Minnesota Wild Rookie Emerging as Roster Dark Horse

The Minnesota Wild are quickly closing in on the start of their regular season, when they go to St. Louis to face the Blues. The team made significant waves on Tuesday, with the announcement of Kirill Kaprizov’s record-setting contract extension. There are still questions to be answered surrounding John Hynes’ roster however, and the opportunities that the preseason gives for them to be sorted out is waning.

Among the most notable discussions is what is going to happen in the wake of veteran Mats Zuccarello’s lower body surgery. He is going to be out for a matter of months, and that presents a chance for someone to step in.

21-year-old Russian rookie Danila Yurov could be the next man up, and a there are a few other paths too that could allow him to grab a roster spot.

Danila Yurov impressing for MN Wild early

The Minnesota Wild selected Danila Yurov 24th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He has yet to make his NHL debut, but has shined at times during his KHL exposure. Listed among the star youngsters for the Wild, a roster spot may wind up having his name on it to open the season. John Hynes hinted at the opportunity in Tuesday night’s post game press conference.

It was pre-planned to then give Danila Yurov a look there in the second half of the game, so Ohgren took Yurov’s initial spot with Ryan Hartman and Marcus Johansson on the third line.

Hynes said he liked both their games but saw chemistry in the third period between Yurov-Eriksson Ek-Tarasenko. Ohgren was on the ice for two goals against but was hardly to blame for either.

Hynes said the job remains up for grabs and could be lassoed by anybody from Ohgren and Yurov to veterans Foligno or Johansson.

“Who’s going to fill it? That remains to be seen,” Hynes said.

The Athletic

Both Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic combined to report on the current situation for Yurov. The youngster got over 14 minutes of ice time in Tuesday night’s exhibition contest against the Winnipeg Jets.

Minnesota has also played Yurov at left wing, deviating from his traditional center spot. He played center the past two seasons in the KHL, but has struggled on faceoffs in the first four preseason games. It seems clear the head coach has a gaining level of trust in his rookie, but it remains to be seen if that will be enough to crack the opening night roster.

Nico Sturm could be the difference for Wild roster

This offseason the Minnesota Wild brought back Stanley Cup-winning center Nico Sturm. He last played for Minnesota during the 2021-22 season, but may not be ready to start the year due to a back injury.

It’s still not clear whether the Wild’s top offseason signing, Nico Sturm, will be ready for the start of the season. Sturm said his back started acting up after the team’s first practice. He came back for another practice last week and had a setback, with the Wild resting him for almost a week. Sturm participated in Tuesday’s skate, with Hynes saying the plan is for him to sit out the next couple days before returning.

Hynes said there’s no setback this time and it was a planned thing. But the fact of the matter is, the Wild are going to want to see Sturm get through back-to-back long practices before playing him in a game.

Sturm’s availability could determine whether Haight, Yurov or Vinnie Hinostroza make the team.

The Athletic

If Sturm is unable to go, that unquestionably opens up an additional roster spot. It’s there that Yurov could really force his way into a real conversation. How long Sturm misses remains to be seen, but with it being a toss-up at this point, the expectation shouldn’t be too long.

Last season the seven-year veteran played 62 games for San Jose and Florida. He scored seven goals and had 14 points. Minnesota is hoping that the 30-year-old German can be a key piece for their offense this season.

Again, the Wild are set to kick off their regular season on Thursday October 9th at St. Louis against the Blues.