Most leagues have been active for a full month now as we are well into the spooky season at the end of October. That, in turn, means Minnesota Wild prospects have been active for enough games that we at THW can start ranking their performances as they continue to develop across the globe. It can be difficult to compare players from one league to another, especially when considering the age differences across prospects at different stages of their development, but here are the top five Wild prospects for the entire month of October.
No. 5 – Rasmus Kumpulainen
A lot of fans who questioned the Wild taking the 6-foot-3 Finnish center at 53 overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft have most likely flipped their opinions by now. The big, two-way, physical presence that is Kumpulainen was relatively unknown to average fans heading into the draft, but since making his way over to North America to join the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), he has attracted much more attention and garnered nothing but praise from everyone.
In a recent article by Scott Wheeler from The Athletic, he notes a conversation he had with Generals associate Steve O’Rourke in which he noted:
“Worst-case scenario I think he’s an NHL player in your top-nine as a third-line centre. If he adds the offence, you’re looking at a second-line centre or possibly like a (Zach) Hyman, who is a great forechecker who can play with high-end players,”
from ‘Wild prospect Rasmus Kumpulainen showing why he’s a ‘heck of a pick’ in Oshawa,’ The Athletic, Oct. 14, 2023
The Wild’s first two picks in the latest draft saw them target two players with a very similar body-type in Kumpulainen and Charlie Stramel, but with Stramel point-less in his four games this month, it has been the former that has been making himself known to Wild fans. Kumpulainen has posted nine points in 11 games with the Generals, acting at times as the number one center for his team. He likely continues to improve as he becomes more accustomed to the North American game.
No. 4 – Riley Heidt
He might have been selected after Kumkuplainen in the draft, but he is ahead of him in this ranking. Riley Heidt was taken at 64th overall in the draft, but he was expected by most to go much earlier than that. He had 97 points in 68 games with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) heading into his draft year, so it is no surprise that he managed to collect 14 points in just 10 games in October.
Heidt is a very dynamic player who brings a bunch of options to the table on any given night. He is extremely skilled and can be an elite playmaker while also being able to beat a goalie himself. He is on a very strong Cougars team this season as Heidt is only fourth on the team in point production, but he is also the team’s most effective center, winning over 58 percent of his face-off attempts. There is no reason to think Heidt will slow down his production anytime soon, but he will be an interesting prospect to watch in the coming years to see if his game translates to the NHL.
No. 3 – Danila Yurov
There have been times this season when the Wild’s 24th overall pick in the 2022 Draft has struggled to hold down a position with Metallurg in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia, but it is not for lack of strong play. With his current KHL contract in its final year, he is expected to make the leap to North America next season, which frustratingly causes some issues for young players trying to get ice time.
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Yurov did manage to get into 10 games in October and put up an amazing four goals and nine points while averaging 15 minutes of ice time — a strong showing for the youngster playing in a top men’s league. He is a bit of a mystery to most because of his strange development arc caused by COVID-interrupted seasons and Russian political issues, but there is a very high chance that some proper training will turn his raw skill and solid frame into an extremely effective top-end player for the Wild.
No. 2 – Marco Rossi
The ninth-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was the fantastic moment when the Wild selected center Marco Rossi. He has been on a rollercoaster over the last couple of seasons after being diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart inflammation that not only had his future career in question but could’ve killed him. Most fans seem to have forgotten that part of Rossi’s development when he only put up one point in 19 NHL games last season, quickly labelling the young center prospect a bust at just 21 years old.
Related: 4 Minnesota Wild Overreactions to First 4 Games in 2023-24
Skip forward past a full season with the Iowa Wild, a summer of intense training in Minnesota, and nine NHL games and you will find a Rossi that flipped that script on its head. Not only is he third on the team for goals scored, but his play has been amongst the best on the team, forcing head coach Dean Evason to give him more and more ice time as he reached almost 19 minutes on Oct. 27 when the Wild lost in a shootout against the Washington Capitals. It might have taken him a little longer than most impatient fans would’ve liked, but Rossi is finally here to stay.
No. 1 – Brock Faber
When the Wild’s salary cap issues forced them to deal away offensive star Kevin Fiala, there was an uproar about the return being only a first-round pick and some unknown defensive prospect, even if he was from Maple Grove, Minnesota. Fast forward to today and that prospect has turned into Brock Faber, the Wild’s best defenseman so far in the 2023-24 season and it isn’t even a close competition. He already averages over 23 minutes of ice time per game and looks comfortable doing it.
Faber has collected 11 regular NHL season starts and already looks like a future cornerstone of the Wild’s defence. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound, right-shot blueliner makes a living by reliably suffocating opponents, but his high-end skating has given him the ability to step up offensively as well, netting three points in his nine games in October. There is also every indication that Faber will continue to grow his game as he becomes more comfortable with the pace of an NHL game. It was widely known that Faber was an NHL-level defenseman, but I think he surprised a lot of people with just how elite he has been already.
Great Month for Wild Prospects
It was more than just these five that had solid play in October as other names like Hunter Haight of the Saginaw Spirit, Aaron Pionk of the University of Minnesota-duluth Bulldogs, and Pavel Novak of the Iowa Heartlanders/Iowa Wild all had great months in their respective leagues. As we move into November, the hope is that all Wild prospects take another step in their development and continue to increase the strength of what is already one of the best prospect pools in the NHL.
