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By Luke Sims -
While we’re sure you’ve been following along with our annual top ten prospect rankings, we’d like to highlight a few Minnesota Wild prospects who barely missed the cut. Whether you are outraged that they did not make the top ten or want more insight into the depth of the Wild’s prospect pool, we’ve got the best of the rest below.
Jack Peart, 20, D, St. Cloud State
A Grand Rapids native, Peart represented America at the World Junior Championships. He was a solid offensive contributor with three assists in seven games. The former Mr. Hockey is entering his third season with the Huskies and looks to build off of a 24-point performance over 39 games last year.
Peart should get plenty of time on St. Cloud’s power play and be their first option when they need an offensive defenseman. Peart’s got good size at 6'0” and almost 200 pounds. Peart will be a leader at SCSU this year and could look to make the jump to professional hockey at the end of their season.
Adam Beckman, 22, W, Iowa Wild
The former WHL scoring champion is in an odd spot. Beckman is a fantastic AHL player, and he’s had some success in the NHL. Beckman has not looked out of place in his time with the Minnesota Wild. The Saskatoon native is known for his shot, and he certainly put it to use last season. Beckman potted 24 goals and had 36 points in 53 games for Iowa. Beckman finished sixth on the team in total points and looks to improve upon it this season.
But the Minnesota Wild’s roster seems to be set. Adding Patrick Maroon means that so long as Marco Rossi makes the team out of training camp, there's no room for Beckman, barring injury. Granted, the Canadian could ‘wow’ at camp and force Dean Evason and the Wild staff to keep him in the lineup, but that’s up to him.
David Spacek, 20, D, Sherbrooke Phoenix
Spacek will start his first professional season on the blueline for new Iowa Wild head coach Brett McLean. The son of former NHLer Jaroslav Spacek, David was almost a point-per-game player in the QMJHL last season. He put up a ridiculous stat line as a key cog for the silver-winning Team Czechia during the World Junior Championships.
Spacek recorded eight points in seven contests, with relentless defensive play to accompany it. The way Spacek is trending, he’s looking like a potential fifth-round steal. The Columbus native will be able to display his offensive capabilities this year in Iowa.
Caedan Bankier, 20, C, Kamloops Blazers
The 2021 third-round pick has progressed nicely during his time in the WHL. He put up 85 points in 57 games while displaying excellent two-way ability and a + 31 plus/minus. Bankier won faceoffs, and Kamloops trusted him with challenging defensive assignments.
It was enough to help Bankier get selected to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships. While he didn’t put up an impressive stat line with only one point, he was mostly in penalty kill and fourth-line duties. The Canadian will play this season in Iowa and get his first taste of professional hockey.
Hunter Haight, 19, F, Saginaw Spirit
Haight may be the most fun player to watch on this list. The former second-round pick is an electric combination of speed and skill. Haight is known for his skating and magical ability with the puck on his stick. Still, there were concerns around his game when he came out flat for the Barrie Colts with nine points in 20 games.
Barrie sent Haight to the Saginaw Spirit, and Haight lit the world on fire. He scored a blistering 51 points in 42 games following the change of scenery. Haight is bound for a breakout season in Saginaw. Look for him to continue to make highlight-reel plays on a nightly basis.
Sammy Walker, 24, F, Iowa Wild
Walker is in a similar situation as Beckman. They both are fantastic players in the AHL and have seen success in the NHL, but not enough to stick full-time. As with Beckman, he doesn't appear to have the inside track to make the team out of camp, as the Wild have a full roster.
Despite his size, Walker competes. The former Gopher has good speed and stick skills and works his butt off. He'll likely start the season in Iowa and be one of the first call-ups for the big club once injuries arise.
There are a handful of other prospects that could be considered honorable mentions, but none were in contention for the top-ten list as voted by our staff. Think we missed one? Let us know in the comments!
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