The Minnesota Wild are a very interesting team to watch both on the ice next season and through their prospects. After making that major deal for Jason Pominville they lost two guys who would likely be on this list in Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett, as well as a first round pick. Yet are they poised to make a deep playoff run or simply a bubble team? They have an interesting mix of extremely expensive talent and youth sprinkled throughout the lineup. Their offense should (emphasis on should) be very hard to deal with, the goaltending is reasonably strong and they have a legitimate top-pairing in Brodin-Suter…the depth on defense though is an issue. With the new divisions they should be able to battle for the third place in the Central.


As per usual this list doesn’t include players with 50+ NHL game experience or a player who played the vast majority of this shortened year and became a “legitimate NHLer.” As such the Wild lose…well the majority of their best prospect. Brodin established himself as a number two and should have been nominated for the Calder, Charlie Coyle played 38 games and guaranteed his spot on the team next season and Mikael Granlund had his season cut short due to injury but was pretty much set on the squad before that. The other two that aren’t here are Marco Scandella and the newly acquired Nino Niederreiter.



1. Matt Dumba : Defenseman, 7th Overall, 2012, 19 years old, 6’0 189lbs, Red Deer Rebels in the WHL


Dumba is an explosive talent that has the ability to change a game at any time in various ways…sometimes to his team’s detriment, but that’s as may be. He has an excellent shot from the point and is an extremely aggressive offensive defenseman that can move the puck and loves to drive possession forward. He’s known for going for the big open ice hit, and that always has two endings, great or bad depending on the situation. He’s a near elite skater and really flies in all directions and is one of the few skaters that seems as fast going backwards as forwards. He still has issues with reading plays and his over aggressive style can get him caught at times. The general scouting profile for him is that he is Dion Phaneuf with less size and much better skating. Similar game style, similar strengths and similar weaknesses. Next season he will either make the Wild or he will have to play again in the WHL and compete for a spot on the U20 team.


Potential : Two-Three Offensive Defenseman



2. Jason Zucker : Left Wing, 59th Overall, 2010, 21 years old, 5’11 190lbs, Houston Aeros in the AHL


Zucker got to play 20 games for the Wild yet wasn’t given the time in my mind to really show that he has “graduated.” He was excellent in his first pro season leading the Aeros in goals with 24 (4th in rookie scoring) and finishing with 50 points in 55 games. He’s an extremely fast skater who plays with a lot of energy and hustle. Despite his size he’s the kind of player that loves to hound for the puck and play relentlessly on the forecheck. He’s a strong two-way player who was an expert penalty killer in the NCAA and played a secondary role in that regard in the AHL. His major weakness is that he isn’t a strong passer, he is easily a shoot first go around the net kind of guy, but looking for the fancy play isn’t a strong suit. His one shot scoring ability however is excellent and he projects as a very good all-purpose player. Next season he will fight for a spot on the Wild or start again with the Iowa Wild.


Potential : Top-Six Two-Way Scorer



3. Zack Phillips : Centre, 28th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 6’1 187lbs, Houston Aeros


Phillips had a rough transition to the pro game as any 20 year old might and played a smaller role especially during the lockout with guys like Coyle, Granlund, Larsson and Zucker all ahead of him on the depth chart. Phillips is an interesting player because he’s extremely smart in all three zones and excellent on the draw, but he’s slow…so slow. He has a lot of offensive talent and on the PP he is exceptional in his puck possession and playmaking abilities. Skating has been the biggest problem in Phillips young career, something he overcame in junior playing beside speed burners like Huberdeau and Galiev, yet in the NHL it raises the question as to what his role will be. Can his talent and intelligence matched with his hard work overcome his slow strides? Only time will tell,but at 20 he still has a lot of time to work on that glaring issue. He will play again in the AHL and hopefully be given more meaningful ice-time.


Potential : Second/Third Line Two-Way Centre



4. Erik Haula : Centre/Left Wing, 182nd Overall, 2009, 22 years old, 5’11 187lbs, University of Minnesota in the NCAA


Haula led the Golden Gophers strong offense again for the second season in a row, improving his point totals by 2 in 6 less games. He finished tied for fourth overall in scoring in the NCAA with 51 points. He’s a quality two-way player with a lot of speed and creativity. He’s played a lot of left wing in the NCAA and will likely have to move to the wing in the NHL as he isn’t physically strong enough to run the show at centre. Therein lies his issue, Haula has had issues with being forced to the perimeter at times and when being pushed around he can be rattled and lose focus. His offensive instincts on the PP are a major asset and something he really thrives on where he can set up and make his playmaking magic work. The NCAA is one of the least physical leagues in that developmental phase and that has helped him overcome those perimeter issues, so if he can transition his game to the AHL which is far more physical he could be a major gem coming from such a late pick. Next season he will try to prove just that for the Iowa Wild.


Potential : Second Line Playmaker



5. Tyler Graovac : Centre, 191st Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 6’3 201lbs, Belleville Bulls in the OHL


Graovac in his final season in the OHL finally showed consistency and seemed to hit his stride. To start the year he was with Monahan as part of the only three players (includes Ceci) that showed up for the 67’s before being traded to the Bulls where he didn’t skip a beat and was their best forward in the playoffs. He was known more for his penalty killing ability when drafted and his defensive side to his game, to go with being a surprisingly fast skater for his size. He ended up winning the OHL Most Sportsmanlike Player and CHL Sportsman of the Year…which tells you a little bit about how much he uses his big frame…not a lot. He’s a gentle giant and that might break his NHL dream as it isn’t clear that he is talented enough to ever break a top-6, nor is he the kind of guy you expect as a grinder. His massive jump in production is both encouraging and slightly dubious like any player who suddenly scores more points than he has combined in his three other seasons of junior. Next season he will play in the AHL and prove that his final season wasn’t just a mature player playing well like most do at 20 in the CHL.


Potential : Third Line Scorer



6. Mario Lucia : Left Wing, 60th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 6’2 192lbs, University of Notre Dame in the NCAA


Lucia was the token Minnesota High School product picked by the Wild which seems to be something they love to do every year, sort of like throwing darts at a board blindfolded. He’s a very long term prospect and you can tell that simply by the development path he chose to take by moving to the BCHL for one year of Junior B before making the jump to the NCAA. He’s a very raw forward with excellent skating and a lot of fancy stick work. His game to game consistency is still a work in progress, but when he is on he can pull highlight reel plays out of nowhere. He can score goals in a lot of ways and has been used a lot as the triggerman on the left circle for one-timers. His defensive game is still a bit of a shamble and as mentioned earlier he is still rather inconsistent, but he was always somebody projected to finally go pro when he was around 23 years old. Next season he will play again for Notre Dame and likely receive more important roles with Anders Lee leaving.



Potential : Second Line Scorer or Bust



7. Daniel Gunnarsson : Defenseman, 128th Overall, 2012, 21 years old, 6’4 205lbs, Luleå in the Elitserien


Drafted as an overager, Gunnarsson reminds me of another Gunnarsson…Carl. He’s a simple player that likes to keep his game simple and effective by using his stick and keeping his positioning strong. While his offensive game has begun to evolve and he’s using his heavy shot more effectively, he isn’t aggressive when pushing the play and always likes to remain in a position to get back. He managed to lead Luleå in points by a defenseman doubling last year’s totals scoring 6 goals and 17 points. He’s fairly mobile, but not really the fastest defender out there, and he doesn’t shy away from contact, but doesn’t go out for the big hit if he can simply push players to the outside. I really love his simple game and the massive strides he has taken. Next season he will again play for Luleå and is expected to log top-pairing minutes in all situations again.


Potential : Top-Four Two-Way Defenseman



8. Johan Gustafsson : Goalie, 159th Overall, 2010, 21 years old, 6’2 203lbs, Luleå in the Elitserien


Gustafsson has been extremely impressive in the Elitserien and Allsvenskan before that and is one of the more promising young goalies coming out of Sweden. Up until this past season he had a reputation as a bit of a choker as his play in the playoffs was mediocre at best and in the U20’s Sweden carried him to the Gold Medal before he finally had a strong game against Russia. This season he put that behind him and was one of the best goalies in the league and got his team to second place earning him a spot as the third stringer for Sweden at the WC’s. He’s a technical goalie that uses his body very effectively instead of being the usual ultra-athletic goalie who relies on his reflexes. He’s a surprisingly good puck handler and likes to go behind the net and start plays. He does have that European style of kicking out his rebounds and deflecting them into the corner, something that all Euro’s need to tone down on the smaller ice. Next season he will move to the AHL and see if he can handle the North American ice and the new angles that entails.


Potential : Starting Goalie



9. Brett Bulmer : Right Wing, 39th Overall, 2010, 21 years old, 6’3 203lbs, Houston Aeros in the AHL


Bulmer is the typical grinder who plays hard, lays the body hard and can drop the gloves when he needs to. He has the speed needed for today’s NHL and likes to gain top speed and launch himself into players on the forecheck. His two-way game is solid, though his major strength is puck pursuit and puck protection. He’s not the kind of guy that will create a lot of chances through skill, more through strength and pressure. He’s a safe player who projects easily as having an NHL career with very little bust factor based on his style of play, size and speed. He could be a complimentary player, though expecting anything more than 10-15 goals at best is stretching it. He’ll start again in the AHL.


Potential : Third Line Grinder



10. Darcy Kuemper : Goalie, 161st Overall, 2009, 23 years old, 6’4 196lbs, Houston Aeros in the AHL


Kuemper is probably the reason the Wild felt comfortable trading Matt Hackett as he has really blossomed into a quality goalie prospect. His raw size and excellent positioning have done very well in the AHL these past two seasons as a backup. He is also only two years off from being the WHL MVP, WHL Top Goaltender and CHL Goaltender of the Year. He’s not the most athletic goalie and is saved by that with excellent rebound control. He seems ready to start in the AHL and will be given that opportunity next season; he just needs to watch his back with Gustafsson coming over.


Potential : 1B Goalie (Still too early to tell as he hasn’t started a full season in the AHL


Notables :

Tyler Cuma (Practically a bust at this point and a guy who just never could stay healthy enough to match his 23rd overall selection, at 23 he was pedestrian in the AHL in one of his first healthy seasons…well semi-healthy he was injured again anyways, at this point he could be a bottom-pairing defensive defender if he wasn’t made of glass, has that Rusti Klesla syndrome)

Christoph Bertschy (A very skilled hard working Swiss forward, has been great internationally including captaining the most recent U20 squad, he plays small minutes on Bern the Swiss giant of hockey so professionally we haven’t seen much of his capabilities, could be a big name in a few seasons)

John Draeger (Solid defensive defender who showed some potential for offense against high school opponents, isn’t expected to produce much professionally if he ever makes it, he’s a very long term project like most high school picks)

Raphaël Bussières (Tons of skill, good size, massive inconsistency, he just has no flow from game to game, who will show up next is always the question, with his production being so erratic he best start getting ready to be a tweener at the next level and learn to grind)

Gustav Olofsson (The Wild’s first pick in this year’s draft coming from the second round, he’s got great size and skating ability, the Swedish defender took a very weird route opting to play in the American USHL system, he plays angles well and is praised for his positioning and mobility)


Thanks for reading. We're coming down to wire with this series, Kings followed by Ducks followed by Stars, the Blues and lastly the Canes.

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