It’s that time of year when every NHL team hosts its player development camps, and the Wild’s camp is here. Their prospects will have a chance to show their stuff over three days, starting Tuesday, July 9, and ending Thursday, July 11. The practice sessions are open to the public, and there will even be autograph sessions.
Most of the Wild’s roster has already been set with all their veteran players, but occasionally, there is room for a prospect to sneak in. In this article, we’ll look at the top three prospects who have drawn the most attention and should be watched closely. The first player up is likely the biggest name at the camp, Liam Ohgren.
Ohgren Gaining Experience
At the tail end of last season, Ohgren was brought up to get some NHL experience with the Wild. He played in four games and tallied his first NHL goal and his first NHL assist for two points in those games. He also spent time in his native Sweden with the Swedish Hockey League and played for Sweden in the World Junior Championship during last season.
After Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi, Ohgren has been one of Wild’s most talked about prospects. When he joined the Wild’s roster, he fit in well with everyone he played with, including Kaprizov and fellow youngster Marat Khusnutdinov. He’s a quick, smaller player that can move the puck very efficiently.
NHL.com Wild writer Jessi Pierce talked about Ohgren when asked in an Instagram post about who would be the biggest name to watch at development camp, “This guy will be even bigger to watch come training camp, but as a vet at dev camp now I think fans will be excited to see him this week at tria too.”
Heidt has Great Expectations
Many outlets have discussed Riley Heidt when discussing the Wild’s upcoming season and roster. While he’s just 19 years old, he scored 117 points in 66 games played in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Wild have been building their prospect pool over the last few seasons, and now some of those players are starting to push for roster spots.
Of course, 19 is pretty young to be on the NHL roster just yet, and while he’ll likely head back to the WHL, he’ll be one to keep an eye on at development camp. He can score clearly and works well down close to the net, waiting for his teammates to send him a clean pass that he can put right past the out-of-position goaltender.
Heidt is a talented stick handler with a slight physical side that helps him force his way to the net to take a shot. After watching some of his highlights from last season, the Wild will be watching his camp closely to see where they want to have him play. However, like my colleague at The Hockey Writers, Michael Ostrower, said in his prospects article, Heidt needs to fix his two-way game before he hits the NHL.
Buium Continues to Wow
Zeev Buium was the big surprise at this season’s draft, and while it was shocking that he dropped below the top 10, the Wild were very happy he did. He had a great season at the University of Denver and stepped up to help them win the NCAA Frozen Four Championship. He’s a fun, dynamic player who can play both ends of the ice while maintaining his defensive responsibilities.
He will be one to watch for his two-way game and his ability to score with his quick shot that sneaks past goaltenders. He showed immense leadership in his game, helping lead Denver when he was just 18 years old. According to an article from the Denver Post in June, Buium plans to return to Denver for this upcoming season.
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That would be the best option for his continued development, as he’ll be surrounded by strong college players. He’s a very strong player already but playing in the NCAA, specifically in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is great for him to continue to hone his skills. With the Wild’s veteran defensemen getting older, it was wise for them to choose Buium as one of their defensemen of the future. Everyone will see firsthand what a skilled player he is at development camp.
Wild Have Immense Depth
These are just a few names on the Wild’s development camp roster among the many talented players in attendance. Hunter Haight, Carson Lambos, Ryder Ritchie, and Rieger Lorenz are also on the list, and it could just keep going for how deep the Wild’s prospect pool truly is. Nearly every name on the list is expected to go on to have great NHL careers, and it’ll be fun for everyone at camp to see what these young players are capable of as they show what they have, hoping for a chance at the big times.
