possibility he’ll play for the United States, expect Boldy to have a strong season no matter who he skates with.

Marco Rossi

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	21	38	59	0.79

The situation with restricted free agent Marco Rossi remains up in the air as of this writing. He is unsigned following a career-best 60-point season that included a career-high 24 goals. There have been trade rumors bandied about all offseason long and questions raised about whether the team sees Rossi as a fit for them long term or not. Fans waited not so patiently for Rossi to arrive full-time after the team drafted him ninth overall in 2020, and when he scored 21 goals with 40 points as a rookie two years ago, the collective feeling was his time had arrived. That sensation only increased with his performance last season although it could be argued he didn’t take enough of a big step to necessitate a massive raise on a new contract. Public negotiations are tricky that way. Despite Rossi’s size (5-foot-9, 185 pounds), he plays hard, skates fast and is strong on his feet. He’s a creative player and can get into tight areas to score as well. He’s a supremely talented player, but teams do worry about size despite the history of players who have had great success at that stature. Should Rossi stay with the Wild, it would seem likely he’ll reunite with Matt Boldy with a linemate to be determined (Vladimir Tarasenko, Liam Ohgren). If there’s a trade yet to come, the return will be interesting because the Wild want to win now.

Mats Zuccarello

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
71	17	34	51	0.72

Nothing ages fans harder than seeing their favorite players get older, and it’s part of what makes what we see from Mats Zuccarello so impressive. The Norwegian star will be 38 as the new season starts and he’s been nothing but the picture of consistency throughout his NHL career. Last season, he had 19 goals and 35 assists (54 points) and it marked the fourth straight year he had 50-or-more points and the ninth time he’s done it in his 15-year career. In six seasons with the Wild he averaged nearly 56 points per season, and he joined them at 32 years old. Some players see their production fall through the floor when they go beyond the age of 30, but Zuccarello has excelled when he’s stayed in the lineup. While he’s always capable of scoring goals, he’s been an outstanding setup man and the chemistry he’s developed in Minnesota with Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek over the years has turned that trio into an a highly entertaining and exciting line to watch. Despite how well Zuccarello scored, you have to wonder how much better his numbers would’ve been had Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek not struggled with injury. As it is, he missed 13 games of his own, but with his linemates each missing half of the season, it’s no wonder Zuccarello’s power play numbers dipped so hard. His three power play goals and 16 points were the fewest he had since the shortened 2020-2021 season.

Joel Eriksson Ek

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	24	34	58	0.73

The role injuries played in fouling up what could’ve been a very good season for the Minnesota Wild also wreaked havoc on Joel Eriksson Ek’s season. The Swedish two-way centerman was held to 46 games last season and had 14 goals and 15 assists (29 points). A broken nose and various lower-body injuries forced him out of the lineup numerous times throughout the year and although he was able to play in the Four Nations Face-Off, he was out of the lineup shortly after coming back from the tournament and was out until early April. Although he was back in time for the playoffs, he wasn’t able to have the same kind of immediate success Kirill Kaprizov had. Losing Eriksson Ek for roughly half the season because of all the injuries made navigating the season a lot more difficult for the Wild. The various roles he plays in all situations makes him a vital cog in their operation and going without him shortened everything up throughout the lineup. Provided the lower-body issues are behind him now and can focus on the season, it’ll prove to be a huge benefit for the team, particularly if there’s a move yet to come with the rest of the lineup or Marco Rossi remains unsigned into the season. The Wild had the third worst penalty kill in the NHL last season and although they had an assortment of injuries, going without Eriksson Ek for a lot of it contributed to the poor kill. His work as a defensive center cannot be understated no matter how good he is offensively as well.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
76	15	26	41	0.54

Last season wasn’t the happiest of times in Detroit for Vladimir Tarasenko. In 80 games, Tarasenko scored 11 goals and had 22 assists, the worst full season he’s had in the NHL in his career. Although he signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings, the Wild sent Detroit future considerations to take the player and his $4.75 million cap hit off their hands and potentially give him the change of scenery he needs to regain his form. Working in Tarasenko’s favor in Minnesota is the opportunity he’ll have to jump right into action on the wings. The Wild needed more skilled depth there and Tarasenko can provide that even at age 33. He’ll also have a handful of Russians to work with including Kirill Kaprizov and Yakov Trenin. Tarasenko is a few years removed from being one of the most dangerous snipers in the NHL that could put up 30 to 40 goals. Two years ago, he had 23 goals split between time with Ottawa and Florida and that’s the kind of player the Wild would like to see return for them. The big question, however, is where he will fit into the lineup. He could play on the wing opposite Matt Boldy and if Marco Rossi happens to center them, that could be a lot of fun. He’s essentially found money for the Wild, they just need to figure out the best way to make it work with him.

Marcus Foligno

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	13	16	29	0.39

Trying to qualify what makes a player a “throwback style” in the NHL is tough to do because you’re busy thinking about which era of the league are they a throwback to. In Marcus Foligno’s case, he’s an amalgam of the era his father Mike played in the 80s and 90s and what he grew up watching as a kid in the late 90s. Foligno has become a heart-and-soul checking forward for the Wild that provides leadership through action. Whether it’s through delivering big hits, big goals, or fighting opponents, the 34-year-old lays it all on the line. Last season, he had 14 goals and 15 assists in 77 games including 75 penalty minutes. Where Foligno makes a point is his physical play. He led the wild with 253 hits credited and with that kind of game, it’s no wonder that fights happen occasionally. Getting in on the forecheck and hammering defensemen who take too much time to make a pass allows him to change the tone and temperature of any game. As a leader on and off the ice, Foligno does so by example and for the guys that play in the bottom six of the lineup, they follow his lead closely. Yakov Trenin and Ryan Hartman play similar types of games and rolling that group out to change the mood has often benefited the Wild.

Marcus Johansson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
73	12	21	33	0.45

At 35 years old, Marcus Johansson is one of the more senior members on the Wild roster this season. Last year, he had 11 goals and 23 assists in 72 games with 27 of his 34 points coming at even strength. Johansson’s role as a veteran on the team allows him to fit into any situation and while he’s primarily a winger he spent most of last season on the third or fourth line with Frederick Gaudreau and Ryan Hartman. That trio was a bit of a mishmash of styles with Gaudreau being a solid defensive forward, Hartman a bit of physical loose cannon with some touch around the net and Johansson a playmaker and puck possession style player. At this point in his career, the Wild aren’t asking a lot out of Johansson other than playing consistently strong hockey. His smarts for the game and ability to work in the offensive zone gives him an edge against more reckless defenders, but he may be competing for regular ice time against some of Minnesota’s additions and younger players. How coach John Hynes works things out will be something to keep an eye on.

Ryan Hartman

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	16	18	34	0.45

For physical players in the NHL, there’s always a line for what’s a good play to make to deliver a hit and what crosses the line. For Ryan Hartman, crossing that line has become a bit too regular of an occurrence. Last season, Hartman had solid numbers with 11 goals and 15 assists in 69 games with 75 penalty minutes. While he did miss a few games with injury, he also had to serve a 10-game suspension (that was later reduced to eight games) for using his forearm to drive the head of Ottawa Senators star forward Tim Stützle into the ice in February. He’s been suspended numerous times in his career but got the book thrown at him at a time when the Wild were fighting hard in the playoff race. Part of what makes Hartman valuable is his physical play and ability to upset opponents by delivering hits and when he’s focused on his game, the Wild are better for it. Last season he played most often with Marcus Johansson and Marcus Foligno that gave the Wild a group that could deliver heavy physical punishment and contribute occasional offense. For Hartman, that’s all you can ask for. That and staying of NHL Players’ Safety’s radar.

DEFENCE

Jared Spurgeon

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
68	5	27	32	0.47

Wild captain Jared Spurgeon’s return to action last season was one of the season highlights. Two years ago, he was held to just 16 games due to hip and back injuries. Last season, he led Wild defensemen in scoring with 32 points in 66 games. He still missed 16 games after he was injured being slew-footed by Nashville’s Zachary L’Heureux. Spurgeon’s leadership with the Wild can’t be understated. The hard work he put into returning to action after injuries and how he’s been such an outstanding puck mover and defender throughout his career despite being undersized compared to most defensemen shows how tough he is. Throughout last season, Spurgeon was paired with Jonas Brodin and Declan Chisholm although he spent most of his five-on-five minutes with Chisholm due to Brodin’s own injury issues. That pairing performed well together in regard to shot attempts taken and allowed and scoring chance quality generated and allowed. It wasn’t the ideal situation for anyone to navigate, but it’s a compliment to both players that they did well together in a tough situation. Brodin and Spurgeon figure to be reunited this season, although if Brodin does miss the start of the season, it could be Jacob Middleton or Zeev Buium who skates with Spurgeon.

Jonas Brodin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
65	3	19	22	0.34

Part of what helped the Wild navigate through all the injuries and constant changes to the lineup was the steady play on the blue line from Jonas Brodin. Unfortunately for him and the team, he also had to deal with injuries of his own. Injuries kept Brodin in and out of the lineup throughout the year although he was able to play for Sweden at the Four Nations Face-Off in February. His influence on the Wild blue line this season will again be affected by his health as he had offseason upper-body surgery to repair what nagged at him last season and it may prevent him from being ready for the start of the season. Brodin’s defensive brilliance gets lost in the mix in Minnesota thanks to having a young star like Brock Faber and soon-to-be young star defenseman Zeev Buium. Brodin’s quiet confidence in his own zone and ability to eliminate plays before they can start makes him an invaluable player. Last season, Brodin had four goals and 16 assists in 50 games. Injuries have nagged at Brodin throughout his career, which is deeply unfortunate given how solid of a defender he is. However, if surgery can keep him on the ice for most of the season upon his return, it’s a net benefit for the Wild.

Brock Faber

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	9	26	35	0.43

One of the better trades in Minnesota Wild history continues to pay dividends as Brock Faber’s brilliant play continued for the second straight year. Faber had 10 goals and 19 assists in 78 games last season which was an increase in goals, but a sizable dip in assists after he put up 47 points with 39 helpers in his rookie season and was a Norris Trophy finalist. The drop in points is understandable given all the turnover that occurred on the Minnesota blue line because of injuries. It’s also natural that he’d have a bit of a letdown in his second season in the league as the rest of the NHL adjusted to him. That said, Faber’s outstanding play was still there even without the robust point total. Without Jonas Brodin for 32 games, Faber paired with Jacob Middleton for a large part of the season as they played nearly 950 minutes together at five-on-five. The advanced stats didn’t favour that pairing very well as opponents were able to generate more shot attempts and better quality scoring chances than they were while out there. Faber is young and still figuring out what he can and cannot do in the NHL, but he was also a solid player for the United States at the Four Nations Face-Off and seeing his poise and playmaking in a best-on-best tournament like that was impressive.

Jacob Middleton

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	7	17	24	0.31

With some of the names on the Wild blue line like Jonas Brodin, Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon it’s easy to get lost in the mix, but Jacob Middleton was able to carve his way into the picture taking advantage of injuries and earning a spot on a pair with Faber. In his fourth season with the Wild, Middleton picked up where he left off the year before and scored a career-high eight goals with 13 assists. His 21 points followed up his career-high 25 from the year before as his straight forward play has earned him coach John Hynes’s trust along the blue line to the point where he averaged more than 21 minutes per game last season. Middleton has helped earn his ice time by laying out for pucks. He blocked more than 100 shots for the fourth time in his career and for the third season in a row (155, 161, 157). He’s also been more than willing to throw the body around as well, something that ideally allowed Faber more of a chance to move the puck freely. If the Wild have to go without Brodin to start the season, Middleton may very well start on the top pairing with Faber again. Experience and chemistry go a long way when it comes to defense and that kind of shared ice time is hard to ignore even if the results last season weren’t totally ideal. Perhaps with better health for the entire lineup those stats will improve naturally.

Goal

Filip Gustavsson

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
54	26	18	6	4	.910	2.64

While it might be tempting to wax poetic about the legacy Marc-Andre Fleury leaves in net in Minnesota - the surprise team where he wrapped up his career years after most of his contemporaries had played their last NHL games - the real story of the 2025-26 Minnesota Wild is that of hopeful optimism and youth. Filip Gustavsson, who had followed up a highly impressive rookie campaign with a lackluster sophomore season in 2023-24, showed he could step up when it counted last year as Minnesota's best NHL goaltender by a mile. Now 27-years old and nearly 170 games into his NHL career, he'll serve as the stabilizing presence Minnesota needs as they look to prove they're ready to challenge in the Central Division long term.

Gustavsson made waves around the NHL at the start of last season for his first career NHL goal, but for Wild fans, he's the perfect positionally sound mainstay who doesn't often get goaded out of position (and proved with his goalie goal that he isn't afraid to have a little fun, too). And his arrival as a featured player on the main stage couldn't have come at a more perfect time for the Wild. With top-ranked prospect Jesper Wallstedt struggling last season both due to a small smattering of injuries and some not-so-minor regression in his game, Gustavsson's reliable play gives Wallstedt the opportunity to ease his way into play without being considered the team's only future hope.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (November 4th to November 11th – Oilers face challenges early, while Knights soar out the gate

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 16:35:39 +0000

Edmonton Oilers Center Leon Draisaitl (29) (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

At the end of October last year, Edmonton was in a sorry state with a 2-5-1 record, and the squad posted a 2-8-1 record by the 11-game mark. Of course, we know about the turnaround the Oilers managed, but in that context, Edmonton’s 5-5-1start this year doesn’t seem so bad. It’s not good either, though, and there are some areas that need to be improved upon if Edmonton is to live up to its lofty expectations.

Surprisingly, Edmonton hasn’t managed to reliably score this campaign. The Oilers managed two or fewer goals in each of their six losses (including the overtime defeat), and they never scored more than four goals in any of their first 10 games. That issue was compounded Monday when they lost Connor McDavid for the next 2-3 weeks due to an ankle injury. To their credit, Edmonton responded with a clean 5-1 win over Nashville on Thursday, but we’ll have to see if the Oilers can build off that strong win.

Calvin Pickard was in net for that victory, improving to 3-1-0 with a 2.47 GAA and an .897 save percentage across nine outings. It was his second start in three games and that increase in playing time is understandable when contrasted against Stuart Skinner’s rough 3.51 GAA and .872 save percentage across seven outings. Skinner had a rough start to 2023-24 only to rebound, so don’t count him out yet, but his shaky play has been the other big reason behind Edmonton’s mediocre start. If he doesn’t start improving, it would put Edmonton in a very vulnerable spot -- Pickard has outperformed him thus far, but the 32-year-old isn’t expected to be a good long-term starter option, especially for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Edmonton isn’t the only team portrayed as being a Cup contender who has underwhelmed early, but one major contender who has largely shone in the early going is Vegas with its 7-3-1 start. Not everything is rosy for the Golden Knights -- Adin Hill’s 3.20 GAA and .878 save percentage through six appearances don’t look much more appealing than Skinner’s results -- but those issues have been masked by Vegas’ offense, led by its top line.

At the time of writing, Mark Stone is tied for the lead league in points with 19 (five goals) through 11 games while Jack Eichel isn’t far behind with three goals and 16 points in 11 outings. Those two are fairing better than expected, but the thing that’s really held Vegas back in recent years -- at least as far as the regular season goes -- is injuries to key players in general, and those two in particular. If those two can stay healthy this time, it’ll be interesting to see if the duo continues to make their presence known among the league’s scoring leaders.

Speaking of, you’d have to go back to when the two were still rookies to find the last time Eichel ended a season with more points than McDavid. Excluding their first campaigns, McDavid’s single-season low of 97 points is better than Eichel’s career high of 82. It’s way too early to suggest that Eichel will finish above McDavid in the scoring race, but we’ll see what the future holds.

Calgary Flames (Tue @ MTL, Thu @ BOS, Sat @ BUF)

The Flames won their first four games of the campaign, but that hot start has been erased, to the point where they’re 5-4-1 at the time of writing. They’ll be on the road next week, but the silver lining is they’ll be facing middling squads in Montreal on Tuesday and Buffalo on Saturday. Their contest in Boston on Thursday also might not be as difficult as it would appear at first glance. The Bruins are among the teams who underperformed in October, finishing the month with a 4-6-1 record.

Speaking of disappointment, the change of scenery hasn’t helped Anthony Mantha much. It looked like he might play a big role with the Flames, especially after head coach Ryan Huska suggested in September that Mantha’s goal for the 2024-25 should be to fire 300 shots. If we’re talking about shots on goal, then that would shatter his previous career high of 198 set in 2018-19 -- even if it were just shot attempts, then 300 would be his most since 2018-19 and a massive jump from his 219 last year. Instead, Mantha has just nine SOG through 10 games, and while three of those have gone in, it's still leagues less aggressive than the stated goal. Mantha also already moved around the lineup a fair amount, making it hard to pin down what his role with the team is. At best, it seems he’s a middle-six forward and is currently on course to put up something similar to the 23 goals and 44 points he recorded between Washington and Vegas last year -- not bad, but not what the preseason talk suggested might be possible.

One player he has seen a decent amount of ice time with is Jonathan Huberdeau, who looks good so far with four goals and seven points across 10 appearances, but those numbers don’t hold up to even the lightest of scrutiny. He had a good start with three goals and six points through four outings, largely thanks to a four-point game Oct. 12, but Huberdeau has been limited to just one point (a goal) across his past six appearances. Unfortunately, this might not be the bounce-back campaign despite that one big game.

On a more positive note, this might be a good sophomore season for Connor Zary. He has two goals and seven points through 10 appearances and his production has been far more evenly spread out than Huberdeau’s. The 23-year-old Zary is among the Flames more promising young forwards and seeing him start to come into his own gives Calgary some cause for cautious optimism.

Carolina Hurricanes (Tue vs. PHI, Thu vs. PIT, Sat @ COL)

The Hurricanes will open the week by hosting the Flyers on Tuesday and the Penguins on Thursday before heading to Colorado for a match Saturday. None of those adversaries have a winning record at the time of writing, though the Avalanche do still have the potential to be a great team this year.

Injuries are a big part of the reason Colorado has that subpar record. Carolina has had far better luck in that regard, though the Hurricanes aren’t completely immune. Frederik Andersen sustained a lower-body injury, and while it initially sounded like it might not be serious, he’s now regarded as week-to-week. The 35-year-old has an incredible 16-3-0 record, 1.77 GAA and .933 save percentage across the past two seasons, but sadly he can’t seem to stay healthy.

With Andersen once again out, Pyotr Kochetkov will be leaned on heavily. He has a poor .891 save percentage in 2024-25, but the Hurricanes are a top-tier team when it comes to supporting their goaltenders -- despite that save percentage, he has a solid 2.61 GAA and a great 4-1-0 record. Spencer Martin was summoned from AHL Chicago to be the understudy, but he hasn’t gotten into a game yet and probably won’t next week given the Hurricanes’ spread-out schedule.

Carolina is also still missing Riley Stillman, who opened the season on the non-roster injured list. Stillman has started to practice, though, so he might not be too far off from returning. The question is if his availability will shake up Carolina’s current top six. Perhaps Sean Walker or Jalen Chatfield will spend the occasional game in the press box, but it’s entirely feasible that Stillman will simply be the seventh defenseman once healthy, only being inserted into the lineup in the event of an injury or blueliner needing a day off.

Brent Burns probably won’t be someone who gets much in the way of rest days, but age might be catching up to the 39-year-old. He has just three assists through nine appearances this season, albeit with those points coming during a recent three-game scoring streak from Oct. 24-28. Most notably, he doesn’t have any points yet with the man advantage. I was concerned that the presence of Shayne Gostisbehere would lead to Burns getting a reduced role on the power play, and it seems that has proven to be the case. Gostisbehere has roughly double the amount of power-play minutes so far while recording three goals and five points with the man advantage -- nine points overall through nine outings.

Columbus Blue Jackets (Tue @ SJS, Sat @ LAK, Sun vs. ANA)

The Blue Jackets have done better than expected so far, posting a 5-3-1 record in October. They’ll try to keep that going next week with road games against the Sharks on Tuesday, the Kings on Saturday and the Ducks on Sunday.

Kirill Marchenko has played a significant part in the Blue Jackets’ early success, supplying four goals and 11 points through nine appearances. He’s developed chemistry with summer addition Sean Monahan, who has five goals and nine points through nine outings.

Cole Sillinger has also really stood up lately. Taken with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Sillinger was fairly quiet offensively over his first three campaigns, but this has the makings to be a breakout campaign after he recorded two goals and eight points across his opening nine games. He’s been particularly effective recently, providing a goal and four points over his past two outings, so we’ll see if he can build off that momentum next week.

However, if you’re looking for the hottest member of the Blue Jackets, that would have to be Elvis Merzlikins. He was stunning against Edmonton and the Islanders on Monday and Wednesday, respectively, stopping a combined 57 of 58 shots over that stretch. He largely served as Daniil Tarasov’s understudy to start the campaign, but Tarasov has a 3.42 GAA and an .886 save percentage through five outings, so there’s an opportunity here for Merzlikins to wrestle back the starting job if he continues to perform well.

Los Angeles Kings (Mon @ NAS, Tue @ MIN, Thu vs. VAN, Sat vs. CBJ)

The Kings have a busy week ahead of them. They’ll start with road matches in Nashville on Monday and Minnesota on Tuesday before returning home to host the Canucks on Thursday and the Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Los Angeles has a 6-3-2 record, and Kevin Fiala has been part of that initial success. It hasn’t been all good news for him -- he logged just 10:12 on Oct. 26 because he took some bad penalties and was a healthy scratch Wednesday after missing a team meeting -- but Fiala is nevertheless off to a strong start with five goals and eight points in 10 appearances, including a two-point showing in his return from the press box. If he can avoid getting into too much trouble with coach Jim Hiller, Fiala is a serious contender to reach the 70-point mark for the fourth consecutive campaign.

Hiller has every reason to like Brandt Clarke’s recent play. The 21-year-old defenseman has an incredible seven points (one goal) across his past four outings. It helps that Clarke is a part of the Kings’ top power-play unit -- five of his 11 points through 11 appearances in 2024-25 have come with the man advantage. Clarke might still lose that power-play spot when Drew Doughty is ready to return from his ankle injury, but Doughty isn’t expected to be back anytime soon -- he was declared month-to-month when he underwent surgery in early October -- so that’s not something that needs to be thought about too hard right now.

It is impressive that the Kings have done so well without Doughty. Having a young blueliner like Clarke capable of stepping up helps, but having a steady captain like Anze Kopitar is another key component. The 37-year-old hasn’t slowed with age, collecting four goals and 12 points through 11 games this year. He led the Kings to victory over the Golden Knights with a three-point showing Wednesday that included Kopitar’s 800th career assist. He’s just the 35th player to ever hit that milestone, and with the way he’s performing, perhaps he’ll even hit 900 before it’s time to hang up his skates -- just 20 players have ever done that. Kopitar is in the first season of a two-year, $14 million contract, though he’d probably need to play through the 2026-27 campaign to hit that next milestone.

Minnesota Wild (Tue vs. LAK, Thu @ SJS, Fri @ ANA, Sun @ CHI)

As noted above, Minnesota is set to host the Kings on Tuesday. Afterward, the Wild will begin a road trip with stops in San Jose on Thursday, Anaheim on Friday and Chicago on Sunday.

Despite playing seven of their first nine games on the road, the Wild are off to an incredible 6-1-2 start. Filip Gustavsson has been a big part of that initial success, posting a 4-1-1 record, 2.17 GAA and .922 save percentage across six starts. That’s a big turnaround from his 2023-24 campaign (3.06 GAA, .899 save percentage) and puts him more in line with how he did in 2022-23 (2.10 GAA, .931 save percentage).

Kirill Kaprizov is the other major reason for Minnesota’s strong start. He has five goals and 18 points through nine games and is showing no signs of slowing down. He ended October on a six-game multi-point streak in which he has provided four goals and 14 points. No other Wild player comes close to matching Kaprizov’s recent offensive output, though defenseman Jacob Middleton is on a four-game scoring streak that’s seen him provide a goal and five assists.

To make matters better for the Wild, Jared Spurgeon was able to return Tuesday after missing six straight games due to a lower-body injury. His return will likely lead to Declan Chisholm and Jon Merrill spending the occasional game in the press box.

One thing Spurgeon probably won’t do a lot of is contribute offensively. He has reached the 40-point mark as recently as 2021-22, but the 34-year-old is going to be serving on the second power-play unit as best thanks to the rise of sophomore Brock Faber. Instead, Spurgeon’s best category might end up being blocks. He ranked sixth with 179 blocks in 2022-23, which was the last season he was mostly healthy.

Nashville Predators (Mon vs. LAK, Wed @ WSH, Thu @ FLA, Sat vs. UTA)

After starting the campaign 0-5-0, Nashville has started to recover but remains a poor 3-6-1. The Predators will attempt to make up for lost ground next week, starting with Monday’s home game against the Kings. Nashville will spend the remainder of the week on the road, facing Washington on Wednesday, Florida on Thursday and Utah on Saturday.

The Predators are still waiting for Steven Stamkos to start playing like the star he was in Tampa Bay. Stamkos did get two assists against his former team in Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss, but that’s about all the life he’s shown. The 34-year-old has a goal and three points through 10 appearances. He also has a minus-8 rating, which is tied for the fourth worst on the team. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that he’s been taking a ton of shots -- 32 so far -- so it should be just a matter of time before they start going in.

Nashville’s other major summer addition, Jonathan Marchessault, is also struggling to find the back of the net. Not many people expected Marchessault to repeat his 42-goal showing from 2023-24, especially because his 15.8 shooting percentage was a career high outside of 2014-15 in which he logged just two games. Still, if Marchessault was a bit on the lucky side last year, he’s gotten terrible luck in 2024-25, providing just two goals on 35 shots so far. He does at least have four assists to go with it, so his struggles haven’t been as notable as Stamkos’, but there’s still a lot of room for growth here.

Stamkos and Marchessault might have struggled for long enough now that they’d be solid buy-low candidates in fantasy. Perhaps you could put Juuse Saros in that group too. He’s also off to a rough start with a 2-5-1 record, 3.04 GAA and .896 save percentage across eight appearances. He did underwhelm somewhat in 2023-24 as well, finishing with a 2.86 GAA and a .906 save percentage, but at the very least, if you believe that Stamkos and Marchessault have underperformed, which seems reasonable, then there’s reason to believe that Saros should be a better source of wins as the campaign progresses.

New Jersey Devils (Mon @ EDM, Thu vs. MTL, Sat @ NYI, Sun vs. SJS)

The Devils played more games than any other team, 13, in October and their schedule will stay full next week. They’ll play in Edmonton on Monday, host the Canadiens on Thursday, face the Islanders in a road game Saturday and then end the week at home against the Sharks on Sunday.

Luke Hughes missed the first nine games of the season due to a shoulder injury, but the 21-year-old blueliner returned Oct. 24. He didn’t, however, get his 2023-24 assignment back. He’s averaged 18:06 of ice time, including a modest 0:55 with the man advantage, though four appearances. Hughes served primarily on the top power-play unit last season, but that was with Dougie Hamilton unavailable. Now that both defensemen are healthy, it seems Hamilton will serve on the first unit while Hughes will play on the second. That’s a major blow to Hughes’ fantasy value -- 25 of his 47 points last season came with the man advantage.

Even if Hughes was on the top power-play and gelling, though, he wouldn’t be the headline act in New Jersey right now. That’s unquestionably Nico Hischier, who has provided an unreal nine goals and 13 points across his past nine games, bringing him up to 15 points (10 goals) through 13 outings in 2024-25. Hischier finished October on a four-game goal-scoring streak. His current goal pace won’t last obviously -- his 22.7 shooting percentage for 2024-25 would shatter his career high if it lasted the full campaign -- but he is a high-end talent who could reasonably surpass the 30-goal and 80-point milestones this season.

The Devils have kept Hischier and Jack Hughes primarily on separate lines at even strength to give the team a strong one-two punch. Hughes is rolling too with three goals and seven points across his past five outings, giving him four goals and 12 points in 13 appearances this year. The Devils are even getting decent production out of their third line with Erik Haula supplying four goals and eight points through 13 outings.

New Jersey was 7-4-2 in October. The Devils do have some areas of concern -- Jacob Markstrom has been a step up from their goaltenders last year, but he’s also had some notably rough nights, which has left him with a mild .903 save percentage in 2024-25 -- but they do look like a team that should stay strong this year.

Vancouver Canucks (Tue @ ANA, Thu @ LAK, Sat vs. EDM)

The Canucks can attest to the Devils’ strength after suffering a 6-0 loss to New Jersey on Wednesday. Vancouver dropped to 4-2-3 with that defeat but will be looking for better results during the upcoming week. The Canucks will play in Anaheim on Tuesday and LA on Thursday before hosting the Oilers on Saturday.

Vancouver could really use Thatcher Demko (knee). Kevin Lankinen has done well overall with a 2.29 GAA and a .920 save percentage in six starts, but he’s faltered recently, allowing 10 goals on 90 shots (.889 save percentage) across his past three outings. Meanwhile, Arturs Silovs has struggled with a record of 0-2-1 to go with an abysmal 5.00 GAA and .797 save percentage through three contests.

Demko has been skating and we have seen him on his own in full gear, but there’s nothing to indicate yet that he’s close to returning, so it seems Vancouver will have to rely on Lankinen and Silovs for a while longer.

If they get sufficient goal support, it might be fine. To that end, it would go a long way if Elias Pettersson could get into a rhythm. He had just one goal and four points through nine appearances in October. Some of you might be thinking back to 2021-22 when Pettersson started the campaign with six goals and 17 points in his first 37 games before turning a corner by providing 26 goals and 51 points in 43 outings the rest of the way. That example does show that Pettersson is both capable of prolonged cold stretches and recovering from them, though Vancouver will surely be hoping that it doesn’t take him nearly as long to get going in 2024-25.

It'd help if newcomer Jake DeBrusk got going too. He has just four assists in nine appearances with Vancouver after signing a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with Vancouver over the summer. The Canucks were believed to be interested in inking Jake Guentzel before he signed with Tampa Bay. DeBrusk was at least a cheaper alternative, but Vancouver probably wishes they hadn’t missed out on the pricier option -- Guentzel has four goals and 11 points through 10 outings in 2024-25.

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Team Preview

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 16:00:41 +0000

_{ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 18: Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy (12) lines up during an NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken on April 18, 2024, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)}

The Wild missed the playoffs, but they weren’t too far out from a berth, finishing 2023-24 with a 39-34-9 record. For a squad with roughly $15 million in dead cap space because of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s bought-out contracts, it’s impressive they could even get close. Kirill Kaprizov (46 goals, 96 points) was phenomenal, but Minnesota still averaged just 3.02 goals per game, putting the squad 21st offensively, and the goaltending duo of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury floundered despite the Wild’s overall strong defence (the squad tied for seventh defensively with a 2.87 xGA/60). The bigger problem was that Minnesota was simply meh, and that seems to be all the Wild ever are. They’ve had a PTS% above .500 for 12 straight years and have made the playoffs 10 years in that span, but they’ve never gone farther than the second round. They’ve been directionless, neither a major Cup contender nor a team that seems to be making strides towards Cup contention.

WHAT’S CHANGED? Minnesota added bottom-six forward Yakov Trenin. That’s about it. To be fair, defenceman Brock Faber did sign an eight-year, $68 million extension after a fantastic rookie campaign, and veteran defenceman Jacob Middleton was inked to a four-year, $17.4 million contract that will begin in 2025-26, so Minnesota wasn’t quiet even if there wasn’t much roster turnover.

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? Part of the reason why the Wild were signing those long-term deals that come into effect in 2025-26 while simultaneously staying largely out of this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market is because Suter and Parise will still cost a combined $14.7 million against the cap this year. The good news is this is the last season where the Wild have to endure that level of dead-cap space, but it does mean one more year where there isn’t much hope of being anything better than a middle-of-the-pack team. However, a rebound from Gustavsson, who looked great in 2022-23 before faltering last season, would at least make things interesting.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Would squeaking into the playoffs really be a good thing? Dating back to 2013, Minnesota has had just one top 10 pick (Marco Rossi at No. 9). Credit where it’s due, the Wild did manage to snag Kaprizov in the fifth round in 2015, but maybe it would be better if Minnesota could secure a high pick in the 2025 draft, giving them a valuable piece to the puzzle or trade chip to utilize just as the Wild’s cap situation opens up again. Minnesota isn’t built like a team likely to draft early, but the Wild aren’t built like a contender either.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: The Wild don’t have any ideal players to put in this category for the 2024-25 campaign, but Marat Khusnutdinov is worth watching. He had six goals and 20 points across 55 KHL contests as well as a goal and four points in 16 outings with Minnesota last season. The 22-year-old might start the year as the Wild’s third-line center, which is probably a good role for him because he competes in all three zones, but he doesn’t have high-end offensive upside.

FORWARD

Kirill Kaprizov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	52	56	108	1.35

There is no player more electrifying to watch in Minnesota than Kirill Kaprizov and the kinds of numbers he produces makes him even more exciting. Kaprizov had his third straight 40-goal season and put up 46 goals in 75 games for the Wild. His 96 points were best on the team and the second most he’s had in a season since coming over from Russia in 2020-2021. He had an astounding 41 points on the power play (fifth most in the NHL) including 19 goals (tied for third most with Steven Stamkos). Ever since Marian Gaborik departed Minnesota the Wild sought out a player with the raw ability to fill the net at will and Kaprizov is that guy, only he’s better than Gaborik was. Last season, Kaprizov took on an even bigger role regarding ice time and averaged 21:35 per game, up from 21:07 the previous year. He teamed up with Marco Rossi and Mats Zuccarello to give them a fun trio to watch. With Rossi growing into his role as a center in the league between Kaprizov and Zuccarello, it was a group with high potency. Kaprizov also played a lot of minutes with Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek which created a different kind of wrinkle for how to attack teams. Regardless of who Kaprizov plays with, he’s worth taking time out to watch because anyone that can score with skill and flair the way he can makes it worthwhile.

Matt Boldy

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	32	46	78	0.98

When it comes to breakout players in Minnesota, Matt Boldy is one that’s sure to stand out at forward. A year after he put up 31 goals and 63 points, he posted 29 goals and 69 points to set a new career high in just his third season in the league. All Boldy has done since breaking into the NHL is become an immediate impact player for the Wild and it earned him a seven-year, $49 million extension in January 2023 that kicks in this season. Even though that might be reason to be stressed, the unflappable Boldy will take it all in stride. What’s incredible about his 29-goal output last season is if it wasn’t for an early season injury that cost him seven games in October, he could’ve easily bettered his career high. After he returned to action, he went 10 consecutive games without a goal and scored just once in his first 12 games. That kind of drought can happen to anyone, especially after dealing with an injury, but if he can avoid that the Wild will benefit from his regular output. An encouraging aspect to Boldy’s goal scoring is how he upped his power play scoring going from eight goals two years ago to 10 last season and added 15 assists. Making teams pay for taking penalties is vital to swing games and if Boldy and Kaprizov can each pile up goals, it’ll make opponents dread going to the box.

Mats Zuccarello

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	15	49	64	0.86

Given the number of younger offensive players in key roles at forward, having a veteran like Mats Zuccarello is beyond important. It’s even better when he can produce like he was still a young guy, too. Zuccarello had 63 points in 69 games with 51 of those being assists and 28 of them coming on the power play. On a team that has net-fillers like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, having a distributor like Zuccarello does everyone a world of good and that he did all of that at age 36 is outstanding. The biggest thing for Zuccarello and the Wild is that he stays healthy and on the ice. He produced at nearly a point per-game pace last season but missed 13 games. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not too bad, but with how inconsistent the Wild were last season and the changes they made at coach going from Dean Evason to John Hynes halfway through, even missing that many games make it a lot harder to keep up. Minnesota has a good thing in place with Zuccarello playing with Kaprizov and potentially Marco Rossi on their top line and if things fall into place that’s a trio that could lead them back to the playoffs.

Ryan Hartman

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	22	27	49	0.64

Very few players in the NHL play with the kind of ferocious edge Ryan Hartman does and can still put up big offensive numbers. Over the past three seasons with the Wild, Hartman has been a dynamic physical forward capable of playing center or on the wing. Three years ago, he scored 34 goals almost out of nowhere. From that moment on with the newfound offensive confidence, he continued to lean into that role. While injury caused him to miss 23 games two seasons ago, a return to better health last season led him to scoring 21 goals with 24 assists last season in 74 games. He toned down his penchant for taking penalties and increased his proficiency at faceoffs as well to make him a more effective two-way player. Hartman isn’t needed to be part of their top six forward group, instead his set of skills works better in concert with the fierce physical nature of Marcus Foligno to wreak havoc. Although Hartman doesn’t deliver a ton of hits, the ones he makes instantly draw the ire of opponents. For him to be most effective, his line must play straight line, hard hockey and crash the net with impunity to force the issue the way a third line ought to. Expecting another 30-plus goal season out of him might be asking too much, but if he continues to score 20-to-25 and drive opponents mad, it’s exactly what they need.

Joel Eriksson Ek

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	27	33	60	0.76

One of the more unheralded two-way centers in the NHL is Joel Eriksson Ek and it’s about time that changed. Eriksson Ek scored 30 goals last season, the first time he’s reached that mark. He added 34 assists on his way to setting a new career-high in points with 64, breaking his mark of 61 from the previous season. Each season he’s been in the NHL, Eriksson Ek has improved his offensive output either by scoring goals himself or setting up his teammates. His defensive game has always been mindful and strong throughout his career, but watching his offensive game grow over the past few seasons has helped strengthen Minnesota up the middle dramatically. Now that the Wild have worked in some of their top prospects to the NHL, Eriksson Ek has more skill to work with along his wings. Matt Boldy has benefited greatly from having a heady linemate in Eriksson Ek to play off and with a veteran like Marcus Johansson or the electrifying Kirill Kaprizov on the other wing, it gives the Wild a lot of ways to alter their looks up front. What’s more important with Eriksson Ek’s game is that he’s a major contributor in all facets. He’s a vital cog on the power play and is an outstanding penalty killer as well. With that kind of ability, it’s no wonder the Wild value him as much as they do.

Marcus Foligno

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	11	17	28	0.38

Ever since Marcus Foligno joined the Minnesota Wild, he’s embraced what it means to be a leader on and off the ice. He doesn’t wear the captain’s “C” for the Wild, that belongs to Jared Spurgeon, but the way Foligno plays he does it in the way a classic movie hero would lead the charge into battle. Using his size, physicality, and the force he skates with, Foligno can set the tone on every shift. In 55 games last season he had 10 goals and 12 assists to go with 59 penalty minutes. He led the team with 179 hits and considering he missed 27 games, that’s genuinely astounding but was the first time in the past three years he had fewer than 230 hits. His role is clear as a forechecker and shift disturber and he played it to the hilt. Unfortunately, that style of play comes at a price. It was the second straight year Foligno missed significant time because of injury. Two years ago, he missed 17 games and had one fewer point than he did last season with 10 fewer games played. His value to the Wild comes from being in the lineup and playing like a leader on the ice and not having him out there hurts. It’s perhaps not a coincidence that two of the Wild’s acquisitions this summer were hard-hitting, physical players (Jakub Lauko and Yakov Trenin). If Foligno can stay healthy, the Wild will be better for it.

Marco Rossi

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	24	36	60	0.73

Wild fans have waited somewhat patiently for 2020 first round pick Marco Rossi to arrive and stick in the NHL and good things have come to those who waited. Rossi had 21 goals and 19 assists in 82 games last season, his first full one in the NHL, as he graduated out of the AHL and put the hard road since he was drafted behind him. After injuries and a brutal bout with illness, his presence in Minnesota last season injected more excitement to the lineup. He eventually teamed up with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello on the top line and that trio was able to click and produce scoring chances and goals by the bunch. Rossi’s explosion on the scene was a welcome sight given that in his prior 21 NHL games played in the previous two seasons he had just one assist and only 18 shots on goal. While those situations were different, the lack of production then was enough to cast doubt on him even despite the success he had in the AHL. Those fears were allayed quickly once the points happened with regularity. It may have been one season, but this kind of ability is what made Rossi a top pick in 2020, and he’ll be expected to build on that this season. With linemates like he will have, a big year is possible.

Marcus Johansson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	9	22	31	0.41

If one thing’s been proven over the past few seasons, it’s that when Marcus Johansson is healthy, he’s a solid and capable contributor down the lineup. Although he’s not the kind of scorer he was in his younger years with the Washington Capitals, he can help the offence in ways that don’t show up on the score sheet. Last season, the 33-year-old had 11 goals and 19 assists (30 points) in 78 games with a goal and five assists on the power play. Those are not positively eye-popping numbers, but at five-on-five, Johansson was north of 50 percent when it came to shot attempts (50.5) and shot quality for (51.5). Given how Johansson was used in a utility way in the lineup, he was able to keep up with essentially three different lines. He spent virtually equal amounts of five-on-five ice time with Joel Eriksson Ek and Marco Rossi (more than 300 minutes) and nearly 150 minutes with Frederick Gaudreau. Having a versatile style to be able to work with three distinctly different centers is commendable. What would help the Wild and Johansson, however, is a steady spot on a line where they can find chemistry and gel throughout the season. No player is going to be at their best if they’re being shuffled around the lineup and if Johansson is going to produce more offence, finding a group to click with as soon as possible in camp would go a long way to helping that.

Frederick Gaudreau

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	9	11	20	0.25

An area the Wild will need to strengthen if they’re going to push for a return to the playoffs will be their bottom six forward group. While their third line is relatively strong, the fourth line needs some players to step forward to surround center Frederick Gaudreau. Last season, Gaudreau had five goals and 10 assists in 67 games in was strictly a fourth line role. Those lower lines aren’t meant to be havens for offence and those players aren’t generally lynchpins to ensure success, but they’ve still got to positively contribute. Gaudreau had a host of different linemates ranging from Marcus Foligno to Marcus Johansson to Pat Maroon to Ryan Hartman and Brandon Duhaime. With guys constantly shifting around in the lines it’s tough to build chemistry. Fortunately for Gaudreau, he was also on special teams, particularly the penalty kill unit. Unfortunately, Gaudreau was a witness to how much the Wild’s penalty kill struggled as they had the third worst unit in the NHL, only beating out Anaheim and the New York Islanders. Lots of things could’ve gone better for him and the rest of the team, but a new season means a chance to write a new script.

DEFENCE

Jonas Brodin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
68	4	24	28	0.41

It was an exceptionally frustrating season for Jonas Brodin. The Wild’s No. 1 defenceman missed 20 games due to injury and it was a crucial blow to the team as they fell short of the postseason. In 62 games, Brodin had seven goals and 20 assists and averaged 23:22 per game in ice time, second only to rookie Brock Faber. It was the second straight season that injuries prevented him from playing a full season and now at the age of 30 he’ll be looking to put that all behind him and push to get the Wild back to the playoffs. Brodin has never been a big point producer from the blue line, rather his specialty comes from how he handles the defensive part of the game. His way of controlling his area of the ice, denying passes and entries and having spot-on gap control makes him one of the top defensive defencemen in the league, albeit without much fanfare. He’s been excellent at controlling the puck and generating more shot attempts than opponents while also helping to generate a higher quality of scoring chances for his own team. It’s necessary for him to stay healthy for the Wild to get back to the postseason. Even though Faber stepped up far beyond what anyone dreamed, if he must try and take it all on himself again, it’s a lot to ask of a guy that young.

Brock Faber

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	13	43	56	0.68

If it wasn’t for Connor Bedard in Chicago, Brock Faber would’ve won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in a landslide. Faber’s first NHL season was a revelation in Minnesota. In 82 games he had eight goals and 39 assists and averaged an unbelievable 24:58 time on-ice per game as a 21-year-old essentially fresh out of college. From the season opener until the end of the year in April, Faber earned big ice time and even bigger responsibilities. Among defencemen, he played the most minutes on the power play and the penalty kill on top of carrying the load at even strength. Although a lot of that burden was added when Jonas Brodin missed 20 games due to injury, it doesn’t take away from the fact that he had to do it and prior to this season he played all of two NHL games after he signed out of the University of Minnesota in the spring of 2023. It’s virtually unheard of for rookie defencemen to play that many minutes so soon into their career. Defence is an exceedingly difficult position to adapt to in the NHL after coming out of any lower level, be it junior hockey or college. Faber not only jumped in right away, but he was also one of the best in the league instantly. Where he goes from here will be exciting to watch. Sophomore seasons can be tough on young defenders. If he can match last seasons output and grow as a player, that would be a successful season.

Jared Spurgeon

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
68	6	22	28	0.41

A reoccurring theme on the Minnesota Wild blue line was injuries and how they decimated their best players and Jared Spurgeon was hit the hardest. The Wild captain was held to just 16 games because of injuries to his hip and his back that each required surgery. In those games, he had no goals and five assists and still managed to play 23:20 per game. At 34 years old, dealing with damage like that meant he needed to make sure he did the right thing lest he wind up being worse off. He’s expected to be ready for training camp and should all go well he’ll be in the lineup on opening night. Spurgeon’s ability to move the puck well through all three zones and provide an offensive spark from the blue line was very much missed. In his previous two seasons he put up 40 and 34 points respectively and was a vital part of the Wild power play as a setup man from the blue line. He was also a key player on their penalty kill as well and given how poorly that unit performed all season, getting him back in the fold would provide a huge lift. In the few games he played last season, Spurgeon paired up with Jacob Middleton for most of his five-on-five minutes while Jonas Brodin worked with Brock Faber. Getting Spurgeon back with Middleton makes most sense and will provide him with a boost in performance. Here’s to hoping good health finds him and remains.

Jacob Middleton

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	5	19	24	0.30

Two years ago, when the Wild acquired Jacob Middleton from San Jose they nabbed a depth player who made a name for himself after he paired up with and played well alongside Erik Karlsson. Adding anyone who can play off an elite puck mover and scorer like him has inherently good abilities themselves and when he landed in Minnesota he immediately went to work next to Jared Spurgeon. But when Spurgeon missed most of last season and Jonas Brodin was sidelined for 20 games, Middleton was pressed into duty on the Wild’s top pairing with rookie Brock Faber. On the upside, Middleton had a career year with seven goals and 18 assists (25 points). He had only scored seven goals in his career before last season and had a total of 32 points in the five previous seasons he appeared in the NHL. It’s encouraging to see a player make the most of added responsibility and Middleton was able to do that. There was a downside, however, as Middleton and Faber did not work as well defensively as Faber did with Brodin or even as well as Middleton did with Spurgeon. At five-on-five, the pairing was outshot heavily and the two of them were better away from each other than together. In a crisis you make the best of things and that’s what they did, but with Brodin and Spurgeon returning from injury, the pairings should return to what they were before, and everyone should benefit from it.

GOAL

Marc-Andre Fleury

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
28	15	10	3	1	0.902	2.92

Filip Gustavsson

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
51	27	19	6	4	0.908	2.62

It feels like no one could have predicted that of the great goaltending giants of the early aughts, Marc-Andre Fleury would be the longest-standing starter. But two months shy of his fortieth birthday, Fleury is poised to spend at least one more year between the pipes for the rebuilding Minnesota Wild, saving heir apparent Jesper Wallstedt from being brought up to the big leagues too early and providing a lighthearted tandem for Filip Gustavsson as he prepares to be the new veteran in next year's tandem. Fleury's age finally started to show this past season, with the bulk of his goals against coming when he seemed a little too gassed to make the high-flying saves he's always been known for. Always a goaltender who thrives best when playing a rhythm-based game full of fluid movement and smooth, quick skating, Fleury struggled to transition out of butterfly when faced with defensive breakdowns and cross-ice playmaking from his opponents.

Jesper Wallstedt has been quietly tearing up the AHL, though, and it does the Wild no good to bring him up early and shatter his confidence. So, expect Gustavsson - who quietly put up decent numbers last year as a true tandem with Fleury - to start to shoulder more of the workload, expect Fleury to serve as a guiding voice for the two up-and-comers, and expect to see a new face in net by the time the 2025 season kicks off 12 months down the road.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:39:17 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - FEBRUARY 17: Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) shoots the puck while being defended by Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) during the NHL game between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild, on February 17th, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Wild are enduring a nightmare cap situation with the decision to buy out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter leaving the Wild with roughly $12.8 million in dead space in 2022-23. It’s hard to remain competitive under those conditions, but Minnesota ended up being solid with a 46-25-11 record. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson deserves a good share of the credit. In his first season out of Ottawa, the 24-year-old (25 now) posted a 22-9-7 record, 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage in 39 outings. Veteran Marc-Andre Fleury wasn’t as good, but he was at least solid, and the combination resulted in Minnesota allowing the sixth fewest goals per game (2.67). The Wild sorely lacked scoring depth, but Kirill Kaprizov’s 40 goals and 75 points, complemented by Mats Zuccarello, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek each recording at least 60 points, was enough to take advantage of the expert goaltending on most nights. What it wasn’t enough for was to push the Wild forward in the playoffs, though, and they consequently were ousted in the first round by Dallas.

What’s Changed? Very little, thanks to Minnesota’s cap situation. Defenseman Matt Dumba and enforcer Ryan Reaves left as free agents. Meanwhile, the Wild acquired bottom-six forward Patrick Maroon from Tampa Bay.

What would success look like? With Suter and Parise’s cap burden swelling to a combined $14.7 million this year, the Wild will once again be at a competitive disadvantage. Still, goaltender Gustavsson and forwards Eriksson Ek, Kaprizov and Boldy are young, positioning Minnesota to have a solid core for years to come. The Wild’s awkward cap situation runs through 2024-25, but after that they’ll be able to make major additions at a time when their core is in its prime. In the meantime, this is largely the same group that got them to the playoffs last year, so a similar outcome in 2023-24 wouldn’t be absurd.

What could go wrong? Though perhaps too much is resting on Gustavsson’s shoulders. He’s only played in 66 career NHL games, and not every goaltender who looks great at first goes on to have a strong career. If he regresses, that would be a huge problem because Fleury, who will turn 39 in November, shouldn’t be counted on to start regularly at this point. As it is, there’s no guarantee he’ll even be a good backup given his age.

Top Breakout Candidate: Although Minnesota had four players last year with at least 60 points, no one else on the team reached even the 40-point milestone. The Wild desperately need secondary scoring and Marco Rossi might be able to provide that. He’s been limited to an assist in 21 career NHL games, but Rossi has a lot of offensive upside and shined in the AHL last season, scoring 16 goals and 51 points in 53 outings. He should get a long look during training camp as a middle-six option.

Forwards

Kirill Kaprizov - LW

For the Minnesota Wild to have one of the most exciting players in the NHL, it’s a rare treat for their fans and for fans around the league. In just his third season, Kirill Kaprizov dazzled by piling up goals by the bucketload. He had his second straight 40-goal season by putting 40 up on the nose. His 75-point season was a drop from the 108 he had the year before, but he also missed 15 games because of a lower-body injury. Kaprizov led the Wild in goals and points for the third consecutive year and because of his outrageous ability to create offense, he’s hands down the Wild’s most important player. Minnesota was 23rd in the NHL in goals scored and Kaprizov accounted for 16.7 percent of them and nearly a third of their total offense. The Wild had strong goaltending and defense, but they had only a few players capable of finishing with regularity (four players had 20 or more goals). Kaprizov’s regular success since entering the NHL shows he can continue to do it and it’s clear the Wild absolutely need him to keep it up. While he and Mats Zuccarello were regularly together, Ryan Hartman’s injury hurt their overall production. A healthy Hartman should help Kaprizov make a run at the century mark once again.

Joel Eriksson Ek - C

The Wild’s outstanding two-way center was having a huge season for a team that was eager to make noise in the postseason, but ultimately, Joel Eriksson Ek’s season was derailed in April because he broke his leg blocking a shot late in the regular season. Eriksson Ek had 23 goals and a career-high 61 points last season in 78 games. Eriksson Ek attempted to return in Game 3 of their first round series against Dallas but lasted 19 seconds before departing for good. He ultimately needed surgery for the broken leg and will be ready for training camp and the regular season. Eriksson Ek has built up his offensive game steadily over his career, increasing his output each season since he entered the league in 2016-2017. The bar is set high for him now after his performance last season, but he teamed up mostly with Marcus Foligno and Matt Boldy last season, the latter of whom was third on the Wild in goals and points. A healthy Eriksson Ek will be vital to them returning to the postseason and improving their success therein. He’s vital to their 5-on-5 play, of course, but also to their power play and penalty kill. Do-it-all players like Eriksson Ek are the difference makers in the playoffs.

Matt Boldy - LW

While Kirill Kaprizov gets most of the attention in Minnesota, Matt Boldy is their other young star player who gives fans the most hope of a Stanley Cup down the road. In his second season in nearly twice as many games, Boldy scored 31 goals and had 63 points. He was third on the team in both categories and eight of his goals came on the power play. The Wild believe in Boldy in a big way. They signed him to a seven-year, $49 million extension in January and based on the numbers he put up, it was a heads-up move by GM Bill Guerin because further 30-goal seasons (or more) would’ve made that price a lot more uncomfortable. At 22 years old, Boldy is the key young player for the Wild. As good as Kaprizov is, he’s 26 years old after coming over from Russia. Boldy, the 12th pick in the 2019 draft, was one of the Wild’s top performers in possession and expected goal percentage at 5-on-5. While that’s not surprising for a player that had the kind of success he did, for a player at his age it’s beyond encouraging to see that he’s already among the best on the team. His career is just getting started, but the future for him is very bright.

Ryan Hartman - RW

An upper-body injury wreaked havoc on Ryan Hartman last season. In 59 games, he had 15 goals and 37 points. After putting up 34 goals and 65 points two years ago, the injury sidetrack was a tough blow for him and the Wild alike. Hartman plays a rugged, physical game and is a menace all over the ice, particularly around the net in the offensive zone. Despite missing 23 games after getting injured in a fight, he was second on the team in penalty minutes (90) which affirms how much he’s able to get under the skin of opposing players. Hartman’s physical nature is needed as the center between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello because those two players aren’t out there to throw the body and get nasty. Hartman handles the dirty work, and he does it well and gets rewarded for it by cashing in on points. Hartman’s become a de facto No. 1 center because he’s most found between those two players. With Marco Rossi potentially on the way to the NHL this season, things could change up the middle for Minnesota’s forward units, but after the consistent success Hartman has had, it would take significant improvement from Rossi to unseat him.

Mats Zuccarello - C

It’s hard to find players as consistently strong offensively as Mats Zuccarello. The 35-year-old Norwegian was second on the Wild with 67 points. Zuccarello is a solid even strength scorer, but he’s also dynamite on the power play. He had nine goals and 29 points on the man advantage last season, and he averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game playing on the Wild’s top line. His production was a bit down compared to two years ago, but considering his age and that he had a career-high 79 points then, that he was still one of the team’s top scorers and vital to their success, it says everything you need to know about him. He teamed up on a line with Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman (as well as Sam Steel in Hartman’s injury absence) and that group drove Minnesota’s offense throughout the season. While Kaprizov and Hartman do more damage scoring goals, Zuccarello excels at setting them up to score. It’s hard to think coach Dean Evason would break that trio up this season, but if Marco Rossi makes a strong case in training camp or throughout the season, things could change. That said, the chemistry those three players have is outstanding and that goes a long way to helping set the lines. This season is a contract year for Zuccarello, and he’ll be 36 once it begins. He’ll have a lot to play for every year from here on out until he retires.

Marcus Johansson - RW

A return to Minnesota was just the thing Marcus Johansson needed to rejuvenate his game. Johansson began last season with Washington, but the Wild re-acquired him around the trade deadline and in 20 games in Minnesota he posted 18 points including six goals. Overall, he had 46 points in 80 games between the Capitals and Wild, but his play to close out the season with Minnesota earned him a new two-year, $4 million contract to stay put. Johansson was last in Minnesota in 2020 after he was acquired in a trade with Buffalo. He played 36 games in the COVID-19-shortened season and put up 14 points in 36 games and later departed for Seattle in free agency. But his return to the Twin Cities lit a fire under him and he also contributed two goals in the Wild’s six-game series loss to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs. His offensive abilities are strong, and he gives the Wild key depth they’ll need to keep up with the other playoff contenders in the West. Johansson played well on a line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy and it stands to reason he’ll be back with them again when the season begins. Johansson will turn 33 this season so his veteran presence is important, but they’ll need him to help spur Boldy to more goals and help on the power play even more this year.

Marcus Foligno - LW

Although he’s not the captain of the team, there’s little doubt that one of the Wild’s strongest on-ice leaders is Marcus Foligno. “Moose” takes care of business on the ice by chipping in with the occasional well-timed goal but also by delivering punishing hits and the occasional fight to fire his teammates up. He had seven goals and 21 points in 65 games last season (lower-body injuries caused him to miss games throughout the year) but he led the Wild with 237 hits which placed him in the top-15 in the NHL in that category. He also led the team with 97 penalty minutes. While that’s not the kind of category you want a player to lead, his penalties were generally crimes of effort because of the physical nature. Two seasons ago, Foligno had a career year with 23 goals and 42 points and assuredly the Wild would love to see him return to that kind of form, but he’ll need good health to allow for that possibility. He teamed up most often with Joel Eriksson Ek last season as well as Jordan Greenway before he was traded to Buffalo. This season he may wind up on a line with Frederick Gaudreau depending on how things shake out. One thing that’s for sure is whoever he’s on a line with can reap the benefits of having one of the league’s hardest working players leading the way.

Frederick Gaudreau - C

One of Minnesota’s most pleasant stories the past two seasons has centered around Frederick Gaudreau. When the Wild signed him as a free agent in the summer of 2021, he just finished his fourth NHL season after a year in Pittsburgh and three previously in Nashville with plenty of time spent in the AHL as well. Since becoming a regular with the Wild, he’s scored 33 goals and has 82 points in 158 games. He set a career high with 19 goals last season and finished with 38 points. His first season in Minnesota saw him put up 44 points. Playing as a third line center, Gaudreau has found a home in Minnesota and a role as the ultimate versatile forward. He played most of his minutes last season with Matt Boldy but also carved up equal amounts of time with Mats Zuccarello, Kirill Kaprizov, Jordan Greenway, Brandon Duhaime, and others. Having a player like that who can step in between any two wingers and be able to be productive and not a detriment is desperately needed for any team in the league. The Wild having Gaudreau score 35-to-45 points while being that guy helps steady their lineup in general, but he particularly makes their middle-or-bottom-six more potent offensively.

Brandon Duhaime - RW

When Brandon Duhaime arrived in the NHL two seasons ago, he announced his presence with physical authority delivering hits and racking up penalty minutes. Last season, things calmed down a bit but a lot of that was due to unfortunate upper-body injuries that held him to 51 games. In that time, he had nine goals and one assist but still managed to pile up 146 hits and 42 penalty minutes. When you consider he had 122 PIM and 201 hits in 80 games in his rookie season the year before, it’s easy to identify which part of the game was missing from the Wild lineup. Duhaime’s feisty play fed Minnesota’s energy lines where he teamed up most often with Conor Dewar, Ryan Reaves, and Frederick Gaudreau. The message was clear when he took a shift: it was time to stir the game up and raise the temperature a few degrees. As he enters his third season, he’s hopeful the injury issues will be behind him so he can contribute regularly and give the Wild more of the physical element they’re looking for deeper in their lineup. Duhaime has no reluctance to get involved and it’s made him a favorite among the fan base.

Pat Maroon - LW

The Wild’s six-game ouster from the postseason to Dallas last year sent a message that was clear as day to read: They needed a spark. They were pushed around by the Stars and often outclassed despite it being a six-game series and to address that they brought in a Stanley Cup champion ringer in Pat Maroon. After winning the Cup three seasons in a row with St. Louis and twice with Tampa Bay, Maroon will try to bring that good fortune with him to St. Paul where the Wild could use a hearty injection of his gamesmanship and grit. Last season with Tampa Bay, Maroon had five goals and 14 points but led the NHL with 150 penalty minutes. He also posted 172 hits and while hits aren’t a lacking category on the Wild with the likes of Marcus Foligno and Brandon Duhaime among others, Maroon’s play helps establish the tone. The Wild didn’t trade for Maroon as a means to reinvent the wheel so to speak, but rather to give them a third- or fourth-line winger who can contribute and knows what it takes to go all the way and that’s a book full of lessons the Wild need to desperately study.

Defense

Jonas Brodin - D

When it comes to defensive defensemen, Jonas Brodin stands out among them as one of the most respected in the league. While Brodin can help with the offensive game, it’s how he handles himself and opponents when he’s on the ice that makes him special. He’s always tasked with the toughest matchups and must fend off the league’s most ferocious scorers, game in and game out. Brodin missed 22 games last season and had three goals and 14 points last season which was a down year for him. In recent years, 20-to-30 points has been a more likely outcome, but he can partially be excused thanks to injury. Still, his 0.23 points per game as his lowest output since 2018-2019. All that said, Brodin was the Wild’s best defenseman in shot attempt percentage and was second best in expected goal percentage. Steady is what teams want from defensemen and the Wild are ecstatic that Brodin is nothing but steady. He averaged the most time on-ice per game on the roster and as he goes, so does Minnesota’s defense. Being solid defensively doesn’t often make the highlight reels, but Brodin is exceptional in his ability.

Jared Spurgeon - D

The Minnesota Wild captain showed why he earned the “C” on his jersey with how he handles the blue line. His 34 points was the best among Wild defensemen as were his 11 goals. Spurgeon has always had a strong offensive game throughout his career and his point total fell in line almost perfectly with his career output. In six of the past seven seasons, he’s scored 30-or-more points and that one outlier season was the COVID-19-shortened 2020-2021 season and he still had 25 points that year. Spurgeon is the guy that once owned the power play but now he’s become their penalty killing stalwart thanks to the arrival of Calen Addison. That said, he’s still getting time on the power play just on a support unit instead of the main group. He averaged nearly 22 minutes of ice time per game last season and got Lady Byng votes because he only had 14 penalty minutes. Spurgeon’s all-around play is outstanding and even though he’s not exactly a large-sized player at 5’9” 166 pounds, he performs in a big way. The Wild count on him in a big way and that he paired up almost exclusively with Jacob Middleton last season, he’s got a partner who will do a lot of the dirty work needed to free him up to create offensively when needed.

Calen Addison - D

Trading Jason Zucker was not an easy move for the Wild back in February 2020, but that they came away with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top prospect at the time turned out to be a big win because Calen Addison has lived up to his scouting reports. Addison got his first full-season taste of the NHL last season after splitting time between the AHL and NHL the previous two and put up 29 points including three goals in 62 games. Addison’s skill as a puck mover was well evident in his play and how he was able to conduct himself as the Wild’s No. 1 power play quarterback was strong as the Wild had the No. 15 power play in the league and scored 21.4 percent of the time. What the Wild hope to see out of Addison this season is a guy who’s grown into his skin and the roles he’ll move ahead with on the team. He showed savvy and confidence in how he handled the puck last season, but after getting the first real season under his belt, they’ll bank on him to be a lead puck mover in all situations and to improve upon his all-around numbers on the power play and ideally give the Wild a power play to be feared across the league.

Goaltending

Filip Gustavsson - G

When the Minnesota Wild traded veteran Cam Talbot to the Ottawa Senators and brought in the younger, cheaper Filip Gustavsson, it seemed like a gamble designed just to tide them over until prospect Jesper Wallstedt was ready to go pro. And instead, Gustavsson took the opportunity to prove that sometimes, all a young goaltender needs are a new environment with a little more structure; after putting up one of the worst performances of the rotating carousel of goaltenders Ottawa had trotted out the year prior, Gustavsson put up not just the best performance in Minnesota but one of the best in the entire league.

Gustavsson boasts a litany of prototypical Swedish goaltending traits, preferring to push across the crease from his knees and staying in motion rather than setting and trying to maintain good mental rhythm without physical accompaniment. But while he struggled not to show his hand too early during his stint in Ottawa, the more structured environment of Minnesota’s goaltending situation helped to give the young NHLer a chance to establish better harmony with his defense and look more at home holding his feet instead of giving himself away. He looked more in control of the space he occupied in the blue paint during his time with the Wild last year, and the reliability of his game – he doesn’t seem to try to do too much, even when things get chaotic around the net – helped elevate the team’s play in front of him, too. With Marc-Andre Fleury creeping closer to 40 and the team likely needing to limit the future Hall of Famer’s starts more in the coming year, the real test will be to see just how well Gustavsson can replicate his successes from last season as the likely de facto number one for the Central Division club.

Projected starts: 50-55

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – NHL Player Profiles

Joe Yerdon – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:58:24 +0000

ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 16: Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) starts to turn up ice during a game between the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues on April 16, 2022, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Kirill Kaprizov

A lot of players after a monster rookie season will have the infamous “sophomore slump” but then again, most players aren’t Kirill Kaprizov. The 25-year-old Russian built upon his Calder-winning season by scoring 47 goals and 108 points. That point total made him fifth in the NHL and his goal total tied him with Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor for fifth best. Kaprizov set Wild team records for goals, assists (61), and points in a season and set the team record for most even strength goals (33) along with Ryan Hartman. Kaprizov was also the best forward when it comes to possession with a 53.6 CF% at 5-on-5, as only defenseman Jared Spurgeon (55.4) was better. Unsurprisingly, Kaprizov was the most dangerous player on the power play leading the team with 14 goals and 31 points. To call him a difference-maker since joining the Wild would be a vast understatement. He’s a legit top-10 player in the NHL and one of its elite scorers. The questions now are how long he can perform at this level, and can he exceed what he accomplished last season. He’s already a challenger for both the Rocket Richard and Art Ross trophies and gunning for the Hart Trophy comes naturally with those. Expect him to be in all those conversations this season.

Mats Zuccarello

It’s rare to see a player have the best season of their career after turning 30, but at 34 that’s precisely what Mats Zuccarello did. He was third on the Wild with 79 points including 24 goals. Zuccarello teamed up with Kaprizov and Hartman to have, perhaps, one of the most unexpected offensive explosions by a line in the NHL. Early in his career with the New York Rangers, Zuccarello was a steady offensive player capable of scoring 45-60 points per season. His first season with Minnesota was disappointing comparably, but the past two seasons has seen him produce at the best rates of his career (0.83 and 1.13 points per game). Teaming him up with Kaprizov likely has a lot to do with that jump, if not everything, but it’s still better than almost every other season he’s played in the NHL. That doesn’t generally happen for players past age 30, never mind their mid-30s. What benefits him most is he’s a naturally smart player on offense and has tremendous vision for passing as well as a sky-high hockey IQ. His size was something always used as a reason why he wouldn’t have success, but at 5-foot-8, 184 pounds he’s proved that size doesn’t always mean results.

Joel Eriksson Ek

The 25-year-old from Sweden has become one of the better defensive forwards in the league. Eriksson Ek was the Wild’s first round pick (20th) in 2015 and the improvement in his game over the past five seasons has been as impressive as it is noticeable. He set career-highs in goals (26), assists (23), and points (49) and was the smallest player on his line with Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. Mind you, Eriksson Ek is 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds. He was third on the team in key advanced statistics with a 53.2 CF% and 56.9 xG%. Eriksson Ek fits in well with his linemates because, like them, he’s unafraid to throw his body around. He was fourth in hits with 138 behind Foligno (238), Brandon Duhaime (201), and Greenway (155) respectively. Physicality is contagious, but to have it come from what’s essentially the No. 2 scoring line makes them a rare team the way the NHL is played these days. Most teams will have fast-skating or overly agile lines with finishing ability, the Wild instead have a line that will punish opponents physically and drop the gloves if needed and it’s Eriksson Ek who drives the line in all those facets.

Ryan Hartman

In the seven seasons prior to last season, Ryan Hartman never scored more than 20 goals or had more than 31 points in a single season. To say that his 34-goal, 65-point season came out of nowhere is beyond true. Even in his two years previous with the Wild there was never any kind of hint this kind of outburst was possible, never mind likely. What stands out about it is that it’s the first time he played center in a full-time basis meaning, like Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, an unexpected position change turned Hartman into a goal-scoring dynamo. What helped Hartman’s scoring explode was how he shot 14.2 percent on 239 shots, career-highs in both categories as well. Is regression likely to hit hard? Probably. In his other seasons, the highest shot percentage he posted was 11.2 percent in his first full NHL season with Chicago. Normally he’s been between 8-10 percent. That said, in no other season did he play with offense drivers like Kaprizov and Zuccarello. That Hartman is a dogged forechecker with a willingness to hit, it gives him an element to his game that his linemates Kaprizov and Zuccarello lack and plenty of reasons to watch and see if he can continue to be an offensive factor.

Matthew Boldy

The anticipation that surrounded the eventual arrival of Matthew Boldy to the NHL was at a high level in the Twin Cities and when he made it to the Wild, the wait was worth it. In 47 games, Boldy posted 15 goals and 39 points and is poised to become a serious point producer from here out. The 21-year-old was the 12th overall pick in the 2019 Draft and signed with the Wild after he finished his sophomore season at Boston College in 2021. After 24 total games in the AHL in the past two seasons, his move to the NHL happened at a rapid pace, but sometimes players just need to be where they’ll flourish best. At 6-foot-2, 201 pounds, Boldy has an NHL build. He also has the kind of vision and play-making ability to improve everyone around him. He also excels at helping creating scoring chances. Boldy posted a 57 percent expected goals rate, behind only Foligno. What will be curious to watch is where Boldy factors into the lineup. It would appear their top two lines from last season are back, and Kevin Fiala–who was traded to Los Angeles–was the other winger on Boldy’s line with Frederick Gaudreau. That will put the onus on coach Dean Evason to find ways to get Boldy more involved.

Marcus Foligno

In his first 10 NHL seasons, Marcus Foligno never broke the 20-goal mark, nor had he scored 30 points in a season. Last season he was able to check off both accomplishments with a 23-goal, 42-point campaign. He also never had a season with more than 100 penalty minutes either until he had 112 last year. Through his career with Buffalo and Minnesota, 30-year-old Foligno has always been a physical player who thrives on throwing the body and wearing down opponents in the process, but he’s never been the kind of offense driver he was last season. Foligno isn’t a prolific shooter. He’s never had more than 100 shots in a season, although he came close last year with 98. All this does is make it impossible to predict how he’ll score by examining his shooting percentage. Where Foligno does a lot of damage is in close to the net cleaning up rebounds and pouncing on pucks down low. His 23.5 percent shooting last season was highest in the NHL and was down four percent from the previous season. Even with all those physical numbers, his possession numbers were still strong with a 52.5 CF%, He also led the team with a 57.8 xG% which exemplifies how he's getting scoring chances in quality areas consistently while also not being on the ice for many against him. With his play style and willingness to stand up for teammates, he’s very much the heart and soul of the Wild.

Frederick Gaudreau

The Wild were a team that thrived on players having productive seasons out of the blue. Another such player was center Frederick Gaudreau. The 29-year-old from Quebec earned a spot on the Wild out of training camp and took full advantage of it and posted a career-year with 14 goals and

44 points. It was Gaudreau’s first season playing entirely in the NHL, and he earned his way onto the third line where he teamed up with Kevin Fiala and Matthew Boldy to give the Wild a third line with equal parts skill and speed. At 6-feet tall and 179 pounds, Gaudreau is a deft skater who uses forechecking to get the puck back when his line doesn’t have it. He also carved out a consistent role with the team by being solid on special teams. Gaudreau had three points on the power play and was one of their regular players on the penalty kill. Although special teams were not one of their strongest areas, Gaudreau’s penalty kill numbers, respectively, were good. If he can build on his solid play from last year, chances are strong he’ll be able to improve his stats as well.

Jordan Greenway

As part of one of the biggest, most physical lines in the NHL that can also fill the net, Jordan Greenway casts an imposing shadow. At 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, he’s the definition of what a power forward is built like and is a tenacious forechecker as well as a physically punishing player. He hits a lot, and he hits hard. His 155 hits last season was third-best on the Wild behind Foligno and Duhaime who each had more than 200 apiece. Greenway averaged 14:34 in ice time last season and his numbers differ from his linemates Foligno and Eriksson Ek because he doesn’t get much, if any, time on special teams. Greenway is out there to wear teams down at even strength and to intimidate opponents to keep them from winning too many puck battles in corners and along the boards. Even though descriptions like that don’t sound flattering to his offensive abilities, he can add points too. He had 27 points last season, five off his career high, and his 10 goals were two shy of his career-high 12. With the way his line plays and the fact Foligno has made a living crashing the net in Minnesota, it stands to reason Greenway could scrum his way into more goals.

Tyson Jost

The 24-year-old forward and No. 10 pick from the 2016 NHL Draft was a late-season acquisition from the Colorado Avalanche which sent Nico Sturm to Denver. As a one-for-one deal it was a means of getting two players a new setting to turn things around. In 21 games with Minnesota, Jost’s first impressions were OK with two goals and four assists. In all 80 games with the Wild and Avalanche he totaled eight goals and 12 assists. His 20 points are in line with how he’s performed in his previous four-plus seasons. Unfortunately, his average ice time per game has dipped slowly since then. His 12:51 per game with the Wild wasn’t great but was nearly a minute-and-a-half more than Sturm played and two-plus minutes more than others who were regular players like Duhaime and Nick Bjugstad. With a fresh training camp with Minnesota there’s an opportunity for Jost to grab a spot on the third or fourth line and perhaps be the latest Wild player to break out. With Kevin Fiala gone to L.A., there’s a spot up for grabs next to Gaudreau and Boldy, presumably, and Jost’s junior and college career showed he has skill to fill the net. If he can reclaim that ability the Wild would be even more dangerous in the Western Conference.

DEFENSE

Jared Spurgeon

The Minnesota Wild captain thrived last season. Known best for his puck handling ability, and he used that to become their best all-around threat from the blue line. He had 40 points, with 10 of those goals, to be the top scorer on defense. He also led defensemen in key advanced statistical measures with a 55.4 CF% and a 56.4 xG% at 5-on-5. To be a player that unites both old-school and new-school types means doing a lot of everything right. Spurgeon’s 40-point season was his best since 2018-2019 when he had a career-high 43 points and by reaching 10 goals it marked the fifth time he hit double figures in the category. Spurgeon split time among two different partners on the blue line in Alex Goligoski and Jacob Middleton. With Goligoski he had a CF% of nearly 59 percent. But after Middleton was acquired from San Jose at the trade deadline the two were paired up quite often and his possession numbers were below 48 percent. Of course, Middleton’s main strength isn’t exactly puck carrying. It’s tough to believe those two would remain a pairing with those results, but the Wild offense scored almost twice as many goals as allowed at 5-on-5 (15-8) when they were together. Maintaining production and giving Spurgeon a partner that doubles as a bodyguard can be appealing.

Jonas Brodin

All Jonas Brodin does game in, and game out is play superb defense. That’s a big undersell for one of the most under-appreciated blue liners in the NHL. Brodin led the Wild in average ice time per game clocking in at 23:26 per game. He piles on the minutes because he’s their No. 1 defenseman at 5-on-5, their top defender on the penalty kill, and worked the second power play unit. It resulted in him having a career-high in points with 30, seven on the power play. At 29 years old, Brodin is as steady as can be but at a very high level. He paired up with Matt Dumba almost exclusively last season, but also had Dmitry Kulikov when Dumba missed time. His possession numbers were slightly higher with Kulikov than Dumba, but Brodin and Dumba were excellent in keeping scoring chances reduced. In general, Brodin was solid in advanced numbers. At 5-on-5 he had a 52.5 CF% (third-best among Wild defensemen) and his 55.5 xG% was second only to Jared Spurgeon on defense. A big reason for that is how well Brodin handles the puck in general as well as under pressure. Expect him to again be the rock upon which the Wild defense is built.

Matt Dumba

This will be a season to watch Matt Dumba closely because he can become an unrestricted free agent in July. Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin are already locked in long-term and the Wild have the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts causing them cap pain for the next few seasons. The Wild added defense prospect Brock Faber in the Fiala trade and Calen Addison is knocking on the door. The Wild love Dumba but it’s fair to ask if this will be his final season in Minnesota or if he’ll even finish the season there. As one of the Wild’s jack-of-all-trades defenders, the one thing that got in Matt Dumba’s way last season was injury. A trio of injuries, two upper-body and one lower, caused him to miss 23 games, but during the 59 he did suit up he did well. He put up seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points with five coming on the power play. Since he spent nearly 90 percent of his 5-on-5 time with Brodin, there was plenty of ice time and Dumba averaged 23:06 per game. It was the sixth straight season Dumba averaged 20 or more minutes a game. Dumba plays in all situations and shows consistently how his steady game can cool down excited situations in the defensive zone. His heavy shot from the point can provide an option on offense as well. If this is it for him in Minnesota, the Wild know they’d be losing someone important.

Jacob Middleton

The allure of a tough player in the NHL will always attract fans, GMs, and coaches alike and that’s what makes Jacob Middleton so popular. Standing 6-foot-3 and 219 pounds, Middleton is a certified big guy and his penchant for using it to wear opponents down and give a bit of protection for his defense partners makes him an attractive player. Minnesota acquired him at the trade deadline last season from San Jose in exchange for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and put him right to work with Jared Spurgeon. While their skill sets and sizes couldn’t be more different, he was brought in almost specifically with Spurgeon in mind.At nearly 27 years old, it took Middleton a few seasons to crack through to the NHL being stuck in what was a loaded Sharks system. But there he saw plenty of time providing a physical balance on a pairing with Erik Karlsson. Middleton isn’t a point-getter. In the AHL he maxed out at 28 points in 67 games with AHL San Jose back in 2017-2018. He’s also not even a tough guy in the classic sense because he’s never eclipsed 100 PIM in a season going back to his junior hockey days. But his strength comes in being smart about throwing hits (he had 118 between the Sharks and Wild last season) and not backing down from a fight (11 career fighting majors through 80 NHL games). Expect to hear more about Middleton as the season goes on.

GOALTENDING

Marc-Andre Fleury

It’s hard to say just what Minnesota is going to get this year – and it might be even harder, if possible, to root against them. They’ll enter the 2022-23 season with veteran Marc-Andre Fleury – who, with Mike Smith out in Edmonton, will be the second-oldest goaltender in the league – as their clear starter, fresh off a bizarre whirlwind year that saw him dealt to the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks and forced to make his case on the ice in order to earn a move to the playoff-bound Wild mid-season.

Fleury will be 38-years old by the time the season is over, and the story remains the same as it has been for the last four years. As one of the NHL’s most high-octane and reflex-driven goaltenders, his game will only thrive if he’s able to continue playing at the level he’s been at for the last eighteen years. He’s only as good as his most dynamic saves, and he can only post those when he’s able to perform at an elite level for a full sixty minutes. With every passing season, the wear and tear he’s sustained – his 939 career regular season NHL games are seventh among goaltenders all-time – make it riskier to bet on him continuing to achieve that goal from a technical standpoint. But despite that, he’s managed to defy the odds each and every passing season; he likely can’t pull off a 70-game season without hitting a lull, but he managed to even post quality numbers behind the free-falling Blackhawks until they dealt him to the Wild within the Division. He continues to have some magical level of youth that keeps him pushing smoothly through his crease and out into the slot, although he’s managed to rein in some of his tendencies to over-slide and get set out near the hashmarks. And ultimately, eighteen years in the NHL – behind lottery-worthy teams and Stanley Cup contenders alike – have gifted Fleury with incredible instincts. He knows his limitations at this point enough to know when to pull out all the stops and when to make the simpler save, and that seems to have left him capable of preserving his energy enough to keep his teams in games even when everyone expects him to finally bow out. The real question, it seems, isn’t if he’s still got life left – it’s simply if he has enough life left to get the Wild through a deep playoff run this year.

Projected starts: 60-65

AHL Report: Pacific – All Star Break Edition

Tom Dorsa — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 16:21:29 +0000

The seven teams in the AHL's Pacific Division have a far harder time evaluating their players, their team system, and anything else than the 24 clubs in the three other divisions.

Firstly, Pacific Division teams only play 68 games, as opposed to the typical 76 games played by every other team, and can only formulate their schedule around the geographic hardships of traveling from the West Coast and back.

Secondly, the smaller sample sizes of fewer games played -- and fewer common opponents -- can make an organization's front office scratch their head. In this regard, coaches and prospects with a high hockey IQ have more of an impact in the Pacific Division than in other divisions because of the way they must create innovative strategies to beat a team they have seen seven or more times in the season.

In addition, during the National Hockey League's annual All-Star Game break, a good amount of two-way players on the NHL roster are sent down for conditioning. On account of this, we can see how the top prospects playing in the AHL mesh with solidified NHLers, and how it effects their usage within a team's lineup.

In this piece, we will be emptying the notebook on prospects playing in the AHL's Pacific Division, with a focus on league All-Stars competing in this year's AHL All-Star Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

The Barracuda were represented by three players on the Pacific Division's All-Star roster, forward Francis Perron, defenseman Jacob Middleton, and goaltender Josef Korenar, all high-quality and youthful prospects.

Perron (unranked in Ottawa's preseason prospect rankings) is an exclamation point on the parent club's acquisition of Erik Karlsson, as the Senators threw the 22-year-old into the package mostly to help even out the contracts changing hands. Perron (14-17-31) has blossomed into a potential NHLer, overcoming his slight frame and poor acceleration to become an impact player in the AHL. He is extremely creative on offense, both in finding Grade A passing lanes and designing shooting lanes for himself and others.

Middleton (20th) is acting as found gold for San Jose in his third season with the organization. The big and bulky defenseman earned a brief recall to the Sharks in the midst of his All-Star season, as his smarts, maturity, and decent mobility for a 6-3" blueliner have turned a reclamation project into an eventual success. With solid gaps, intelligent playmaking, and penalty-killing skills, Middleton (2-10-12) screams NHLer.

Korenar (unranked) is only 21 years old and has been one of the AHL's top goaltenders. In 20 games, he has posted a 16-3-1 record, 2.20 GAA, and .922 Sv%. Highly athletic, Korenar is able to mask his lack of size (6-1", 185lbs) by frequently challenging shooters and playing at the lip of his crease, but maintains the ability to move from side to side and cover gaps with his insane foot quickness. He needs to work on rebound control and composure.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

TUCSON, AZ - DECEMBER 12: Tucson Roadrunners defenseman Kyle Capobianco (23) controls the puck (Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire)

Tucson's lone All-Star Classic representative was defenseman Kyle Capobianco, a wonderfully talented puck-rushing blueliner who isn't far away from a permanent NHL roster spot. Capobianco (7th) is a playmaker by every definition, a skilled skater with beautiful acceleration, edgework, and pivots who controls play every time he takes the ice.

A passing specialist before this season, Capobianco (7-25-32) has an improving shot and has been more willing to let it rip on the power play, on which he is the quarterback for the Roadrunners; the 21-year-old has three power-play tallies and a team-high 93 shots. He could be better in his own zone, specifically with forcing shots to the outside and being more active with his stick.

Adam Helewka (17th) has been a solid offensive contributor with a developing two-way game, but his skating is still a huge issue for him. The offseason trade acquisition from the Sharks system could be a useful NHL fourth-liner, but it feels like he has already reached his once projected ceiling.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

San Diego sent Troy Terry to the All-Star Game as a well-deserved nod to the rookie forward. After all, Terry (3rd) has been a revelation for the Gulls this season, with his ridiculously quick and deceptive hands as well as his innovation with the puck being key factors in the former fifth-round pick driving the play for San Diego.

Up in Anaheim and in the AHL, Terry (16-23-39) has been a forceful player on the physical side, being able to absorb hits and keep the play moving, which had been a major impediment for him in the past. However, his defensive game (and his skating, though that will never be a strong suit for him), will need to take a step forward.

Terry's usual centerman, Sam Steel (1st), has been less impressive, but solid in his own right. Though Steel, a 2016 first-rounder and prolific scorer in the WHL and the World Junior Championships, made the Ducks roster out of training camp, he was sent down after 13 games and has been refining his craft in the AHL.

Steel's lack of assertiveness is his biggest flaw so far in his young pro career. He has all the tools -- grading as an above-average skater, shooter, playmaker, and physical player -- but hasn't shown the foot-on-your-neck attitude seen out of him in Regina. He has put up some reliable offense in a middle-six role (12-16-28) but is being far too patient and passive out there.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

The Condors had two league All-Stars in forwards Joe Gambardella and Cooper Marody, both getting the nod as top-line dynamos in a pretty consistent Bakersfield lineup. While three years and a few distinctions separate the two (Marody was drafted and traded for while Gambardella signed with Edmonton as a non-drafted free agent out of college) , they have had somewhat similar career paths.

Both are relatively short and stocky players with a lot of toughness and reliability, both have made their NHL debut in a depleted Oilers lineup this season, and both have lit up the AHL in 2018-19. Gambardella (unranked) is doing it as an incredibly accurate and lethal shooter who gets into tough places and never hesitates to fire the puck on goal, boasting a team-high 21 goals (21-14-35).

Marody (4th) is more of a playmaker, but is an overall dynamic offensive asset in the Condors' lineup. The former Flyers prospect has a gift in his patience and ability to control pace on the ice, using his vision and quick stick to tally up an impressive point total (9-24-33). Marody is quite slow on his feet and his shot isn't the same weapon it was at Michigan, but he can carve out a bottom-six NHL role eventually.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

The Eagles sent two players to the AHL All-Star Classic, veteran forward Andrew Agozzino and 28-year-old rookie goaltender Pavel Francouz. This is Agozzino's eighth AHL season and only Francouz' first, and while neither of the two qualify as legitimate prospects, Francouz has an inside track to jumping up to the NHL and helping the parent club out.

The team signed the former KHLer after he made a show at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Russia for the Czech Republic, and he has been solid for the Eagles this season, posting a 15-10-1 record, 2.84 GAA, and .915 Sv%.

As far as prospects go, A.J. Greer (18th) is experiencing a resurgence of sorts, putting behind him the inconsistencies that had plagued his development to this point. Greer (13-16-29) plays such a simple offensive game, but is now using his physical strength and size to get inside position on defenders and make them pay.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

Stockton sent former first-rounder Curtis Lazar to the AHL All-Star Game, as the 24-year-old is experiencing the highest-scoring season in his pro career (15-20-35), six years after the Ottawa Senators used the 17th overall selection in the draft to obtain him. He has always exhibited a mature and responsible game, but has taken a step as a pure playmaker this season, displaying deft vision and passing skills. His success also brings in question Ottawa’s urge to push him straight from the WHL to the NHL, where he his game had steadily wilted over the years.

Another mainstay in the Heat top-six is Spencer Foo (7th), but the Union College alum has had his struggles in his second AHL season. Foo (12-10-22) is a stellar playmaker and possesses great two-way instincts, but hasn't shown the willingness to help out defensively and needs to make better reads. With his skillset, he should be a point-compiler, rather than a middle-of-the-pack, somewhat forgettable prospect.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

The Reign had two All-Star Game representatives, rookie forward Sheldon Rempal and second-year pro defenseman Sean Walker, both of whom are quality prospects in a rebuilding Los Angeles Kings prospect pipeline.

Rempal (12th) has had some troubles in his own zone and with transitioning the puck, but has been a force in the offensive zone since the start of the 2018-19 campaign. He never is afraid to take defenders on in one-on-one situations, and is dangerous as a pull-up shooter and a skater. Rempal (11-19-30) made his NHL debut in a very small role earlier this season but didn't stay in L.A. long.

Walker (20th) is a hard-nosed defensive defenseman with a lot of physical snarl for a 5-10" blueliner, and has used that to his advantage as an all-situations anchor in the Reign lineup. Walker (6-11-17) is good against the boards and is nearly unbeatable at initial blueline defense. However, he could stand to use his blazing shot more, especially on the power play, and often settles for ill-advised passes or dumps.

The Reign lineup got some help for a potential playoff push when, as a trickle-down effect of the Kings trading defenseman Jake Muzzin to the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Marlies forward Carl Grundstrom joined the Ontario roster. Grundstrom has 13 goals and 17 assists in 44 games, two of which come in recent days with the Reign.

San Jose Sharks Prospect System Overview

Tom Dorsa — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:28:27 +0000

Much like the rivals they share a state with, the San Jose Sharks are perennial Stanley Cup contenders. Just two seasons removed from running all the way to the Cup final, the Sharks have most of the same core group of players still making an impact on the active roster and look ready to make another charge for the hardware.

That group, however, is collectively entering the last parts of their prime years. Captain Joe Pavelski is 34, Joe Thornton is 39, Brent Burns is 33, Marc Edouard-Vlasic is 31, and Logan Couture (still elite, still pretty young) is already a sneakily old 29-years-old. Despite their accumulated years, Peter DeBoer's team has no plans of slowing down just yet, coming off another 100-point season, their eighth in the Thornton era.

They made an astute signing in locking Evander Kane down, and got some value from a Mike Hoffman acquisition and re-trade. Their current focus is to prolong an already relatively lengthy competitive window by providing auxiliary support to their aging stars, and that approach has flowed down to the replenishment of the Sharks' prospect pool.

Since they have had just one lottery pick since 2007, they must be savvy in finding late-round value and signing undrafted free agents. With some burgeoning stars in prospects from late rounds, like Sasha Chmelevski, Noah Gregor, and Rudolfs Balcers, they have one area covered, but in terms of top 20 rankings, San Jose is about as proficient in signing skilled undrafted free agents.

With six of their top 20 prospects being free agent signings, the Sharks boast a great deal of talent in finding cheap, experienced, and no-risk prospects that, given their age, could all make immediate NHL impacts. They have also done a stellar job at keeping an abundance of centers in their prospect pools to eventually develop into potential Thornton replacements, starting with top prospect Josh Norris.

The competitive window is still, for now, wide open, and these youngsters are more than capable of providing supplemental value to the veterans of the teal and black in an effort to recapture a spot in the Stanley Cup Final.

1 Josh Norris, C (19th overall, 2017. Last year: 2nd) Having a skilled, two-way center in Logan Couture on the squad has given Sharks fans a taste at what Josh Norris, San Jose's 2017 first-rounder, can be. A special playmaker and a fabulous defensively-inclined centerman like Norris can be of value anywhere in the lineup, but exudes top-six potential with his patience, smarts, and puck-possession game. His physical game is refined for an average-sized center, as he uses his body to retrieve pucks in the defensive zone well. The 19-year-old can stay in college and work on his shot and offensive output with Michigan next season and beyond, which he could definitely stand to do.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

2 Ryan Merkley, D (21st overall, 2018. Last year: IE) Ryan Merkley's draft stock fell throughout the season leading up to the NHL Draft, as rumors of selfishness and a lack of coachability dropped him to 21st overall. It appears in hindsight that San Jose got a steal, and with just raw talent in mind, Merkley is a top-ten player in the draft class. With explosive speed and angelic passing skills, the Guelph Storm blueliner's mental creativity has the tools to succeed. He is very imaginative with the puck and creates plays from scratch the way few other defensemen in this draft class can. Merkley creates offense like a fourth forward most times but can defend like one too; he'll need to put out more backchecking and defensive effort to improve as a complete defenseman in the future.

3 Dylan Gambrell, C (60th overall, 2016. Last year: 4th) A late second-round pick after San Jose's Western Conference championship campaign in 2016, Dylan Gambrell has already made his presence known in Northern California. The playmaking center appeared in three games with the Sharks after signing his ELC in March, arriving straight from his stomping grounds at the University of Denver, where he won an NCAA championship in 2017. Reliable and responsible in his own end, Gambrell really opens up his game to new realms when he has the puck, when he employs his tantalizing puck protection skills to find teammates with passes. He has sensational top speed and can drive past defenders with his plus edgework. San Jose has a need at fourth-line center and Gambrell could compete for that role in 2018-19.

4 Noah Gregor, C (111th overall, 2016. Last year: 13th) Noah Gregor has had some problems staying healthy over his junior career, but when he's at 100%, the center is an offensive sparkplug. Posting numbers better than a point-per-game in the WHL, the versatile forward has added a finisher's goal-scoring touch to his already fine offensive game, combining scoring capabilities with playmaking excellence. Gregor is also a refined defensive forward, always working his way around the defensive zone to make a difference collapsing on the puck. He has plus wheels and a heads-up visionary gameplay style. The 20-year-old signed his ELC with the Sharks last spring and will make a splash with the AHL club next year.

Sasha Chmelevski

5 Sasha Chmelevski, C (185th overall, 2017. Last year: 10th) Alexander "Sasha" Chmelevski's unpredictable gameplay style can be a double-edged sword, but when he's on, his creativity, high-end skill, and unparalleled hockey sense can make or break a team. The California native is insanely elusive on his skates, has been a lethal power-play triggerman at the OHL level, and has a heavy wrist shot. The other end of that aforementioned sword accounts for his soft style that struggles against more physical defensemen and his play away from the puck, which can cause an abundance of issues in the pro ranks. Chmelevski made his professional debut with the Barracuda last season after inking his ELC, tallying four goals in ten games over the regular season and playoffs.

6 Mario Ferraro, D (49th overall, 2017. Last year: 19th) A relatively unknown offensive defenseman before his 2017 draft year, Ferraro showed potential with the puck in the USHL, got drafted early by the Sharks, and has continued to develop those skills at UMass-Amherst alongside first-rounder Cale Makar. He has great poise, agility, and vision, which allow him to create offensive chances without sacrificing his defensive stature, something that could really pay off in the pros. He scored 23 points in his freshman year in the NCAA despite tough Hockey East competition all around him. Though he plays a pretty large, physical game, Ferraro is severely undersized for a defenseman; thankfully the 19-year-old has a reputation for his incredible work ethic and will do all he can to work around a lack of height.

7 Jeremy Roy, D (31st overall, 2015. Last year: 5th) When his health permits, Jeremy Roy's game is reminiscent of Duncan Keith with his smarts and puck skills, but that health has long been a wild card for the talented blueliner. He suffered a disastrous knee injury that effectively ended his QMJHL career in 2016-17 and played just 20 games with the AHL's Barracuda last season. When he's healthy, he's a difference maker in all three zones, with a particularly impressive offensive sharpness which is fueled by his decision-making intelligence, superb vision, and patience. He isn't a very strong skater – which may have been exacerbated by the injuries - but has plus size that helps him keep opposing forwards in front of him. As the 21-year-old continues to transition to pro hockey, nothing is more important to the development of his game than his health.

8 Radim Simek, D (UDFA: May 23, 2017. Last year: 7th) With a pro pedigree as a free agent signing from Europe, nobody questioned Simek's maturity or his ability to fit into a pro system when he moved into the Sharks program. The only concern was how the four-year Czech Extraliga pro would perform offensively after twice leading all blueliners in goals in the Czech ranks. After a full AHL season, it appears Simek brought his offensive refinement stateside with him. His 27 points was second amongst d-men on the Barracuda despite less ice time than his peers, as his plus-plus skating ability and passing talents earned him power play time down the stretch. He has an electric shot and plays bigger than his 5-11" frame would suggest. At 25 years old, Simek is a contender for a roster spot on a stacked Sharks blueline as soon as this fall.

Ivan Chekhovich

9 Ivan Chekhovich, LW (212th overall, 2017. Last year: 18th) Maybe it was his size (5-10", 176 lbs), maybe it was the infamous Russian factor, maybe it was something else, but in hindsight, Ivan Chekhovich should have been picked well before his spot at 212th overall in 2017. After relative obscurity in the Russian minor leagues, the 19-year-old became a near point-per-game player in the QMJHL and even better through his short stint in the AHL (nine points in six games). He is a dazzling playmaker who is comfortable working at center and on the wings, using his ability to slow the game down and take things over with his intelligence to create offensive chances. As for goal-scoring, he can be an impact player in that regard, as his upper-body strength relative to his size is tremendous and his hands are even better. How the Sharks will evaluate the young left-hander after a full AHL year in 2018-19 remains to be seen, but there's a lot to like about Chekhovich.

10 Maxim Letunov, C (Trade: Jun. 20, 2016 -- Arizona. Last year: 6th) Versatility is the name of Maxim Letunov's game. The UConn forward comfortably plays all three forward positions and both sides of special teams, while retaining the tools that set his game apart from an offensive perspective; those being his crazy fast hands, his plus all-around mobility, and a heavy, accurate wrist shot with a very swift release. With an odd and slight physique (6-4", 185 lbs), Letunov brings a unique physical presence to an already distinctive game. He is great at shoving defenders off in the gritty areas to gain separation as well as driving to the net with his upper-body strength. He has all the tools to succeed in the pro ranks, except for perhaps his offensive reads and patience, which will have to improve fast as his onset into the AHL begins.

11 Antti Suomela, C (UDFA: Jun. 6, 2018. Last year: IE) Over the later parts of the season, reports from Finland indicated interest from a bounty of NHL teams in center Antti Suomela, an undrafted 24-year-old who led the SM-Liiga in points. The Sharks landed the coveted pivot and inked him to an ELC in June, essentially in the same fashion they netted depth-scoring machine Joonas Donskoi, to whom Suomela's game is similar in many ways. He projects to be a middle-six forward with his combination of speed and skill that was unmatched in the Finnish leagues, capable of compiling an abundance of points without sacrificing defensive responsibility. Suomela is mature and experienced enough to immediately crack the Sharks' NHL roster, where he could be a power play setup man. There should be no concerns as to how his game will translate to North America after dominating the top Finnish men's league for years.

12 Jayden Halbgewachs, LW (UDFA: Dec. 28, 2017. Last year: IE) Jayden Halbgewachs' initial draft year was 2015, where he was coming off an unimpressive eight-point in 59-game season with Moose Jaw. Of course, the undersized left-hander blossomed into one of the most prolific pure scorers in the recent CHL history, tallying 70 goals in 72 games while earning an NHL contract with San Jose in the process. He doesn't have great speed, but his agility and sneakiness on his skates play his skating ability up; the real prize is his puck skill, as his hands are as fast as they are elusive, and he can get to anywhere on the ice with the puck still on his stick. Obviously, he has a goal-scoring touch, one powered by his elite positioning skills and a heavy shot for a 5-8" winger. He could be an impact depth scorer in the NHL, or nothing more than a really good junior player with a game that fails to translate to the pros; either way, it's a no-risk, potentially high-reward signing for an intriguing prospect with a high ceiling.

13 Vincent Praplan, LW (UDFA: Mar. 2, 2018. Last year: IE) A major contributor to a championship winning club in the Swiss leagues, Vincent Praplan was one of many shrewd free agent prospect acquisitions made by the Sharks over the past year. A former OHLer who returned to Switzerland after being passed up in his first draft eligible year, the highly-skilled forward maintains a good balance between stout playmaker and potent goal-scorer. He has good vision, crazy quick hands, and incorporates a variety of effective passes to be a solid playmaker and has a fast shot and great positioning away from the puck to score rather routinely. Praplan is a flashy and very well-rounded offensive player, but an undersized forward with a noticeably soft game; he needs to be better at taking hits and moving on, especially as he readjusts to smaller North American ice.

14 Rudolfs Balcers, LW (142nd overall, 2015. Last year: Unranked) The gamble the Sharks took with Rudolfs Balcers in the 2015 draft season has so far been a major success. A fifth-rounder, Balcers had some skill and swiftness, but he was never expected to pan out away from the big European ice. The Latvian paced the Barracuda in goals (23), points (48), and playoff points (four in four games) in 2017-18 after a 77-point campaign with the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, indicating that he has no issue transitioning to North American ice. He is a plus skater with great acceleration and edges, using that to play up his crazy quick hands and great instincts. He is a playmaker at heart, incorporating his high hockey IQ with his creativity with the puck to generate scoring chances at will, but has a solid shot and a goal-scorer's positioning away from the puck. His main issue is size/strength, as 5-11", 173 lbs is very small for a bottom-six depth guy.

Scott Reedy

15 Scott Reedy, C (102nd overall, 2017. Last year: 9th) A hard-nosed, hard-working player with the U.S. National Team Development program, Scott Reedy has continued to boast that effective gameplay style in the NCAA ranks with Minnesota. In a depth role with the Golden Gophers, Reedy posted 15 points in his freshman campaign. He follows in the footsteps of many USNTDP graduates in that he has exceptional hockey IQ and plays best in a depth support role, but his versatility and work ethic could propel him to levels higher than just a depth guy. He hustles to every loose puck with his set of strong wheels, is very solid in retrieving and repurposing pucks along the boards, and has some untapped offensive potential driven by his rapid hands, strong and sturdy power forward moves, and fearlessness in going to the dirty areas on the ice. What Reedy needs is a better first two-step acceleration and a more consistent ability to assert himself into tight games.

16 Karlis Cukste, D (130th overall, 2015. Last year: 12th) Drafted in 2015 as a pure no-risk, high-reward project, early results on Karlis Cukste suggest a reward is in the cards for the Sharks. An impressively calm presence on the blueline for Quinnipiac, the Latvian made the move to North American ice look easy, as his very physical and defense-first playing style followed him smoothly overseas. He has ideal size and superb vision for getting the puck out of his defensive zone, but most importantly, he always remains cool under heavy forechecking duress. With improving mobility, Cukste is fine handling the puck and skating through the neutral zone with it, but mostly sticks to safe, easy plays. The 21-year-old isn't the most talented defenseman at his competition level or on his team, but he has defensive qualities that NHL teams drool over.

17 Nick DeSimone, D (UDFA: Mar. 30, 2017. Last year: Unranked) A big and lofty defenseman at first sight, Nick DeSimone transforms into a powerful forward-esque blueliner at game time. With the puck, the Union College product is never afraid to get involved in things from an offensive perspective, using his concrete upper-body to get position on opposing defenders and drive right to the net in a way similar to Brent Burns stylisically. He impressed in his first full pro season with the Barracuda, flashing that offensive brilliance at times with six goals and 14 assists in what was often a top-pair role. He is a good skater with brawny strides, a plus shooter with a nasty release, and a stupendous power play weapon. His defensive game is not quite complete, but his gaps are solid and his focus in the D-zone is improving. He projects to be a depth puck-mover at the NHL level, but for an undrafted free agent signing, that's a win for San Jose.

18 Linus Karlsson, C (87th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) Linus Karlsson paced the Swedish SuperElit league -- the highest league of junior competition in Sweden -- in points with 52 in 42 games this past season, so it's clear he has some game. The Sharks traded up to pick Karlsson in round three of the 2018 draft, as his offensive game has shown a lot of promise overseas. His game is centered around his nice wrist shot, which he uses at nearly every opportunity, but his play-reading ability is a plus as well. He plays a pretty physical game for a relatively light center, which will only get better as the 18-year-old grows into his body a little. Karlsson will be competing in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's second-tier league, and how the centerman will adjust to a higher level of competition is the biggest question going into 2018-19.

19 Kyle Wood, D (Trade: Jun. 14, 2018 -- Arizona. Last year: 6th -- Arizona) Formerly one of the top prospects in both the Colorado and Arizona systems, Kyle Wood is a new addition to the San Jose pool as somewhat of a recollection project. He has had an All-Star season in the AHL before, tallying 43 points in 2016-17, which included a Tucson-leading 11 power play goals. He's a massive 6-5" blueliner with an offensive mindest, surprisingly swift skating fueled by plus acceleration, and a mean slapshot that has power play catalyst written all over it. However, that skating remains a work in a progress and hasn't considerably improved in his pro career, which is the most likely reason as to why the Coyotes gave up on the right-hander. This season, if he can reignite the AHL All-Star version of himself, and not remain the bottom-of-the-depth-chart afterthought he was for the Roadrunners last year, he can shoot his way back up the prospect list.

20 Jacob Middleton, D (UFA: Sep. 7, 2017. Last year: IE) Jacob Middleton and Nick DeSimone are in basically the same spot as prospects, both being relatively older defensemen with similar games, and it just so happens to be that they played alongside one another on the Barracuda top defense pair. Middleton, a free agent who signed with the Sharks after the Kings -- his draft team -- never inked the big defenseman, led all Barracuda defensemen in points and assists in 2017-18. He is large and lofty, but has serviceable movement to assist his formidable stretch pass and offensive vision. He has a screaming slap shot with a long-winding release and a talent for getting it on net from way outside. At 22, he is mature and experienced, and has the smarts to get it done.

CHL Top Prospects Game notebook: Forwards

Grant McCagg — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 12:00:03 +0000

Here are some of the key plays and memorable highlights from the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

We first reviewed the game and concentrated on the play of just the 12 defencemen participating - and then went back over the contest a third time - with an eye on only the forwards.

Notes are listed below by period - and by the amount of time left in the period.

Here is a list of the defensemen and forwards by team - as they are noted below by only their last names:

DEFENCE

Team Cherry (Red): Anthony DeAngelo Haydn Fleury, Aaron Irving, Roland McKeown, Jacob Middleton, Alexis Vanier

Team Orr (White): Aaron Ekblad, Aaron Haydon, Julius Honka, Brycen Martin, Alex Peters, Ben Thomas,

FORWARDS

Team Cherry (Red): Daniel Audette, Ivan Barbashev, Conner Bleackley, Michael Dal Colle, Robby Fabbri, Nikolay Goldobin, Chase De Leo, Ryan MacInnis, Matt Mistele, Sam Reinhart, Nick Ritchie, Nikita Scherbak

Team Orr (White): Clark Bishop, Blake Clarke, Eric Cornel, Leon Draisaitl, Nikolaj Ehlers, Josh Ho-Sang, Brendan Lemieux, Jared McCann, Brendan Perlini, Brayden Point, Jake Virtanen, Spencer Watson

--------------

1ST PERIOD

16:20 - Lemieux out for a stroll in the park, picks up nobody.. Reinhart gets it alone in front and almost tucks it in. Lemieux carries puck out to neutral zone, gets caught by Barbashev on backcheck.

15:40 - Bad pass by Perlini back to no one at the point, could have been dangerous the other way. Not sure about his vision sometimes.

15:00 - Subtle little play by Fabbri - gets puck along the boards and encounters Virtanen.. as he turns to the boards to make it look like he's going to turn the other way with the puck, he shovels it back to the d-man as he's parallel with the boards...the puck goes right along the boards and Virtanen misses it.

9:17 - Audette tips shot off post, Honka gets it behind net with Audette following. Honka makes a great little fake with the puck that delays Audette just long enough while his teammate gets free and shovels it ahead to Cornel, who decides to try a move to the middle at his blueline instead of either chipping it or taking it along the boards...bad turnover.

9:00 - Ehlers with the rush, then the toe-drag move to the slot and backhand.. puck comes back the other way and Reinhart drives to the net past Haydon, a good example of how Reinhart's speed can be deceptive.

8:30 - Tremendous pressure by the Reinhart line, the puck squirts loose to Draisaitl, who decides to head to the boards with the puck and wipes out without being touched, Dal Colle comes along and outmuscles both Leon and Thomas to get the puck to Barbashev, who was all over on the shift. Had good chemistry with Reinhart in this game. Draisaitl was clearly outmatched when he went head-to-head versus Reinhart, but to be fair he didn't have linemates that were as good.

4:45 - Dal Colle with the first of his many ill-advised cross-ice errant passes on the night, intercepted by Ehlers who knocks it up and then bats it to himself and goes on his famous rush where he pretended to be going around the d-man when he was in fact passing it to Cornel. If he doesn't flub the return pass and puts it in that goal is on every highlight reel all week. Ehlers a little lax on the defensive side a couple of times in this game, but he's a penalty killer in Halifax. His speed is a factor in any circumstance if he uses it. He was guilty of doing a little too much 'thinking' instead of 'doing' at times in this game, but he should have been on the top line, not the fourth. Ehlers falls down a lot, which is surprising for such a great skater. Mind you on some occasions he falls down on purpose to get at a loose puck...he can get up quickly a la Crosby.

4:30 - The pass by Ehlers to Cornel was special, not sure I've seen one quite like it before.

1:35 - The Virtanen brain cramp to let Scherbak get a break, to his credit he skated back to check him. Nice play by Audette to get puck in corner and center it to De Leo in slot.

MacInnis made three decent plays in the first 14 minutes, winning a couple of board battles and checking the puck away. On another occasion an opponent just waltzed around him in the open ice. Agility and first steps are in need of some refinement. I run a little hot and cold on him, mostly cold. Sometimes he looks lost, other times he anticipates the play well. Looks like he needs plenty of teaching, something you don't always expect in an ex-pro's son.....De Leo has a hard shot - had a couple of good scoring opportunities during the game.

2ND PERIOD

19:20 - Dal Colle gets his pocket picked by Draisaitl, who showed some hustle for once in this game, but Draisaitl, loses it back to DC.

18:14 - Ho Sang finds McCann in the sweet spot in the slot.. threaded the needle on the pass between two defenders.. disguised the pass. Nice play by McCann to get to the best spot. Ho Sang and McCann had several nice plays together.. would have liked to see those two with Ehlers.

16:26 - Audette to Scherbak at own blueline. Scherbak decides to try and deflect it off skate to a linemate who misses it. Instead of stopping dead and checking Watson, does a huge lazy loop where he goes outside of his own zone and comes back in covering no one.

15:10 - Dal Colle coughs up puck when McCann comes back to hit him. Great play by Ho Sang to draw opponents to him in the middle of the slot, and then having the vision to spot Perlini for an open shot in a prime scoring spot.

15:00 - The Thomas rush....he had time to wind up so it wasn't as impressive as it first looked I don't think. Check out his right arm swinging up wildly coming up to the opponent's blueline.. he almost wiped out unimpeded.

14:50 - Superb defensive play by Bishop or McKeown springs Ritchie on a break...breaks up the pass with solid defensive awareness.

11:20 - Draisaitl gets the puck at Red blueline, does a complete circle against three checkers until Ekblad is open on the boards.

10:10 - McCann sees the d-man move up on the puck, he circles in behind to make sure the puck carrier has backup as there was danger lurking.

8:00 - Mistele passes when he should have shot.. then tried to skate back hard, which was amusing to watch - looked like he was running, kinda like Fred Flintstone when he's about to take off, feet moving a foot above the ground and Fred not going anywhere. Then when he got back, he turned around in a defensive stance. Honka came coasting in from the red line with the puck, met Mistele, shifted a little to the left and quaintly coasted past him along the boards...Honka never took one stride the whole time. Needless to say agility is not Mistele's forte.

7:15 - White power play. Ehlers in his office on the right half wall, little backhand saucer pass to Ekblad for a good chance. Does it with Drouin all of the time.

5:36 - Point does several sharp give and go's moving up the ice. the pass by Bishop back to Point inside red blueline was excellent. Scherbak is not hard to beat, do not like his defensive play. Point set up Virtanen in front, Bishop nice lateral move to pounce on rebound.

2:40 - Thomas gets pass in his skates, nice play to kick it to his stick and then waltz around Reinhart. Perlini good eye-hand coordination batting down pass 20 inches off ice.

2:25 - Ho-Sang goal. Dal Colle was the goat but Point made the play, nice move to the slot from the wall and good low shot on net that Ho-Sang batted in.

2:20 - Audette makes skilled backhand tip pass to De Leo for great chance, vision-playmaking are his strong points.

0:15 - Draisaitl showed his puck possession skills. Had a few moments in the game and could have had a goal or two with some luck, but skating and lack of intensity were issues.

3RD PERIOD

17:05 - Leon coasts on backcheck on penalty kill, not one stride from center ice to the slot - he takes one stride and he stops Fabbri feed to Scherbak for a good chance.

16:01 - Good pass by McKeown to spring Goldobin, who feeds Mistele who finally shoots. Rebound to Goldy who scores on wraparound. Ho-Sang coasting on the backcheck again.

14:30 - Audette gets walked around easily by Virtanen. Not much presence defensively.

14:08 - Nice pass from McCann to Ho-Sang.

12:15 - Point gets puck in corner, waits for Rhino to make his move, then a little deke to gain free space, gets it to the d-man for a shot.

Goldobin penalty shot - Clarke with a poor play along the boards trying to check Dal Colle, but very half heartedly - should have skated back instead as Ehlers was out of the play behind the net.

11:00 - Ritchie decides to get physical, causes havoc and turnovers because of it. He's like the forward version of Douglas Murray when he hits.

10:35 - Fabbri with smart tip pass to Barbashev who does an inside-out move on Thomas, and drives to the net only to hit the post. Barbashev hard hit on Thomas.

9:00 - Virtanen rush - he and Scherbak were on even footing, Scherbak didn't even come close to touching him, not sure about Scherbak's straight-ahead speed, quicker east to west than north south.

8:45 - Nice pass by De Leo to Bleackley in slot, Bleackley's hands looked poor on that play. Looks like his upside is third liner with average skating.

Sportsnet nominated Fabbri as the hardest working player - can't say I disagree - was very diligent on the forecheck on the penalty kill in particular, threw a few hits, competed. Tied for OHL lead in GWG with 8, and that's with missing ten games. During those ten games Guelph lost five of them....in their 36 games with Fabbri Guelph has lost three times. Has a better work ethic than Ho-Sang, and is much better defensively. I thought it was a good move to pair H-S with McCann. Ho-Sang is more effective with a smart two-way center backing him up.

4:08 - Point gets puck from Ritchie, makes a smart pass to Bishop when he goes to his backhand and shovels it laterally to make sure it's not intercepted. Bishop got it to Virtanen, and he smokes it off the post. Virtanen can really blast the puck.

McKeen's Hockey 2014 Draft Rankings

CHL Top Prospects Game notebook: Defence

Grant McCagg — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 15:08:01 +0000

Here are some of the key plays and memorable highlights from the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

We first reviewed the game and concentrated on the play of just the 12 defencemen participating - and then went back over the contest a third time - with an eye on only the forwards.

Notes are listed below by period - and by the amount of time left in the period.

Here is a list of the defensemen and forwards by team - as they are noted below by only their last names:

DEFENCE

Team Cherry (Red): Anthony DeAngelo Haydn Fleury, Aaron Irving, Roland McKeown, Jacob Middleton, Alexis Vanier

Team Orr (White): Aaron Ekblad, Aaron Haydon, Julius Honka, Brycen Martin, Alex Peters, Ben Thomas

FORWARDS

Team Orr (White): Clark Bishop, Blake Clarke, Eric Cornel, Leon Draisaitl, Nikolaj Ehlers, Josh Ho-Sang, Brendan Lemieux, Jared McCann, Brendan Perlini, Brayden Point, Jake Virtanen, Spencer Watson

--------------

1ST PERIOD

19:00 - Martin's fist shift, caught flat footed, Red gets good scoring chance, Bleackley robbed by Mason McDonald.

10:40 - DeAngelo and McKeown paired together. DeAngelo leaves player to the side of net, then puck ends up behind the net..both d-men go back there but have no chance of getting puck.

8:50 - Thomas caught pinching again. Hayden and Thomas overwhelmed by Reinhart line at 8:20...been out too long at that point. Hayden made poor decision on who to take at one point, but he had three choices as Thomas was running around taking no one.

Hayden a limited puck mover, got beat to the outside a few times, pivots need work, mind you he was paired with Thomas, who was caught up ice nearly every shift. Martin skated backwards about ten feet in this period, as he was always behind the play. Does not anticipate when to back up very well at times. Honka and McKeown turn over the puck in their own zone too often. Honka gets a lot of his passes intercepted at the blueline.

2ND PERIOD

18:00 - Two minutes in on the chance by McCann - check out the defensive play by DeAngelo and Vanier. Vanier's pivot is horrid... DeAngelo reads the play much too late and then doesn't pressure McCann at all.

17:20 - Check out the play by McKeown. Why does he just blindly dump the puck away the second he gets it..doesn't look anywhere, has lots of time, and just throws it away.

13:15 - Honka passes it to Perlini...what was Perlini doing there...was he not aware of the d-man being there..skated right into Irving, who made a good read to pinch in there and cause the turnover. Perlini looked scared to get hit there...was soft on that play...he makes a play like that in the NHL, he's riding the pine for awhile.

11:50. Strong penalty-killing shift by Fabbri. Excellent forechecking and strong battle on that play. Martin on the other hand was putrid. Not sure why they started a PP with Martin and Peters, but anyway..

11:00 First White goal - DeAngelo on the penalty-kill with Middleton - recipe for disaster. DeAngelo was lost - left Lemieux alone to sit on the goalie.

Red came back 8 seconds later. Not really anyone on White's fault other than Cornel by the look of things...doesn't help that we miss the first three seconds as the camera is still on Lemieux. Nice play by Barbashev along the boards, nice pass by Reinhart, great pass reception and fantastic shot by Dal Colle. That play right there tells you he's a top five guy..pro-style winger with a sniper's shot.

9:55 - Vanier's lead pass to Scherbak was bad...he should have been sprung on a breakaway..Thomas should have been back more covering Scherbak. Poor play by Scherbak not to at least touch it and negate an icing.

8:10 - Chance for Team Red - Honka does not see Mistele coming in on the wing...he had half the ice to himself when he got the pass from Goldobin. Mistele should have either shot or went to the net..small d-man, small goalie..instead he stays outside and passes it back through two opposing d-men to nobody. Goldobin with the old Ribiero deke, fake going outside and sidestep to the inside, it's Goldobin's bread and butter and he usually gets away with it - Martin bit and looked pretty bad on it, but most d-men do the first couple of times they play Goldobin.

6:50 - Clarke scores on the power play. Decent shot, but Nedeljkovic should have come out of his net to cut off the angle. Fleury let Clarke walk in a bit...both he and MacInnis skated to the same spot, leaving Clarke alone. MacInnis looked a little lost on the penalty kill, didn't really know what to do. Good puck movement by Ekblad on the power play.

6:30 - Thomas decides to skate from his side to mid boards in his own zone, and then stands there for a couple of seconds only to be then hopelessly out of the play. Barbashev goes to front of net, Hayden doesn't stand between net and Barb, he stands beside him to the side of the net while his defence partner stands on the same side along the boards. You know where this is going. Barbashev gets the puck, simply pivots towards the net where Hayden can't check him, and dishes the puck to a wide open Reinhart, who is stopped while Ho Sang admires the play.

5:18 - DeAngelo lost in his own end..doesn't take Virtanen, or Bishop afterwards. Good chance.

4:10 - Honka makes a nice play to evade Goldobin, but then passes the puck to Fabbri at the line. Nice intercept and play by Fabbri, but the right play by Honka was along the boards to Ehlers, who chips it out.

3:35 - Vanier gets puck at blueline. Mistele has 40 feet of wide open space to the net, he doesn't see him, wrists a soft shot on net.

3:00 - Thomas burned with moves by Dal Colle a few times in this period. I think perhaps Thomas tried too hard to do things as it was in Calgary, but he ran around more than blueliner in the second period. Dal Colle hits the post with a great chance, Cornel for the second time in period caught sleeping defensively, didn't get between the pass and Dal Colle. Barbashev with the good pass from down low again. Thomas too late to do anything about it as he was running around...Dal Colle's shot was a ten in this game, another rocket.

2:20 - Ho Sang tip goal .. and again DeAngelo doesn't take anyone, deflects it to Ho Sang, who was left alone to tip it. Not totally DeAngelo's fault, a flukey one. Point with a decent play to break into the middle and get a shot on net after intercepting a horrible pass by Dal Colle in the neutral zone. Middleton wasn't great on the play, but not really at fault. Middleton actually played okay in the first two periods. No huge gaffes, worked hard and had decent positioning. Even challenged Lemieux but Claude Jr. wanted no part of him.

3RD PERIOD

17:30 - Middleton made a nice play to kick the puck to his stick and then do a loop inside the white blueline to lose checker, then made decent move around Haydon to drive to net, but was in too close.

16:05 - Good hit by Peters on Fabbri, played the man, not the puck.

14:40 - Strong play by Fleury to steal puck in White zone and get it to front of the net.

12:55 - Haydon with puck behind the net. Loses it trying to go in front of the net as he forgets about it, and then coughs it up. Not exactly soft hands there. Turnover caused by Fabbri again on penalty kill.

11:35 - Martin lets Goldobin get in behind him, ends up causing a penalty shot. His defence partner Thomas backed up keeping an eye on the invisible man, should have sensed Martin was in trouble and tried to head off Goldobin as well. Once again Martin didn't skate backwards an inch. Can he skate backwards?

11:00 - Haydon gets rubbed out by Ritchie trying to carry the puck, turns it over, gets it back, passes it back to other d-man Peters, who is surrounded by Red guys, coughs it up... Ritchie gets a good chance.

10:40 - Martin caught up ice again..he's the first forechecker at center ice for some reason but once again misses the puck, leaving Thomas and Draisaitl the coaster to defend Barbashev..wasn't pretty. Barbashev made an inside-out move on Thomas, who bit, and he powered around him and hit the post while Leon coasted along a little too late as usual.

9:50 - Goldobin and Reinhart at it again. Reinhart beats Peters (who falls), then between Point's legs and back over to Goldobin..who does his move to the middle and barely gets around a sweepchecking Ekblad. Meanwhile Bishop is coming back and covering the lane from Goldy to Reinhart, and then checks Goldobin in front of the net. Solid play by Bishop...wish they were all as smart as him. Bishop's skating is what's going to hurt him more than anything, he's certainly got good defensive awareness though.

9:00 - Virtanen with a burst around Irving, who was at the end of a shift. Fleury, who was fresh, watched Virtanen come in 1-on-4, beat Irving and come in on the goalie while Fleury watched..at the end he put his stick in front of Virtanen's shot, but too late.

Vanier-McKeown pairing wasn't seeing a lot of ice time in the third. Can't say I blame the coaches - that's not a good pairing..Vanier not quick enough to cover for McKeown brain cramps.

7:00 - Ekblad decides to go for a foray alone red zone on the PP, DeAngelo was trying to check him.. looked like a mouse trying to check a moose, just bounced off of him when he got near.

6:43 - Even the good ones can screw up.. Reinhart with an awful turnover inside his blueline that left Watson alone to walk right in. Reinhart tried to slide a slow backhand pass over to DeAngelo...who should not have been trying to exit the zone at that time. His partner was down in the corner.. he should have remained deep in his own zone as the proper outlet for Reinhart.

6:35 - Speaking of good ones.. Ekblad's turn to screw up.. loses the puck to Goldobin trying to rush in neutral zone.. Goldobin beats Peters.. to the outside!! Peters takes a hooking penalty.

6:15 - Goldy and Sam go to work on the power play.. and the Thomas-Martin combo. Martin was lost after losing Honka, who missed the third after taking a stick to the chops. Lousy job by Martin tying up Reinhart, who scored easily. Not much pressure from Thomas on Goldy either.

5:26 - Martin takes time going into corner, then gets muscled off the puck easily by MacInnis.

5:15 - Vanier hits Lemieux in White zone...has to skate back to catch play.. not pretty. Lemieux gets great scoring chance as Virtanen goes around a covering Audette and gets it to him.. Vanier can't catch Lemieux, who is no speedster.

5:05 - Ekblad mishandles puck at blueline, Scherbak pounces on puck and gets a breakaway, hits post. Thomas didn't come close to catching him, not as fast and took wrong angle. He coughs up the puck 30 seconds later as well, and then fails to pressure De Leo who has loads of time to make pass in the slot. By this time, Thomas was lacking confidence.

4:00 - Haydon loses puck in own end trying to carry it again. Ritchie with a big shift, two big hits including Peters, but at the end of his shift....brutal speed...he's out of shape. Ho Sang whizzes by, draws the d-man over and then slides it to McCann going the other way...excellent shot by McCann. DeAngelo is the one who follows Ho Sang to nowhere.

2:15 - Point comes in on Irving and DeAngelo, tries an inside move on Irving, hits Irving's skate, bounces back to Point who gets around Irving. Where's DeAngelo? Irving kept Point to the inside, all DeAngelo had to do was cover an inside move, instead he goes in front of Irving and misses Point altogether, leaving Point with a breakaway. Stopped by Nedeljkovic, who pokechecked him.

- Fleury makes some rushes with and without the puck in the third with his team down. Like that he wanted to make a difference.

McKeen's Hockey 2014 Draft Rankings

Ottawa 67’s bright future: Travis Konecny and Jacob Middleton

David Burstyn — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 12:00:12 +0000

These are beleaguered times for the proud Ottawa 67’s after finishing last in the OHL last season and still struggling near the bottom of its division. The rebuild for the future is resting on their #1 draft pick in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection entry draft, Travis Konecny, currently leading all rookie scorers this season (45-16-35-51) by a ten point gap. He was named Rookie of the Month for January for the third time this season after scoring 15 points in 10 games (10-5-10-15). Konecny is an exciting player with the ability to pull the faithful out of their seats with an end to end rush.

He is largely doing it without any high end help on a stripped down Ottawa roster. However, he has found significant chemistry with Erik Bradford and Ryan Van Stralen, 19 and 20 years old respectively, since being united on January 9th. Bradford joined from the Barrie Colts for Joseph Blandisi, the last NHL draft pick on the Ottawa roster, along with two draft picks in a depth building trade. The trio has combined for 22 goals and 54 points in the 12 games they have been together. Konecny will be highly ranked in the 2015 draft.

Jacob Middleton was chosen 8th overall in OHL priority selection in 2012 by the Owen Sound Attack. After an injury marred season (high ankle sprain) he was traded to Ottawa as part of their rebuild. It has provided an opportunity for Middleton to play big, important minutes for the struggling squad with an injury plagued defence. Added as an injury replacement for the BMO/CHL Top Prospects game recently, he played an aggressive game, including a fight for Team Cherry, improving his 2014 Draft prospects in the process.

McKeen’s Hockey's David Burstyn provides game reports on Konecny and Middleton.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Jacob Middleton (2014), D, Ottawa 67’s
Acquired last season with Joseph Blandisi from Owen Sound in exchange for Cody Ceci and Steven Janes .. a sizeable player who applies himself but not consistently throughout the game .. lacks footwork in all directions, limited straight ahead speed, and dull edge work .. routinely beaten to the outside due to a poor ability to transfer his weight and shift laterally .. struggles to make a play under pressure as his puck skills are a work in progress .. strong down low to shelter pucks and hard to knock off stride .. needs to adopt more of a punishing style of play and drive right thru players if he cannot be effective with the puck .. has been thrust into the top defensive pairing this season and is playing in every situation which may be too much ice considering his inexperience and lack of veteran leadership on the 67’s backend to guide him.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Travis Konecny (2015), C, Ottawa 67’s
Winner of the Jack Ferguson award as he was selected 1st overall in the 2013 OHL draft .. average in size, he can create offensive chances due to his speed and creativity .. a deft stick handler who can operate in small places and make plays at varying rates of speed .. aware in the offensive zone as he is always moving his feet and reads plays well to position himself accordingly .. at times he can get ahead of himself by trying moves that worked in minor hockey only to reveal that players are quicker and smarter at the OHL level .. needs to curb some bad habits with the puck but it is encouraging that he is trying to push the envelope .. weak defensively which is a common trait of a first year player .. diligently comes back but lacks structure in his positioning .. gives the 67’s a legitimate center they can build around .. despite his size he is fiercely competitive and is producing impressive offence for a 16 year old leading all rookies in scoring (45-16-35-51) and named rookie of the month three out of four months .. averaging well over a point a game on a porous Ottawa club.

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