Top 5 young prospects in the Minnesota Wild system
A common concern among Minnesota Wild fans recently is the aging core of the team, and a desire for an infusion of youth to add a speed boost to a slower forward group. We’re taking a look here at the top 5 youth options in the system.
The last wave of youth additions for the Minnesota Wild included Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, Charlie Coyle, and Nino Niederreiter among others. The additions of those players has resulted in six consecutive playoff appearances, but they are all now reaching the end of their 20’s.
We have seen sporadic arrivals of players through the last few years, but nothing like the rookie influx that accompanied that group of players. Looking ahead we should expect another rookie wave in the coming years, but who will be a part of that wave?
I’ve reviewed the recent play of the Minnesota Wild’s top prospects and weighed out strength of competition along with skill level and points output this year.
Jordan Greenway and Nick Seeler have been excluded from this list due to their full-time status with the NHL club this year. They are no longer ‘future prospects’, instead being considered part of the present core of the club.
Likewise, Mathew Dumba and Joel Eriksson Ek have been up with the big club long enough to have lost their ‘prospect’ status.
I did contain this top five to players under 25 years old, with a high likelihood of making it to the NHL within the next couple seasons. Be sure to let me know if you feel someone on this list is not deserving, or if I missed anyone high on your prospect watch list.
#5 – Louie Belpedio (AHL – Iowa Wild)
Louie Belpedio had a brief one game tryout for the Minnesota Wild in 2017-18, impressing with 2 assists in that single game. He was thought to be an option to fill a role with the NHL club this year, but instead has found himself getting the ice time in the AHL.
This appears to have been for the best for Belpedio, as he is one of only tw defensemen in Iowa to have started all 10 games so far. It’s a crowded defensive group currently, but the Wild clearly have high expectations of Louie that he is getting consistent time with the team.
He has made the most of his time, registering a goal and 4 points through the first 10 games of the AHL season. Louie is a talented defender with offensive vision and skill, not afraid to jump in the play for a scoring chance when the opportunity is presented.
His development in the defensive zone is where he needs to focus this year, and it appears that he has taken strides to complete his all-around game. He has a +3 so far, and has not been a glaring hole on the back-end in Iowa.
As a right shot defender, Belpedio could be the future successor for someone like Jared Spurgeon should a surprise trade come through. Otherwise, the Minnesota Wild defense is still extremely young, with Ryan Suter as the only player in his thirties.
There is plenty of time for the 22-year-old Belpedio to work on becoming a well-rounded two-way defender, and no reason to rush him to the NHL. As a 2014 draft pick, who has recently completed his NCAA career, time spent in the AHL could be hugely beneficial to him before getting a permanent NHL spot.
#4 – Kaapo Kahkonen (AHL – Iowa Wild)
Goaltenders in the NHL tend to develop much slower than any other position in the game, and the Minnesota Wild should not expect anything different from their 22-year-old Finnish goaltender of the future.
Kaapo Kahkonen was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, and finally made the move from his native Finland to North America for this season. He is now the full-time backup on the AHL Wild, behind Andrew Hammond for this year.
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His development should see him starting more and more as the season rolls on, but in his 2 starts so far he has been excellent for the Iowa Wild.
Kahkonen holds a 1-1-0 record, stopping 54 of 58 shots through 2 games including both attempts in a shootout win on November 3rd.
Kahkonen has never in his career finished a professional season with a save percentage below .900. He has been playing against men in Finland since 2013-14, and held his own like a true star.
Adjusting from the European ice to the North American ice can be challenging for some goalies, having to learn the angles and adjust your game to a smaller ice surface, so time to learn this and develop in the AHL will be largely beneficial to the Minnesota Wild in the future.
With Alex Stalock and Andrew Hammond both under contract this season, it would take something drastic for us to see Kahkonen in the NHL in the 18-19 season, but we shouldn’t want to see him here yet.
Next season should see Kahkonen assume the role of starter in Iowa, potentially with another young goalie or an under-performing veteran there to challenge him for starts while encouraging his overall development.
The Minnesota Wild should be excited for this young goalie to find his way to the NHL, and he should be battling to be the eventual successor of Devan Dubnyk in a few years. For now, keep an eye on this kid as he can lead Iowa to good things in the near future.
#3 – Luke Kunin (AHL – Iowa Wild)
The Minnesota Wild know what they have in forward prospect Luke Kunin, and they are determined to protect that asset’s development as best as they can.
Most teams would see a player with the skill and talent of Kunin and rush that player out of the AHL and onto the NHL team as quickly as possible. The Minnesota Wild, and coach Bruce Boudreau, know that Kunin is better off in a top-six AHL role than in a bottom-line NHL role.
With a crowded group of forwards jostling and battling for line combinations in the NHL, Kunin could and likely would get lost in the shuffle. So instead, he has a stable position in Iowa where he can play consistently since returning from his ACL injury.
Through 6 games since returning from injury, Kunin has 7 points (3 G, 4 A) and is shooting at a 21% clip early in the season. For comparison sake, this is on pace with the shooting pace of Mikael Granlund in the NHL right now.
Kunin showed a ton of jump and skill in his 19 games with the Minnesota Wild last season, and appeared to have a spot held for his eventual return. With the Wild remaining healthy so far this season, and Kunin being forced to miss training camp, the AHL was the best option.
Kunin is the only first round pick of Minnesota still playing at the AHL level, so it is only a matter of time before he gets another shot at filling a role in St. Paul. When he does, don’t be surprised to see him stay with the top club full-time and force someone else onto the trading block.
The former 15th overall draft pick is only third on this list of prospects, though. Not by any fault of his own, but more by the outstanding production of these deeper draft choices since being selected in the late rounds.
#2 – Kirill Kaprizov (KHL – CSKA Moskva)
Russian athletes and the NHL have had a myriad of struggles finding a common ground in recent years. Most recently, the Minnesota Wild have discovered how difficult it can be to encourage a talented Russian hockey player to leave his home and bring his skills to North America.
As reported by NHL.com, Minnesota Wild GM Paul Fenton is taking a trip to Russia and Finland this month to personally scout and meet with former 5th round pick Kirill Kaprizov about coming to the State of Hockey when his current KHL contract expires in 2020.
More. Kaprizov needs convincing on move from Russia. light
Kaprizov is only 21 years old, so still extremely young with a ton of hockey in his future. Currently this season, Kaprizov has 17 points (10 G, 7 A) through 23 games of play, with a +13 plus/minus.
This is not unusual for Kaprizov either, as he has been nearly a point per game player for the entirety of his short adult life. He has broken 40 points in each of his last 2 seasons, and is on his way to doing it once again this year.
Being drafted in the 5th round in 2015 could end up being a huge steal for the Minnesota Wild, the likes of a Pavel Datsyuk or a Peter Bondra as a draft steal.
In his draft year, Kaprizov had a meagre 8 points in 31 games at the KHL level. Since being drafted, he has improved his production each and every season on his way to becoming a top prospect in the Wild pipeline.
When the general manager is making a special trip to meet with a player and his family, to pitch the vision of his team and encourage a prospect to make the journey to start a career in the NHL, it’s usually a good sign the team is extremely high on that player.
Barring some kind of setback, we should expect Kaprizov to be a major piece of the Minnesota Wild from 2020 onward. Let’s hope they have found themselves a player the calibre of a Bondra or Datsyuk that can lead this team to multiple Stanley Cups.
Honorable Mentions
It wouldn’t be a Top 5 list, if we didn’t make sure to mention those players who just missed the cut. In this case, there is more than one honorable mention to be had so I’ll be brief with it.
Gerry Fitzgerald is currently performing for the Iowa Wild like a top star in the making. He easily could have been included in this list, but for one major detail, he is only on an AHL contract. I would love to see the Minnesota Wild offer him an NHL contract this year, but we’ll have to see if he can maintain his pace over the entire season.
Carson Soucy is a top defensive prospect in the Minnesota Wild system, and should likely be the first left-handed call-up to Minnesota should a need arise for a left-handed defender to fill an injury or trade hole. He had a poor NHL preseason, and has not been a shining star in Iowa yet this year, but he is reliable with NHL experience already and the best the Wild have to offer currently.
In the CHL, there are a few other players playing well enough to deserve strong consideration for this list.
In Quebec, playing for the Gatineau Olympique, 2018 6th round pick Shawn Boudrias is playing out of his mind on a not so great team. Following up his 60 point season last year, he has 23 points in 20 games this year to lead his team in both goals and points.
In not-so-nearby Moncton, New Brunswick, 2018 third rounder Alexander Khovanov is having an excellent start to his second season in North America. He has 22 points in 18 games playing as the Wildcat’s top center on the opposite end of the QMJHL standings from Boudrias.
Lastly, Ivan Lodnia has also got off to a great start in the OHL for his junior team. He is producing at a point per game pace, 17 points in 17 games, and on pace to break his personal best points seasons for the Niagara Ice Dogs.
That leaves one player left to take our top spot on the top prospects for the Minnesota Wild. Have you figured out who it could be yet?
#1 Connor Dewar (WHL – Everett Silvertips)
Maybe this is a surprise to some, or maybe we’re on the same page here, but 2018 draft pick Connor Dewar is looking like a third round gem for the Minnesota Wild. His production in the WHL this season is befitting of a much higher draft position.
Dewar’s 12 goals are good enough for 5th in the league, and his 21 points have him tied for 20th among league leaders.
The Minnesota Wild had 3 third round picks in the 2018 NHL Draft. Dewar was the final selection of the round, and yet early into the 2018-19 NHL season he looks like he could be the best of the three players selected by the Wild in that round.
At 19 years old, Dewar has been on a consistent rise throughout his junior professional career, drastically increasing his point production each season. This season appears to be continuing his upward trend, as he looks to be peaking at the right point in his career.
His -3 plus/minus is currently the biggest concern, but that is something that should be able to be coached when he arrives in Iowa and/or Minnesota next season. A star with his offensive talent and hard-working skill is exactly what the Wild need for the future, and defensive responsibilities are something that can always be taught.
The jump from the Canadian Hockey League to the National Hockey League is a big one, and not always the easiest transition to make. Dewar may require a season or two in Iowa to develop before making the full pro jump, but with a point curve like his we should be expecting big things from this third round pick
He is on pace to produce over 100 points this season, which would be a massive increase from his 68 point season last year. Should he accomplish that feat, expect him to get a strong look in the NHL preseason next year, and a top line role in whichever pro league he ends up in.
Next. Colton Beck signs first NHL Contract. dark
What did you think of our list? Do you agree with our top 5 prospects? Did we leave someone out you feel very strongly about, or is our list not in the correct order for you? Let us know in the comments, and join the discussion.