The Minnesota Wild are getting back into the swing of things after beating the Colorado Avalanche in their first preseason game. As games get underway, we’ll see an increase in prospects to watch, which is always a good thing. Sammy Walker and Jesper Wallstedt really stood out during this preseason action (no surprise), but the other news is a bit more sobering with some injury updates and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) disappointments.
Walker & Wallstedt in Mid-Season Form
It may only be the first preseason game, but Sammy Walker has been on the hunt for a roster spot since the prospect training camp. He is determined to make an impact with every chance he gets and is easily the best player. On the other hand, Jesper Wallstedt is the kind of player that you know will do well. He seems to rise to every occasion and surpass his already high expectations.
The offense ran through Walker, who had two goals and an assist in the 4-3 win over the Avalanche. He’s putting management in a tough spot since the team technically doesn’t have enough cap space to put him on the roster, but he is showing that not only is he NHL-ready, but he’s also ready to put some points. Youngster Riley Heidt also had an impressive game with two assists.
Speaking of players who are NHL-ready, I don’t think Wallstedt is going to have any problems sliding onto the roster when needed. Another development season with the Iowa Wild will be good for him, but in case of injury, there should be no hesitation to bring him up for a few games. He had a .930 save percentage with 40 saves against Colorado and made some big stops in key moments.
Injury News for Hunt & Ohgren
While the Wild came away with the win, they lost Daemon Hunt to a very high hit while he was in a vulnerable position behind the opposition’s net. Hunt is no stranger to injuries – he was unable to play for Team Canada in two World Junior Championships in a row because of injuries. While his status is still unknown, it’s hard to believe he won’t miss a bit of time. Hopefully, he can rebound quickly, since he is the Wild’s most NHL-ready defensive prospect.
Related: Minnesota Wild Training Camp Battles Limited to 13th Forward
More worrisome is that Liam Ohgren’s team in Sweden has confirmed that he is traveling to Minnesota to get a second opinion from the team’s doctors on an as-yet-unidentified injury. This could mean he is going to be off the ice for some and the injury could be serious if he’s looking for a second opinion.
Down Week in the KHL
Unfortunately, the hot start in the KHL for Danila Yurov and Vladislav Firstov has cooled off a bit as Firstov had just one point in three games, while Yurov had no points in the same number of games. Fortunately, Yurov has consistently been averaging roughly 14 minutes of ice time per game and threw four shots on goal over those games. On the other side of the fence, Marat Khusnutdinov only played one game with just 11 minutes of ice time and no notable plays. He was a healthy scratch for the other game. The Wild’s prospect development team must be concerned about his lack of play, production, and confidence so far this season.
Big Week Ahead for Wild Prospects
With the NHL preseason now underway and the regular season just around the corner, we will start to see most of the younger players released from training camp to return to their various leagues around North America. Barring any big surprises, we will likely see Hunter Haight, Rasmus Kumplulainen, and Riley Heidt start lighting it up in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) soon.
