The Minnesota Wild have one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL in Jonas Brodin, but they also have one of the most underrated centers in Joel Eriksson Ek. Sure, when the Wild are on a national broadcast, everyone notices Eriksson Ek for the duration of the game, but as soon as the spotlights are gone, so is the attention Eriksson Ek gets.
He’s one of the best defensive centers in the game and repeatedly gets overlooked regarding the Selke Trophy. Wild fans expect to see his name as a finalist year after year, and it has yet to happen. He came very close last season with a fourth-place finish, but he should be higher. In this article, we’ll look at why he deserves more attention and how he’s doing this season, which is precisely where we’ll start; the current season.
Eriksson Ek’s Pace
Eriksson Ek has played all 56 of the Wild’s games this season and is on his way to the best season of his career. Out of his eight-season career, the most points he’s tallied was 61 last season in 78 games played. This season, however, he already has 52 points and has 26 games left to tally 10 more points to beat his old career-high. That’s plenty of time for someone like Eriksson Ek, who can record points in nearly any situation.
Outside of his strong, even-strength play, he’s also a whiz on the power play. Of his 28 goals, which is also a career-high, 12 of those have been on the power play. Eriksson Ek isn’t all about scoring goals either; he’s equally talented at setting them up. He has 24 assists out of his 52 points; six were on the power play.
He’s great at five-on-five and the power play, but we can’t forget his skills on the penalty kill. He’s one of the Wild’s best penalty killers, and without him, they’d be in a world of hurt, just like their last postseason. He was injured, and the team was nearly lost without him. He’s recorded one shorthanded goal this season, and that is his only shorthanded point. However, it’s important to remember how difficult it is to tally points on the penalty kill, so he’s in very talented company with his lone point.
Eriksson Ek’s Defensive Game
One of the keys to Eriksson Ek’s success is how strong he is on defense. He’s one of those players that can go end-to-end in one shift. He can go from an offensive zone breakaway to busting his butt to the other end and saving a goal. He always puts his defensive priorities first, and that goes for his blocked shots as well.
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He’s the Wild’s top forward in blocking shots, and in his 56 games played this season, he’s blocked 44 shots. Of course, we can’t talk about defensive style without giveaways and takeaways, which Eriksson Ek thrives at. He’s only given up the puck 10 times while he’s stolen the puck away from opponents 27 times.
He’s taken the puck nearly three times more than he’s turned it over. Not many players can do that and it’s what makes him so good. Those stats also show how good he is at protecting the puck when he has it; not many can take it away from him.
Eriksson Ek’s Relentlessness
In the offensive zone, there’s one word to describe Eriksson Ek: pest. In most situations, being a pest isn’t a compliment, but in Eriksson Ek’s case, it is. He annoys every opponent’s defense because it is nearly impossible to move him in the slot. He finds his spot, and he keeps it no matter what he has to do.
He’s had teeth knocked out more than once, numerous cuts to his face, cross-checks to his back and his front. You name it, he’s likely been on the receiving end of it, but that’s where the “pest” part of his game comes in. He sticks it out, he’ll be clearly in pain, but he’ll stay until the whistle blows. He’s very determined and that’s how he gets his goals; they may not always be pretty ones, but a goal is a goal.
Eriksson Ek’s Future
Thankfully, the Wild locked Eriksson Ek up when they had the chance back in July 2021. They signed him to an eight-year deal that is worth $42 million, not a bad deal considering the type of player he is. They’re even lucky enough to have another player modeling their game somewhat after Eriksson Ek, and that is one of their rookies, Marco Rossi.
Rossi has shown he can be a pest in front of the net and shows some of the same talents that Eriksson Ek has. Eriksson Ek is a great player and leads by example, with a yell thrown in there occasionally when he gets upset. The Wild have him under contract for five more seasons, and it’ll be interesting to see where his career goes in that time.
