Minnesota Wild: Weekly Roundtable, Who is the Breakout Star?

Cody Defoe: Luke Kunin

Luke Kunin has the most difficult battle to face in order to earn his spot as Breakout Player for the Minnesota Wild this year. He is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL, he has been shutdown by doctors and coaches for the entirety of Training Camp and Preseason, and won’t be allowed to start skating until into October.

Kunin will most likely need to start this season in Iowa, and battle his way back into a roster spot in order to have a breakout of any kind. Obviously, I think that will be a highly likely possibility.

In 48 previous AHL games in Iowa, Kunin has produced at an outstanding clip. He has 27 points, while shooting at a fantastic 13%. For comparison, his NHL shooting percentage last season was a measly 6.3%.

Kunin showed a ton of promise in his limited stint with the Minnesota Wild last season, while playing mostly on the third and fourth lines he managed to still put up 4 points over 19 games. He also took a fighting major, after injecting himself into a fight after Mathew Dumba had already dropped his gloves.

The kid has spunk and a ton of team spirit, he’s not afraid to take a few shots to the face if it means getting the crowd behind him. He’s a talented player with a knack for scoring goals, but the grit to play in his own zone as well.

I don’t tend to dabble much in terms of Corsi percentages, but in this case there is something to be said in Kunin’s benefit. In his 19 NHL games last year Luke finished with a 48.5 Corsi For, an extremely solid number for a bottom 6 rookie who is used to playing in a Top 6 role at every other level of his career.

Take that into consideration with the fact that Kunin was not protected at all by coach Boudreau, he started 52% of his shifts in the defensive zone, and those numbers look extremely impressive.

If Kunin can work his way back to the NHL once his knee is fully recovered from surgery, he stands a very good chance of finding his way onto the third line combination which should finally develop from a second checking line into a line more apt at scoring.

He was a point per game player in both years of college, he has averaged more than a point per 2 games over his time in the AHL, and has shown flashes that if given an opportunity in the NHL he could breakout.

I think this is the year he does it. Injuries, and likely some trades, are inevitable given the depth of talent this team currently has in its possession.

Luke Kunin is my pick for this season’s Breakout Player. He will get a chance to regain his spot in the lineup before the season is done, and he will not let it go again. His scoring ability, matched with his grit and passion will be something the team can benefit from, and I think Coach Boudreau loves a player like Kunin.

Do you agree with our choices? Is there someone you think should have been selected as potential 2018-19 Minnesota Wild breakout star? Leave your thoughts in the comments, we love to hear feedback from other Wild fans!