Circulartheory
Registered User
Center
NOTABLE PRO: Anze Kopitar, Kyle Brodziak, Mike Santorelli
NOTABLE PROSPECTS: Mikael Granlund, Drew Shore, Linden Vey, Dan O'Regan, Colin Jacobs, Drew Leblanc, Colin Smith, Erik Haula, Connor Brickley, Justin Feser
Kopitar is the heart of the Wild team; captain, scoring leader, leads forward in ice time, top line centerman, top PP and top PK. The team paid a high price for him but seems to worth it. Kyle Brodziak lacks offensive punch but is a strong 3rd line centerman and Santorelli is a decent bottom six forward.
There is some great depth and quality with the center prospects. Mikael Granlund is still finding his game in the NHL but is a potential top six forward. Drew Shore had a great year in Florida and looks like a fulltime second line centerman. To list the others quickly: Vey with a great rookie year in the AHL, O'Regan a top six forward as a freshman with BU, Colin Smith scoring a ton in the WHL, Justin Feser a nominee for WHL player of the year, and Erik Haula a strong senior year in the WCHA.
Wingers
NOTABLE PRO: David Perron, Mikkel Boedker, Martin Havlat, Sergei Kostitsyn, Joel Ward, Tommy Wingels, Patrick Kaleta, Tim Jackman
NOTABLE PROSPECTS: Colton Sissons, Adam Gilmour
There was a lot of movement on the wings. Mikkel Boedker was acquired late in the season to be a fixture on the wings for several seasons. Guys like Martin Havlat and Joel Ward are less part of the long-term future but provide some immediate help. Kostitsyn had a struggling year with a -20 but the bottom six energy group of Wingels, Kaleta and Jackman try to make it up with some grit.
The team only has two notable prospects in Sissons and Gilmour but both are character, top nine forwards who work hard and play hard.
DEFENSE
NOTABLE PRO: Zach Bogosian, Cam Fowler, Jan Hejda, Rob Scuderi, Anton Stralman, Nate Prosser, Randy Jones, John Moore
NOTABLE PROSPECTS: Jonas Brodin, Zach Yuen, Joakim Ryan, Dakota Mermis, Artem Sergeev
The blueline is very young and still developing but Bogosian and Fowler is the team's dynamic duo while Hejda, Scuderi and Stralman provide some strong depth. Moore is not yet HFNHL ready but had an impressive short stint with the Rangers in the NHL.
Brodin was a sensation in the NHL looking like a #2 defenseman as an 19-year old so he will look to find a spot next season in the HFNHL. The rest are solid prospects but not bluechip.
GOALIES
NOTABLE PRO: Semyon Varlamov, Chris Mason, Matt Hackett, Anders Nilsson
NOTABLE PROSPECTS: N/A
Varlamov has found a place as the team's starting goaltender and free agent signing Chris Mason gives some veteran insurance as backup. The team has two talented youngsters in Hackett and Nilsson both developing to provide some depth in the pipeline.
The Wild goaltending prospects lack bluechip and depth but seeing how young the pro roster is, the team still has time to find a prospect to develop.
DRAFT: PIT 2 (#39), MIN 5 (#139), MIN 6 (#169), DAL 7 (#187), MIN 7 (#199).
The team no longer has its own first and second from the trade for Anze Kopitar but still managed to deal for a 2nd from Pittsburgh. The team will be looking to add some more picks on draft day, possibly moving down.
NOTABLE PRO: Anze Kopitar, Kyle Brodziak, Mike Santorelli
NOTABLE PROSPECTS: Mikael Granlund, Drew Shore, Linden Vey, Dan O'Regan, Colin Jacobs, Drew Leblanc, Colin Smith, Erik Haula, Connor Brickley, Justin Feser
Kopitar is the heart of the Wild team; captain, scoring leader, leads forward in ice time, top line centerman, top PP and top PK. The team paid a high price for him but seems to worth it. Kyle Brodziak lacks offensive punch but is a strong 3rd line centerman and Santorelli is a decent bottom six forward.
There is some great depth and quality with the center prospects. Mikael Granlund is still finding his game in the NHL but is a potential top six forward. Drew Shore had a great year in Florida and looks like a fulltime second line centerman. To list the others quickly: Vey with a great rookie year in the AHL, O'Regan a top six forward as a freshman with BU, Colin Smith scoring a ton in the WHL, Justin Feser a nominee for WHL player of the year, and Erik Haula a strong senior year in the WCHA.
Wingers
NOTABLE PRO: David Perron, Mikkel Boedker, Martin Havlat, Sergei Kostitsyn, Joel Ward, Tommy Wingels, Patrick Kaleta, Tim Jackman
NOTABLE PROSPECTS: Colton Sissons, Adam Gilmour
There was a lot of movement on the wings. Mikkel Boedker was acquired late in the season to be a fixture on the wings for several seasons. Guys like Martin Havlat and Joel Ward are less part of the long-term future but provide some immediate help. Kostitsyn had a struggling year with a -20 but the bottom six energy group of Wingels, Kaleta and Jackman try to make it up with some grit.
The team only has two notable prospects in Sissons and Gilmour but both are character, top nine forwards who work hard and play hard.
DEFENSE
NOTABLE PRO: Zach Bogosian, Cam Fowler, Jan Hejda, Rob Scuderi, Anton Stralman, Nate Prosser, Randy Jones, John Moore
NOTABLE PROSPECTS: Jonas Brodin, Zach Yuen, Joakim Ryan, Dakota Mermis, Artem Sergeev
The blueline is very young and still developing but Bogosian and Fowler is the team's dynamic duo while Hejda, Scuderi and Stralman provide some strong depth. Moore is not yet HFNHL ready but had an impressive short stint with the Rangers in the NHL.
Brodin was a sensation in the NHL looking like a #2 defenseman as an 19-year old so he will look to find a spot next season in the HFNHL. The rest are solid prospects but not bluechip.
GOALIES
NOTABLE PRO: Semyon Varlamov, Chris Mason, Matt Hackett, Anders Nilsson
NOTABLE PROSPECTS: N/A
Varlamov has found a place as the team's starting goaltender and free agent signing Chris Mason gives some veteran insurance as backup. The team has two talented youngsters in Hackett and Nilsson both developing to provide some depth in the pipeline.
The Wild goaltending prospects lack bluechip and depth but seeing how young the pro roster is, the team still has time to find a prospect to develop.
DRAFT: PIT 2 (#39), MIN 5 (#139), MIN 6 (#169), DAL 7 (#187), MIN 7 (#199).
The team no longer has its own first and second from the trade for Anze Kopitar but still managed to deal for a 2nd from Pittsburgh. The team will be looking to add some more picks on draft day, possibly moving down.
