Welcome back.
It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.
The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.
Today, we’re looking at the Minnesota Wild.
Oh man. What a group.
The Minnesota Wild already had a top-10 prospect pool in the NHL. Then, among others, they stole Zeev Buium at No. 12, took Ryder Ritchie in the second round and somehow landed Aron Kiviharju in the fourth round. The rich got richer.
Seriously, I love the depth of this team. You’ve got a goalie in Jesper Wallstedt; you’ve got a mobile, top-pairing defender in Buium; Riley Heidt and Danila Yurov are both future top-six threats, and that’s only just scratching the surface.
What might be more interesting, however, is who didn’t make the top 10 list. Rasmus Kumpulainen was an early pick in 2023, although I disagree with how high he was taken. I think Daemon Hunt could factor into the NHL team as early as this year. Samuel Hlavaj has serious backup potential, too. And, once again, it goes much deeper than that.
The Wild have built a reputation of being incredibly mediocre; for a while, they were a mid-pack team with a weak pipeline. The NHL team still needs a bit of work – and some luck on the health front, too – but they’ve got a lot of help on the way in the near future.
Biggest Strengths
I love how many scoring options are on the wing. Danila Yurov, Ryder Ritchie and Hunter Haight highlight the right side, while Liam Ohgren, Rasmus Kumpulainen and Rieger Lorenz occupy the left side. And that doesn’t include players who are capable of switching between center and the wing, such as Marat Khusnutdinov or Charlie Stramel. They’ve got much more depth on the wing than down the middle, which isn’t always the case for quality pipelines.
Biggest Weakness
If I had to be picky, it’s not having much in terms of right-handed blueliners. David Spacek is fine, and Sebastian Soini is a project option, but neither will factor into a long-term support role. I feel like quality on the right side is becoming less of a premium than it once was seen to be – 2026 and 2027 are filled with them – but they’re lacking it in their system right now.
Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Bill Guerin
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Judd Brackett
Dir. of Player Development: Brad Bombardir
AHL Affiliate: Iowa Wild
ECHL Affiliate: Iowa Heartlanders
TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. Jesper Wallstedt, G, 22 (Iowa, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 20th overall, first round in 2021
Wallstedt continues to push the narrative that he’s the best goaltending prospect in hockey, and it’s hard to disagree. He had another strong year as Iowa’s No. 1 goaltender, posting a 22-19-4 record with two shutouts and a .910 save percentage. He also saw his first NHL action, going 2-1-0 with a shutout in three starts. At 6-foot-3, Wallstedt has ideal size, and he’s quick, smart and doesn’t overcommit. I also love the mental side of his game; he doesn’t let things bother him. At 21, there’s still no reason to rush him, but he’s ready for more NHL action if there’s a need with the big club. I expect him to challenge for the No. 1 spot once he’s up with Minnesota on a full-time basis.
2. Zeev Buium, LHD, 18 (University of Denver, NCAA)
Acquired: Drafted 12th overall, first round in 2024
I love this for Minnesota. Buium became just the second U-19 defenseman to break the 50-point barrier in NCAA history, and it feels like it went under the radar. He won the national championship and the World Juniors in the same year, while Macklin Celebrini even called him the best player in the Frozen Four. Buium is a great skater who loves the puck on his stick, and he never seems to get frazzled, no matter the situation. In the NHL, look for Buium to become a high-output puck distributor who can score, hit, block shots and play on both special team units.
3. Danila Yurov, C/RW, 20 (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL)
Acquired: Drafted 24th overall, first round in 2022
Yurov had a breakout season, scoring 21 goals and 49 points in 62 games with Magnitogorsk. He had a quieter playoff run (they won the championship, however), but given his 37-point increase in the regular season – marking one of the most prolific scoring runs by a 20-year-old in KHL history – it was remarkable to see. Many people credit his move from the wing to center as a nice boost to his overall makeup, because he drove the play as well as anyone and has confidence to burn. One of the closest comparables to Yurov in terms of pure production might actually be Kirill Kaprizov, which should excite Wild fans. He’s so hard to contain and read, and that dynamism will allow him to thrive in the NHL.
4. Riley Heidt, C/LW, 19 (Prince George, WHL)
Acquired: Drafted 64th overall, second round in 2023
It’s utterly bogus Canada didn’t bring Heidt to the World Juniors, given he was in the running for the WHL scoring title all year long. He finished with 80 assists and 117 points, good for third in scoring while boasting an impressive 1.77 point-per-game average. Heidt was taken 64th overall in 2023, which, frankly, was just as bogus as watching him not get selected for the WJC because his talent was way too good to end up there. One concern a year ago from some scouts was that it looked like he was playing on easy mode, and that he wouldn’t be able to do that in the NHL. We’re still at least another year away from finding out if that’s really true, but concerns are starting to slip away given how in control he looks at all times.
5. Liam Öhgren, LW, 20 (Iowa, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 19th overall, first round in 2022
Öhgren had a great first year with Farjestad in the SHL, a season that was impacted by an early injury. He moved to North America to close out the season, and I think he played quite well in his four games with Minnesota, scoring a goal and an assist. Hopefully, Öhgren can stay healthy and power through things in his first year in North America because he’s a skilled winger with a ton going for him but he just hasn’t had a perfect chance to gain the consistency needed. He’s strong, loves getting into high-danger areas, and has been a captain on various Swedish national teams to date – something that doesn’t go unnoticed by top NHL brass.
6. Marat Khusnutdinov, C/LW, 22 (Minnesota Wild)
Acquired: Drafted 37th overall, second round in 2020
Khusnutdinov got his first taste of NHL action at the end of 2023-24, putting up four points in 16 games to close out the year. It came in a campaign after starting the year with SKA St. Petersburg before heading off to HK Sochi for the bulk of the year. His production rate dropped, but Khusnutdinov he still played a big role on a poor team and proved to many scouts that he’s still a legitimate prospect with a bright future ahead of him. Khusnutdinov is just 5-foot-9, but he has some great, pure skill and hustles hard to make up for it. I think Khusnutdinov will become a third-liner in the NHL, one capable of winning a boatload of faceoffs and beating players in tight to provide valuable depth scoring.
7. Aron Kiviharju, LHD, 18 (HIFK, Liiga)
Acquired: Drafted 122nd overall, fourth round in 2024
I can’t believe Kiviharju fell as far as he did. This was a player who many had pegged as the top prospect about two years ago, and a top-five talent heading into 2023-24. But he missed most of the season due to a leg injury, and finished the season with a fine-at-best showing at the U-18 World Championship. But from an early age, Kiviharju has shown so much skill with the puck and looks like a future threat on Minnesota’s power play, too. Few defenders skate and dangle with the puck like he does, although he’s only 5-foot-10, and that could be an issue. Kiviharju had some bumps in the road a year ago against men, but his upside as a minute-munching, puck-moving defender still excites me enough.
8. Ryder Ritchie, RW, 18 (Prince Albert, WHL)
Acquired: Drafted 45th overall, second round in 2024
Ritchie loves the puck on his stick, so it only makes sense that he has a great shot release. He can be flashy, but we saw him at the U-18s play a more reserved role while bringing some solid energy and playing a bit more physical than we’re used to. An injury kept him out of play for about two months, really dampening what was just a fine first half of the year. Prince Albert’s best player in the playoffs ended the year strong after putting up some great numbers at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The raw talent is there, but he must put it together nightly to be effective in the NHL. Still, at No. 45, this was an excellent pickup for the Wild.
9. Carson Lambos, LHD, 21 (Iowa, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 26th overall, first round in 2021
Lambos got his first taste of (meaningful) pro hockey last year, putting up 14 points and 64 penalty minutes in 69 games with Iowa. It was clear his competitive nature didn’t leave him when he graduated from the Winnipeg Ice, with Lambos playing around 18 minutes a night as a rookie while getting matched up against stronger, more experienced competition. I wish we could see some more offensive competence from Lambos, but I still see him becoming a third-pairing defenseman who will try everything he can to plant you to the ice.
10. Charlie Stramel, C/RW, 19 (Michigan State, NCAA)
Acquired: Drafted 21st overall, first round in 2023
The 2023-24 season was a disaster for Stramel, to say the least. His production fell as a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin, and he wasn’t returned for a third and final appearance with USA’s World Junior Championship squad – a tournament that saw the Americans win gold. Stramel is set to join Michigan State for 2024-25, reuniting with former USA Hockey National Team Development Program coach Adam Nightingale. When he’s on his game, Stramel can be a wrecking ball of hate, with his power-forward game being too much to contend with for most college defensemen. But whether it’s been misusage, or a lack of compete or pure skill out of Stramel, it just hasn’t worked out yet. Hopefully, that will change as a junior this season.
Other notables: Rasmus Kumpulainen, C (18), Caedan Bankier, C (21), Hunter Haight, C (20), Michael Milne, LW (21), Pavel Novak, RW (22), Adam Raska, RW (22), Graeme Clarke, RW (23), James Clark, LW (19), Rieger Lorenz, LW (20), Matvey Guskov, C (23), Luke Toporowski, LW (23), Jack Peart, LHD (21), Kyle Masters, RHD (21), David Spacek, RHD (21), Ryan O’Rourke, LHD (22), Daemon Hunt, LHD (22), Stevie Leskovar, LHD (19), Sebastian Soini, RHD (18), Kalem Parker, RHD (19), Aaron Pionk, LHD (21), Ryan Healey, RHD (20), Nate Benoit, LHD (21), Chase Wutzke, G (17), Samuel Hlavaj, G (23)
