The first wave of roster moves has swept through training camp for the Minnesota Wild. Following their 3-2 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets, the Wild trimmed their roster to 52 players by assigning players to their junior hockey teams and releasing some others from their try-out contracts. There were no real surprises in this round of cuts.
Assigned to junior hockey
Lirim Amidovski (North Bay Battalion)
Adam Benak (Brantford Bulldogs)
Carter Klippenstein (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Chase Wutzke (Red Deer Rebels)
Released from amateur try-out contracts
Rowan Topp
Jordan Tourigny
Released from professional try-out contracts
Matthew Sop
Ryan McGuire
William Rousseau
Sop, McGuire, and Rousseau are all expected to attend the Iowa Wild training camp once that ramps up in a few days.
Amidovski, Benak, and Klipperstein were all drafted in the fourth round of the 2025 draft while Wuzke was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. Benak had a solid showing at the rookie tournament to start the season and will look to take that success into his first season with Brantford.
Topp and Tourigny were invitees for both the rookie tournament and training camp. It was a long shot for either to make the roster, but the Wild were able to get a nice long look at the defensemen. Both will return to their junior teams (Topp to Guelph and Tourigny to Shawinigan), taking what they’ve learned in camp with them.
With nine fewer players in camp, the coaching staff can spend more time looking at some of the players that have a chance to make the squad. Two of those players, Jack Johnson and Brett Leason, are on PTO’s but could parlay their chances into contracts, especially considering the run of injuries the Wild have had during the opening week of camp.
Zeev Buium, Mats Zuccarello, and Nico Sturm have all been dinged up at some point while Jonas Brodin is still expected to miss a little time at the beginning of the season. Sturm is skating again and Buium’s injury isn’t thought to be serious, but Johnson and Leason can use the extra ice time to impress the Wild, or possibly another NHL team that is looking for some veteran help.
The Wild still have plenty of cuts to make, and plenty of time to make them. Expect a large wave of players to be assigned to the AHL once Iowa opens up their training camp. From there the tough cuts start as they work their way down to the 23-player final roster they have to submit to the NHL prior to the season starting.