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Some summaries from Jake Jensen on The Athletic, mostly echoes what others have said, but always good to have another opinion.
Wild development camp: Thoughts on Sokolov, Lodnia,...
Sokolov:
From the first practice session on Tuesday to the final scrimmage on Sunday, Sokolov’s undeniable skill was on full display. Offensively, he brings just about everything to the table — smooth and deceptive hands, a crafty way of drawing defenders in and then using them as bait, and oh yeah, an absolute rocket of a shot. His skating isn’t the greatest, but his natural offensive instincts and puck skills make up for the lack of foot speed. If he can figure out his conditioning and start taking his fitness and nutrition seriously, look out.
Lodnia
Lodnia didn’t disappoint this week. You can just tell that he is one of those players that really wants it. He loves to have the puck on his stick, and if he doesn’t have it, he works his tail off to go and get it. All throughout practice, I never saw him take a single drill off. His skating is really unique in a way that I’ve never quite seen before, but it works for him. Lodnia skates extremely low to the ice with his feet spread wide. With this low center of gravity, it allows him to power up and down the ice while also giving him the ability to turn on a dime. Look for him to continue to climb the Wild prospects chart and have a great season with the Erie Otters in the OHL.
McBain
He is a big, rangy center that loves to get involved and was thought by many to be a first- or second-round talent. I saw a lot of skill this weekend, but there was also a noticeable lack of speed in his game. McBain is no doubt a player that will work at it, as he won the award for hardest worker both on and off the ice for the week.
F. Johansson
He brought his advertised poise and hockey IQ — his gap control was really solid and he was always in position. He will no doubt take some time, and patience will be key with him as a prospect, but I saw enough from him this week to justify the Wild taking him late in the first round.
Belpedio
I thought Belpedio was the best defenseman at development camp this year. He was one of the older players, and it was apparent on the ice. As a two-way, puck-moving defenseman, Belpedio was making smart reads with the puck, connecting on solid, crisp passes to his forwards, and even stepping up on some “opposing” players at his own blue line.
Golden
Golden didn’t put up huge numbers for London in the OHL this past season to help his case as a legit prospect, but he’s officially on my radar. He was so poised when the puck was on his stick this week and defended really well in his own end. Golden also jumped into the offense from time to time and didn’t look out of place. And more importantly, every time he did jump up into the offense, he was always the first player back on the backcheck. He was one of my favorite players to watch this past week.
Wild development camp: Thoughts on Sokolov, Lodnia,...