Erik Haula: Will he sign a deal with the Wild this season?

Haula entails the typical "beast mode" that Wild fans have seen from his fellow Finnish countryman Mikko Koivu. Nate Wells from First Round Bust says that "many of his goals are the result of out-working the opponent." However Haula has a tendency to be inconsistent and often times when he was playing poorly, so were the Gophers.

Both Dan and Nate agree that Haula is best served starting off by playing in the AHL. This is most likely the route that he will take, so don't be surprised to see him sign what's called an amateur try-out with the Aeros this season. He needs more experience in a less intense league than the NHL, and with the Wild poised to make the playoffs the likelihood that they are going to mess with the lines unless they have to is slim to none. It also wouldn't make sense to burn an entire year off of his ELC. There is always the possibility that he stays with the Gophers given the fact that he has one more year of NCAA eligibility left. Most likely, he signs the tryout with the Aeros.

Huge thanks to Nate Wells (@gopherstate) and Dan Shrader (@ShraderD) from First Round Bust who gave for providing some background information about Haula and his play with the Gophers this season.