Another month is in the books and we are officially closing in on Christmas, or more importantly for some, the 2024 World Junior Championship (WJC). The Minnesota Wild’s prospect pool is overflowing with talent and their representatives can be found buzzing in their various leagues around the world. The month of November is an important one as teams figure out where they stand amongst their opponents and there have been many Wild prospects doing their best to push their teams to the top of those lists. Here are the five players that excelled the most in November.
Repeat readers might notice that the top two prospects from October, Marco Rossi and Brock Faber, are not on this month’s list. That is simply because they have been so excellent in the NHL that they are a top-pairing defenseman and a number-one center and will not be included so that we can take a look at some different names on these lists moving forward.
No. 5 – Reiger Lorenz
The first name is one that some people might not even recognize as he has gotten very little love up until lately as Rieger Lorenz has been having a great month at the University of Denver. Lorenz was selected in the second round in 2022 with a pick that the Wild acquired as compensation for not signing their 2018 first-round pick Filip Johansson. Lorenz was taken 57th overall, just nine places after the highly regarded Hunter Haight who he just barely edged out on this ranking.
The 6-foot-2 forward is mostly known for his physical play but also knows how to put the puck in the net. He has already eclipsed his nine total points from last season, helped tremendously by his five goals and six points in eight games during November. He was a plus-11 over that same period and he helped his team to some dominant wins. Lorenz may not be the flashiest player in the Wild’s pool, but he is definitely not one that should be forgotten about.
No. 4 – Rasmus Kumpulainen
The big second-round center from Finland, Rasmus Kumpulainen, showed up at number five in last month’s rankings but finds himself at number four for November. Kumpulainen has found his rhythm with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and despite his team going on a five-game losing streak he managed to put up 13 points in 11 games, bringing him up to a point-per-game pace and making him the best point producer on the roster. He is also winning exactly half of his faceoffs with 201 wins in 402 attempts.
Kumpulainen is not a flashy player but has a refined, mature quality to his game that allows him to make subtle plays that leave you wondering how he managed to maintain possession or break up a play. The more you watch him play, the more you like the way he plays, and the more you notice those little details that make it seem like he is two steps ahead of everyone else on the ice.
Related: 6 Minnesota Wild Prospect Hopefuls for 2024 WJC
If you are looking for a current NHLer to compare him to, look no further than the Wild’s own Joel Eriksson Ek; a big-bodied center with high skill, high intelligence, and is useful in almost every on-ice scenario. All Wild fans should take the time to watch him at the upcoming 2024 WJC because he will be there, he will be noticeable, and it is a great opportunity to see how much he offers.
No. 3 – Danila Yurov
I feel like I have been talking about Danila Yurov non-stop since the first puck dropped in the Kontinental Hockey League’s (KHL) season. He has had a strange season with Metallurg trying to find his role and at times even trying to break into the lineup. Yurov was also third on last month’s list, and that solid month of play gave him a better spot in the lineup from which to improve upon in November.
He is now consistently a second-line center for Metallurg, and produced an amazing 13 points in 11 games last month, including a five-game point streak that helped his team win 11 in a row and place them at the top of the standings. His play has been so good that his average ice time increased from 13.5 minutes to 17.5 minutes by the end of November. This season is a big one for Yurov before he turns pro and as we see just how skilled this young man is, it is becoming apparent he is going to be a problem in the NHL in no time at all, and nothing excites Wild fans like the idea of a skilled center.
No. 2 – Jesper Wallstedt
From outside October’s list to second on November’s, nobody brings a presence like Jesper Wallstedt. The intensely hyped future franchise goaltender for the Minnesota Wild is showing why he deserves that title down with the Iowa Wild. He was the picture of consistency over his six games during the month, producing a .944 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.70 goals-against average (GAA), including a 24-save shutout against the Chicago Wolves on Nov. 12.
The Wild have had plenty of highly skilled, highly anticipated prospects in their existence as a franchise, but there is something special about a young goaltender at Wallstedt’s level that brings a whole new meaning to the word excitement. From the moment the Wild moved up to draft him there has been a buzz around him that just doesn’t happen with many other players. There is a reluctance to believe that he will be as elite at the NHL level because goalies are notoriously difficult to project, but at this point, the floor for him is a solid starting goaltender.
No. 1 – Riley Heidt
How do you top that elite performance from Wallstedt? You act like Riley Heidt and produce at a two-point per-game pace while pushing yourself to become the top point producer in the entire Western Hockey League (WHL). The Wild took some shots at large, powerful centers with their first two selections in the 2023 Entry Draft, which is completely understandable given the franchise’s history of a lack of center depth, but the real win was still being able to collect Heidt at 64th overall.
Heidt has been a massive component of the Prince George Cougars becoming one of the strongest teams in the entire Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and a lot of it has to do with his playmaking abilities. He has found great chemistry with some strong linemates and thus had 16 assists in November alone. It will be extremely interesting to see if his league-leading production will earn him a chance to make a stacked Team Canada at the WJC and just how well he can produce at that level of competition.
Another Great Month
The Wild’s prospects are so much fun to follow because they have such a diverse and interesting amalgamation of players who continue to produce at fantastic levels. They are so deep that players like Hunter Haight (16 points in 12 games) and Kalem Parker (top pair defenseman in WHL) didn’t crack this list. With the NHL club finally starting to turn their season around, they may not have the top-five pick they were on pace for, but they apparently don’t need one because they find gold with their later picks anyway.