So the 2023 Entry Draft is in the books, free agency has opened and the Minnesota Wild have done basically nothing. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as they have basically no cap space to spare with restricted free agents (RFAs) Filip Gustavsson, Brandon Duhaime, and Calen Addison still looking for new contracts. While they made no trades on either day of the draft, they still added a decent haul of six new prospects to their already stacked pool.
With so many talented young players, it can be difficult to keep track of them all and their current development. They are present in so many leagues across the world, playing against a wide array of opponents with varying skill levels. In order to make it a little bit easier I have collected as much information as I can on all of their prospects, introduced some of my own personal assessments, and grouped them into a prospect pyramid. The pyramid is broken down into four major tiers based on skill level and potential impact at the NHL level.
Tier One
Players possess elite talent and project as having a long and impactful NHL career.
Jesper Wallstedt, Brock Faber, Marco Rossi
This one is easy, there is a prospect in the Wild’s system that has been heralded as their future savior in net since the moment he was drafted, Jesper Wallstedt. A goaltender rarely reaches this tier as it can be extremely difficult to project their effectiveness as a starter in the NHL, but Wallstedt is not just expected to be a starter, he is expected to be an elite force in net for the Wild for many years to come. He recently was named to the first-ever American Hockey League Top Prospects Team as he continues to collect accolades everywhere he plays in his charge towards the NHL.
The home-state man from Maple Grove, Brock Faber, not only had a ridiculously good season as the captain of the Gophers but also stepped into the Wild’s lineup going into the playoffs and immediately stuck. He has a calming demeanor, is strong on the puck, and is extremely reliable in his own end. He may never be on the top pairing, just due to his current lack of offensive flair, but he will be an elite defensive defenseman that will never get enough credit.
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For a long period after being drafted, Marco Rossi was the Wild’s top prospect, and for good reason, yet somehow a single stretch of play in the NHL where he failed to be elite has fans shrugging him off like he is a bust and will never play any NHL games again. The kid is 21 years old and suffered from a major medical condition. Let’s all calm down and let him develop at his own pace into the star we all thought he was going to be. Not everyone breaks into the league with a miraculous season like Kirill Kaprizov or Matt Boldy.
Tier Two
Highly talented players that will be in the NHL at some point.
Marat Khusnutdinov, Liam Ohgren, Danila Yurov, Carson Lambos
The trio of forwards present at this tier provides a uniquely exciting opportunity for the Wild in the 2024-25 season, as all three are slated to make their way to North America and begin their professional careers together. While Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov will likely end up with the Iowa Wild, there is a strong possibility that the older Marat Khusnutdinov slides directly into the NHL roster, Kaprizov style. He is an extremely skilled center that all Wild fans need to be excited about, as his experience playing in Russia could leave him ready for the big stage that is the NHL.
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The lone defenseman on this list is none other than Carson Lambos. The 2021 first-rounder has had some time to develop with the Winnipeg ICE in the Western Hockey League (WHL), including gaining some leadership experience as their captain last season as they went on a deep run in the playoffs. Lambos’ stock has fallen for some after being let go from Team Canada’s roster in the 2023 World Junior Championship, but he was also held in high regard by the Wild’s staff at last season’s training camp, sticking around longer than any other prospects. There is an outside chance he could get some NHL games this year if he has another strong training camp.
Tier Three
Players with talent but need some refinement to make it into the NHL.
Charlie Stramel, Riley Hiedt, Adam Beckman, Sammy Walker, Caeden Bankier, Jack Peart, Daemon Hunt, Kyle Masters
This tier is divided into two types of players, younger guys with higher potential and older guys that have reached the point in their career where they are pushing for a spot on the NHL lineup. The former of those is highlighted with Adam Beckman and Sammy Walker. Both players dipped their toes into the NHL last season and will try to solidify a more permanent spot out of training camp this season.
A pair of centers picked with the Wild’s first three selections in the 2023 Draft also fall into this tier, but it isn’t the first and second picks as most would expect. Their first-round pick Charlie Stramel had a tough year, but before that was ranked very highly. If he rebounds this season, he could have some solid potential as a big-bodied middle-six center, akin to the beloved Joel Eriksson Ek.
Riley Heidt is a tier ahead of Rasmus Kumpulainen for me and a lot of people, despite being picked later in the second round. The Wild were obviously prioritizing big centers with their first two picks and were surprised to find Heidt still available at 64th overall. The smaller Canadian had 97 points with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League and has top-six upside with some elite skill and playmaking abilities.
Tier Four
Players who need some time, experience, and hard work to break into the NHL.
Rasmus Kumpulainen, Aaron Pionk, Kalem Parker, James Clark, Ryan O’Rourke, Simon Johansson, Marshall Warren, Ryan Healey, Nate Benoit, Pavel Novak, Hunter Haight, Servac Petrovsky, David Spacek, Michael Milne, Rieger Lorenz
This tier acts as a bit of a catch-all for the remaining prospects, but just because they are in this tier doesn’t mean they are not good prospects, rather it speaks to the strength and depth that is the current Wild pool. Not everyone can play for the Wild, and unfortunately for this group of men there are just too many prospects currently above them, but the possibility of climbing the tiers is always there.
While there may be a few surprises for some people in this area, more than a couple of these players are a single strong season away from being moved into an upper tier and have likely dropped down as a result of a single weak season or even special circumstances as in the case of Pavel Novak.
Wild’s Prospect Pool Continues to Grow
There is no way around it, the Wild and their fans are in for a tough couple of seasons as the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts reach their maximum. The lack of an increase in the salary cap has only made the problem worse, but the wealth of talent that exists in their prospect pool gives a glimpse of a bright future.
As more and more of their draft picks develop in various leagues and push towards turning pro, it is becoming more and more obvious that the Wild will have a surplus of great players to choose from in the coming years, as well as the ability to move some of them in trades to help fill any gaps that may form. Hold on Wild fans, the time of mediocrity may be nearing its end.
