The Minnesota Wild have managed to do some of the smaller things right this week. Top of that list is their treatment of top goaltending prospect, Kaapo Kahkonen.
In a week that has seen him named as AHL Player of the Week, notching two shut-outs, the Minnesota Wild then put the icing on the cake for young Kaapo Kahkonen.
With Devan Dubnyk missing their game with the Winnipeg Jets through illness, the Wild could just have easily given the start to Alex Stalock and had an experienced NHL goaltender in Andrew Hammond back him up.
Instead, they opted to give Stalock the start and allow their young upstart the chance to earn a day of NHL pay and the best seat in the house for watching an intense game.
It’s these sort of small moves that can make all the difference in a players’ development; Kaapo Kahkonen has now had the briefest of tastes of what it’s like to face warm-up shots from NHL players.
He’s had the chance to see how the game environment differs from that of the Iowa Wild and when he eventually gets promoted long-term, these little things will no doubt make a world of difference to settling in.
Also factor in that in giving him the emergency call-up, they’ve told the whole Iowa Wild roster that if you work hard and can perform at the level Kaapo Kahkonen did, on his way to two shut-outs, then the Minnesota Wild will eventually come calling.
Psychologically, surely it now paints a picture of a goal that isn’t completely unassailable, but rather one that rewards hard work and effort in the minor-league.
I can’t think of a better way to reward good performances in Iowa than giving that slight bump up. Maybe it’s the reasoning behind Minnesota Wild General Manager, Paul Fenton still not having filled the team’s twenty-third roster spot.
Safe to say, Kaapo Kahkonen isn’t about to forget the week he’s had in a hurry; let’s hope his form with the Iowa Wild continues and he is in the same spot a few more times this year!