Prospect Info: Wild Prospect Thread 2023-2024

[Digitalbooya]

I'm not writing off Ohgren at all.

But as somebody that is pro-Snuggerud, it mostly comes from the fact that a top-end shot, right-shooting RW is pretty clearly (IMO) our organization's second biggest need, behind top 6 center.

That being said, I wasn't exactly pounding the table for him during the 2022 draft, since his production at the NTDP wasn't exactly other-worldly, especially compared to the 2018-19 or now to the 2022-23 classes.

It’s not uncommon for left shot wingers to play the right side and vice versa. We have had a number of them: Zucc, Nino, Greenway/Foligno, (Yurov).

Handedness doesn’t really matter to me if we get good players that can fit the system. I will admit, drafting a big right shot center was a bit of a shock for a number of reasons including handedness.

I’ve mentioned this a lot, but I question how good Snuggerud’s production would be away from Cooley. He was Cooley’s linemate at the NTDP as well. I also sometimes think about If you put Ohgren in his spot. Can anyone make a legit argument that his production would have been worse than Snuggerud’s?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

It’s not uncommon for left shot wingers to play the right side and vice versa. We have had a number of them: Zucc, Nino, Greenway/Foligno, (Yurov).

Handedness doesn’t really matter to me if we get good players that can fit the system. I will admit, drafting a big right shot center was a bit of a shock for a number of reasons including handedness.

I’ve mentioned this a lot, but I question how good Snuggerud’s production would be away from Cooley. He was Cooley’s linemate at the NTDP as well. I also sometimes think about If you put Ohgren in his spot. Can anyone make a legit argument that his production would have been worse than Snuggerud’s?

Handedness matters the power play. When you throw 4 lefty forwards out there and know that 1-2 of them are not immediate shooting threats, it drastically neuters what they can do.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Handedness matters the power play. When you throw 4 lefty forwards out there and know that 1-2 of them are not immediate shooting threats, it drastically neuters what they can do.

It's not like we didn't have right handed players to put out there. Dumba, Spurgeon, Addison, Klingberg for defenders. Hartman was our top line center; he's right handed and his best offensive attribute is his shot.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

It's not like we didn't have right handed players to put out there. Dumba, Spurgeon, Addison, Klingberg for defenders. Hartman was our top line center; he's right handed and his best offensive attribute is his shot.

Doesn't say much about his other offensive attributes.

Dumba obviously wasn't out there for a reason, whatever that was, and the other 3 guys are the QB's.

We've been saying for years that we've been light on right-handed forward shots. That hasn't gone away.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Doesn't say much about his other offensive attributes.

Dumba obviously wasn't out there for a reason, whatever that was, and the other 3 guys are the QB's.

We've been saying for years that we've been light on right-handed forward shots. That hasn't gone away.

Unless you're getting a player better than Boldy or Zuccarello, it doesn't really matter if we have right shot forward or not. Kap-Eriksson Ek-Boldy-Zucc are going to be the top unit guys next year. After that, I imagine one of Rossi/Khusnutdinov/Yurov take Zucc's spot. I don't view Snuggerud as better than Zucc, Khusnutdinov, or Yurov. I go back and forth every day on if Rossi will be an NHL player at all.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Unless you're getting a player better than Boldy or Zuccarello, it doesn't really matter if we have right shot forward or not. Kap-Eriksson Ek-Boldy-Zucc are going to be the top unit guys next year. After that, I imagine one of Rossi/Khusnutdinov/Yurov take Zucc's spot. I don't view Snuggerud as better than Zucc, Khusnutdinov, or Yurov. I go back and forth every day on if Rossi will be an NHL player at all.

Zuccarello is 36 and Snuggerud is 19. They would not be direct competition with each other.

There's nothing that says that Snuggerud wouldn't be on there over Khusnuts or Yurov, especially when you consider how his handedness can open up the scheme and/or the spots on the ice where we can actually place a scoring threat.

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

It was interesting that Brackett kinda alluded to the fact that when they took Ohgren ahead of Yurov last year, if Snuggerud would have also passed through they would’ve had a tough decision about Yurov vs Snuggerud. Either way, I’m happy with the selections we’ve been making. They’re all tracking well for their draft position to this point, which is all you can really ask for. Yurov might be sliding a bit, but he’s a big mysetery box until I see him in Iowa (or Minnesota I guess).

 

[Digitalbooya]

Zuccarello is 36 and Snuggerud is 19. They would not be direct competition with each other.

There's nothing that says that Snuggerud wouldn't be on there over Khusnuts or Yurov, especially when you consider how his handedness can open up the scheme and/or the spots on the ice where we can actually place a scoring threat.

There's nothing that says Snuggered *would* be on there either once you get past handedness. I don't think he's better than Khusnutdinov or Yurov. Maybe a better goal scorer? I haven't seen him probably as much as you have, so I'll defer from here. I'm just not gonna be upset we chose Ohgren over him.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

There's nothing that says Snuggered *would* be on there either once you get past handedness. I don't think he's better than Khusnutdinov or Yurov. Maybe a better goal scorer? I haven't seen him probably as much as you have, so I'll defer from here. I'm just not gonna be upset we chose Ohgren over him.

I’m not upset. It’s just on the radar, for a number of reasons.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I think we can chalk Firstov off as a bust at this point. I mean yeah not a bust in terms of he wasn't a high pick but still he's staying in the KHL.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

I think we can chalk Firstov off as a bust at this point. I mean yeah not a bust in terms of he wasn't a high pick but still he's staying in the KHL.

He's on loan, only 22, and is producing well for a young player in the KHL. That's just not what anyone means by "bust."

 

[thestonedkoala]

He's on loan, only 22, and is producing well for a young player in the KHL. That's just not what anyone means by "bust."

He's 22 and hasn't played in North America in two years. He's on loan because he signed a contract with the Wild and can't get out from it or the Wild is unwilling to release him from his contract.

 

[AKL]

He's 22 and hasn't played in North America in two years. He's on loan because he signed a contract with the Wild and can't get out from it or the Wild is unwilling to release him from his contract.

Source?

 

[Ban Hammered]

He's 22 and hasn't played in North America in two years. He's on loan because he signed a contract with the Wild and can't get out from it or the Wild is unwilling to release him from his contract.

Or...he's on loan because the Wild still see something in him and they don't mind him developing in Russia...

 

[BagHead]

Source?

Well, capfriendly is a source for his contract with the Wild. As for the rest, I assume it's conjecture, but it is steeped in logic. If the Wild didn't want him under contract, they'd have released him from it, with his mutual approval, of course. Therefore, it seems obvious that they aren't willing to terminate his contract.

I can't find anything solid about Firstov's reasons for playing in the KHL vs. the AHL, so I have no idea if he actually wants to play in Russia for his whole career or not. If he wants to come back to the NHL when he's ready, I can't imagine he'd want to terminate his contract with the Wild.

I'm not a betting man, but I think the Wild are hoping he develops well there and he comes back directly to the NHL in a middle-six role. I have no idea if he wants that or not.

 

[AKL]

Well, capfriendly is a source for his contract with the Wild. As for the rest, I assume it's conjecture, but it is steeped in logic. If the Wild didn't want him under contract, they'd have released him from it, with his mutual approval, of course. Therefore, it seems obvious that they aren't willing to terminate his contract.

I can't find anything solid about Firstov's reasons for playing in the KHL vs. the AHL, so I have no idea if he actually wants to play in Russia for his whole career or not. If he wants to come back to the NHL when he's ready, I can't imagine he'd want to terminate his contract with the Wild.

And if we keep going down this path, we'll find out that they've had no problem terminating the contracts of guys they don't like in the past (Khovanov, as an example), so if the Wild thought he was a bust or that he didn't want to play in the NHL someday, wouldn't the Wild have no issues terminating his contract too?

There could be a variety of reasons he's playing in the KHL, doesn't mean he's a bust or doesn't want to be here.

 

[Wasted Talent]

And if we keep going down this path, we'll find out that they've had no problem terminating the contracts of guys they don't like in the past (Khovanov, as an example), so if the Wild thought he was a bust or that he didn't want to play in the NHL someday, wouldn't the Wild have no issues terminating his contract too?

From Russo's Q&A last month:

Any chance Firstov is included in the group of Khusnutdinov, Yurov and Liam Ohgren that come over for the 24-25 season?

Perhaps. That ship temporarily sailed after the 2019 second-rounder and UConn product essentially up and quit Iowa in the fall and the Wild subsequently loaned him to a KHL team. As of now, those close to him say it’s probably better for his development to play another year in the KHL. But Guerin talked with his agent, Mark Gandler, last week and Gandler planned to check in with Firstov to see what he wants to do. The forward scored 26 points in 47 games for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and continues to improve there. At some point, he’ll have to decide whether he wants to return, and then the Wild would have to decide whether they’d welcome him back or prefer to trade his rights. He has two years left on his NHL contract, and if he ever stayed over there without the Wild’s permission, they could retain his rights by suspending him.

 

[AKL]

From Russo's Q&A last month:

It is better for his development, and it's probably more comfortable for him too. Without expanding on what "up and quit Iowa" means, I'm not going to hold it against him for wanting to develop in the KHL over the AHL. The rest of it just feels like doomsaying without the necessary context. "He'll have to decide if he wants to return", "the Wild would have to decide whether they'd welcome him back", "if he ever stayed over there without the Wild’s permission, they could retain his rights by suspending him". Without knowing how he "up and quit" Iowa, this just reeks of Russo being dramatic with these types of situations, like he usually is.

 

[Wasted Talent]

It is better for his development, and it's probably more comfortable for him too. Without expanding on what "up and quit Iowa" means, I'm not going to hold it against him for wanting to develop in the KHL over the AHL. The rest of it just feels like doomsaying without the necessary context. "He'll have to decide if he wants to return", "the Wild would have to decide whether they'd welcome him back", "if he ever stayed over there without the Wild’s permission, they could retain his rights by suspending him". Without knowing how he "up and quit" Iowa, this just reeks of Russo being dramatic with these types of situations, like he usually is.

I don't disagree. I think the key takeaway that's not just Russo's speculation is Guerin staying in contact with Firstov's agent, which would probably imply the brige isn't burned or anything.

 

[Circulartheory]

Great rundown on the prospects by Joe Smith on The Athletic (so paywall)

 

[Minnewildsota]

Great rundown on the prospects by Joe Smith on The Athletic (so paywall)

That was a great read. Thank you for linking.

 

[Circulartheory]

That was a great read. Thank you for linking.

Funny thing too, that is 17 players described and not even including Bankier, Kumpulainen, Masters, Lorenz, Petrovsky and other late round picks.

Great rundown on the prospects by Joe Smith on The Athletic (so paywall)

Re: Yurov, per Bombardir

“Eventually we believe he can maybe grow into (playing center). Our plan early on, if he comes over, is put him in the best possible position to succeed early. Wing is where we’d start him"

 

[thestonedkoala]

Or...he's on loan because the Wild still see something in him and they don't mind him developing in Russia...

He left Iowa which is in dire need of talent up front. In the fall. After 9 games.

 

[Digitalbooya]

He left Iowa which is in dire need of talent up front. In the fall. After 9 games.

I think he "quit" and the Wild "seeing something in him" can both be true. I don't remember the exact reason he left Iowa, but I believe ice time had something to do with it.

 

[Minnewildsota]

I think he "quit" and the Wild "seeing something in him" can both be true. I don't remember the exact reason he left Iowa, but I believe ice time had something to do with it.

He likely wasn't going to get significant ice time in the AHL. Got more ice time in the KHL. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, at all.