Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild

Team Depth Chart of NHL Prospects
Strengths
  • Surplus of role players
  • Blue chip prospects at every position
  • Deep and talented group of centers
Weaknesses
  • Depth on Right Wing

About Prospect Scores and Probability

Prospect Criteria

Legend of Players' Leagues
Pro
Playing in N.A. Pro (NHL, AHL, ECHL, etc.)
CHL
Playing in CHL (OHL, QMJHL, WHL)
NCAA
Playing in NCAA
Europe
Playing in Europe
Junior
Playing in Junior 'A' (USHL, BCHL, AJHL, etc.)
N/A
Not Categorized Yet

Goaltenders

 League Prosp. talent Prob. of success
1. Johan Gustafsson Europe 7.0 C
2. Darcy Kuemper Pro 7.0 C
3. Stephen Michalek NCAA 6.0 C

Right Wing

 League Prosp. talent Prob. of success
1. Jarod Palmer Pro 7.0 D
2. Justin Fontaine Pro 6.5 C
3. Brett Bulmer Pro 6.5 C
4. Carson McMillan Pro 6.0 C

Left Wing

 League Prosp. talent Prob. of success
1. Jason Zucker Pro 7.0 B
2. Mario Lucia NCAA 7.0 C
3. Erik Haula Pro 7.0 C
4. Raphael Bussieres CHL 6.5 C
5. Kristopher Foucault Pro 6.5 D
6. Louis Nanne Junior 6.5 D

Centers

 League Prosp. talent Prob. of success
1. Mikael Granlund Pro 8.0 B
2. Charlie Coyle Pro 8.0 C
3. Zack Phillips Pro 7.0 C
4. Tyler Graovac CHL 6.5 C
5. Cody Almond Europe 6.5 C
6. Joel Broda Pro 6.5 D
7. Adam Gilmour Junior 6.5 D
8. Christoph Bertschy Europe 6.5 D
9. David McIntyre Pro 6.0 C
10. Anthony Hamburg NCAA 5.0 D

Defensemen

 League Prosp. talent Prob. of success
1. Mathew Dumba CHL 8.0 C
2. Jonas Brodin Pro 7.5 B
3. Tyler Cuma Pro 7.0 D
4. John Draeger NCAA 6.5 D
5. Daniel Gunnarsson Europe 6.5 D
6. Steven Kampfer Pro 6.0 B
7. Nick Seeler NCAA 6.0 C
8. Kyle Medvec Pro 6.0 C
9. Bjorn Krupp Europe 6.0 D
10. Colton Jobke CHL 6.0 D
11. Josh Caron Pro 6.0 D

Minnesota Wild’s minor league system the envy of the NHL

by Peter Prohaska
on
Jonas Brodin - Houston Aeros

Photo: Defenseman Jonas Brodin, who has missed most of the first half of the season with a broken collarbone, is one of the high-profile prospects making their debut in Houston this season. (courtesy of Juan DeLeon/Icon SMI)

 
Although many people in and around the world of hockey were negatively affected by the 2012 NHL lockout, the Minnesota Wild was no doubt one team that saw a silver lining. With a cluster of players around the same age needing a developmental year or three in the AHL, the lockout saved the team from hard personnel decisions while also giving these young players a great opportunity to learn to play the pro game together at a high level of competition.

Read more»

Team Rankings: Minnesota Wild owns impressive group of prospects with elite potential

by HF Staff
on

Mikael Granlund - Minnesota Wild

Photo: Drafted ninth overall in 2010, Finnish Center Mikael Granlund has made his AHL debut this season. Granlund was widely considered one of the best hockey players not playing in North America. (Juan DeLeon/Icon SMI)

Below is the top-10 section of Hockey's Future's NHL Team Rankings. The teams are ranked in terms of the quality of their overall prospect pool as voted on by the staff of Hockey's Future. For reference, just the top five prospects are listed. To be eligible, a prospect must meet HF's prospect criteria. The rankings are done twice a year.

Read more»

Shallow but talented pool of Minnesota Wild prospects in junior ranks

by Peter Prohaska
on
Mathew Dumba - Red Deer Rebels

Photo: Red Deer defenseman Mathew Dumba, the seventh overall pick in 2012, is one of six Minnesota Wild prospects playing at the junior level in 2012-13. (courtesy of Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)

 
The Wild has moved into a developmental phase that features a solid cluster of prospects playing together on the AHL's Houston Aeros. This leaves a smaller group of young men still playing at the junior level.

Read more»

Minnesota Wild’s prospect pool boasts top-end talent and character

by Peter Prohaska
on
Johan Larsson - Houston Aeros

Photo: Johan Larsson is one of the many top prospects spending the 2012-13 season with the AHL's Houston Aeros. (courtesy of Juan DeLeon/Icon SMI)

 
The Wild is still in the midst of a controlled rebuilding process. While the team has added immediate help at the NHL level for some areas of deficiency, most notably an elite top-pairing defenseman in Ryan Suter, an underrated top-four defenseman in Tom Gilbert, and an all-star scoring winger in Zach Parise, a few barren years at the draft kept the team from contention recently. Very strong drafts in 2010 and 2011, punctuated by the trade for Charlie Coyle, have put the team in excellent shape to be contenders soon. The core might be able to take advantage of the NHL lockout to grow together at the AHL level. Part of the Minnesota mentality is knowing there is a long winter ahead to test for weaknesses. With luck, this group of prospects will emerge strong and battle-tested.

Read more»

Next wave of Minnesota Wild prospects debuting in AHL top story of 2012-13

by Peter Prohaska
on
Mario Lucia - Minnesota Wild

Photo: A leg injury will delay Mario Lucia's debut at Notre Dame, but the big winger has the potential to make an instant impact when he rejoins the team mid-season. (courtesy of Vincent Muzik/Icon SMI)

The Wild by design has its top prospects all scheduled to play professional hockey this season. Though obviously dependent on the quick resolution of  labor strife at the NHL level, Mikael Granlund should be playing with the Wild while an excellent group of young players in Matt Hackett, Jonas Brodin, Charlie Coyle, Zack Phillips, Johan Larsson, Jason Zucker, and Brett Bulmer are presumably going to be playing with the AHL's Houston Aeros. The AHL as a whole will be be fun to watch this year. For Wild fans it is a glimpse of a promising future.

Read more»

Top Prospects

  1. Mikael Granlund
  2. Jonas Brodin
  3. Charlie Coyle
  4. Mathew Dumba
  5. Jason Zucker
  6. Darcy Kuemper
  7. Zack Phillips
  8. Erik Haula
  9. Mario Lucia
  1. Johan Gustafsson
  2. Tyler Graovac
  3. Justin Fontaine
  4. Brett Bulmer
  5. Raphael Bussieres
  6. Tyler Cuma
  7. Daniel Gunnarsson
  8. Christoph Bertschy
  9. John Draeger

Notable Prospects

  1. Cody Almond
  2. Joel Broda
  3. Josh Caron
  4. Kristopher Foucault
  5. Adam Gilmour
  6. Anthony Hamburg
  7. Colton Jobke
  8. Steven Kampfer
  1. Bjorn Krupp
  2. David McIntyre
  3. Carson McMillan
  4. Kyle Medvec
  5. Stephen Michalek
  6. Louis Nanne
  7. Jarod Palmer
  8. Nick Seeler
HF Boards