Fourth-Rounder Lirim Amidovski Is the Wild's "Heat-Seeking Missle"

It’s a great time of year for hockey fans to look ahead. The Minnesota Wild selected five players in this year’s draft, offering an opportunity to learn more about the newest additions to the organization. 

The team selected two defensemen and three forwards, and I’ll spend some time examining each one in detail in the coming weeks. Previously, I detailed what Wild fans might expect from Theodor Hallquisth and Justin Kipkie, the two defensemen.

Now, it’s on to the forwards, starting with Lirim Amidovski, whom the Wild picked with the second of their three fourth-round selections. Amidovski is a hard-working winger who director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett has described as a “heat-seeking missile.” 

I spent some time watching film on Amidovski, and here’s what I learned about him as a player. 

Lirim Amidovski

4th round, pick No. 121 (W) 

Hometown: Alliston, Ontario

6-foot-1, 181 pounds 

Shoots: Right

2024-25 statistics: 19 goals, 13 assists in 67 games played for North Bay Battalion (OHL)

I had a blast watching Amidovski’s play. He has an extremely high work rate and plays with a dogged determination, never taking a shift off.

As a skater, Amidovski possesses a strong stride and the ability to accelerate quickly. When he gets his large frame moving, he can surprise opponents with his speed. Amidovski has a solid center of gravity and doesn’t get clunky with direction changes, unlike many younger players of his size who tend to do so as they build strength. 

One of the first things I noticed about Amidovski is that he is always ready on faceoffs and at the start of shifts. When the puck is dropped, he erupts, winning seemingly every battle or race to a spot. If he doesn't get there first, he fights like hell to establish space or win the next battle.

When Amidovski has the puck, he charges straight ahead and puts defenders on their heels. If a teammate has the puck, Amidovski will go straight to the net more often than not. When the other team has the puck, he backchecks furiously. He pressures the puck with direct attacks whenever he gets the chance, maintaining responsible off-puck positioning. 

North Bay was not a great team this past season, finishing 15th in a 20-team league while averaging only 2.85 goals per game, the second-lowest mark in the league. Needless to say, the team was short on playmakers. Amidovski isn’t a playmaker either, which is reflected in his lower offensive output. 

However, as the season went on, he had clearly earned the coaching staff’s trust and found himself playing on a dangerous third line that gave opponents fits on the forecheck and in transition. He also started getting significant power-play time towards the end and was called upon in late-game situations, whether his team was ahead or behind by a goal. 

In North Bay’s playoff series against a much stronger Brantford team, Amidovski was one of the most noticeable players on the ice for either team. He finished the season third on the team in shots on goal. 

Amidovski doesn’t possess dynamic puck skills and sometimes struggles with his first touch when receiving passes that are on his backhand or aren’t delivered tape-to-tape. Still, he has decent hands and maneuverability in tight spaces. 

North Bay players had a lot of freedom on the rush offensively, and Amidovski was not afraid to try to break down defenders with penetration and stickhandling. 

He was often successful at recognizing opportunities to put defenders on their heels and exploit bad gaps. When Amidovski can get in on their hands, he can maneuver through or around them to get into space and put a shot on. 

While his shot isn’t overly dangerous, it’s heavy. Amidovski possesses a quick release that allows him to let go from multiple angles, which surprises goaltenders and often leads to rebounds, or occasionally beats them clean. 

In the offensive zone, Amidovski’s instincts are to go hard to the front of the net when his teammates have the puck. When he is the second or third forward in, he watches the play like a hawk, ready to swoop in at the opportune moment. 

Amidovski constantly works to establish position for tips or rebounds, and remains at the ready to chase pucks down or hound defenders in the corners. Note the last clip below, where he pounces on a loose puck in the slot and turns to bury a quick shot. 

Defensively, Amidovski is responsible and doesn't cheat for offense. When he has to collapse down low for coverage, he remains there until he has support before moving back to higher coverage. When the puck is sent to the point or contested on the wall, he pounces to apply pressure and forces opposing players to make quick decisions, often leading to loose pucks or turnovers. 

He’s also a solid penalty killer who can pressure opponents with his tenacity, and hounds loose pucks with an eye toward counter-attacking. He tallied two short-handed goals and was one of the reasons that North Bay’s penalty kill was sixth best in the OHL. 

Outlook

As a right-handed wing that is comfortable playing on either side, Amidovski’s ceiling is that of an effective bottom-six forward who can be a versatile depth piece on an NHL roster.

To get there, he’ll have to play the same hard-working, fast-charging style that he has so far in major junior. His high motor and strong compete level, combined with his speed and ability to pressure opposing players in all three zones, is similar to what Wild fans were used to seeing from Brandon Duhaime. The more I watched Amidovski, the more I was reminded of how Duhaime looked during his time playing college hockey at Providence.

He’ll also need to work on his puck skills and puck movement and become more precise with passes and first touches. Since North Bay was lacking in offensive talent, there weren’t many opportunities for Amidovski to engage in playmaking and creativity. The AHL will be a good place for him to work on that as he moves into professional hockey. It will be interesting to see how he meshes with better teammates at higher levels.

I also think there’s room for growth in his stride that can help him become a faster skater, even as he adds muscle to his frame. Amidovski’s strong center of gravity will allow him to withstand physical play and push through contact as he advances to higher levels. 

Amidovski is not a dangerous goal-scoring threat, and it’s unlikely he will become one in professional hockey. However, his style of play is conducive to strong possession numbers and tiring out the opposition with determined shifts, which enables offensive zone starts and advantageous matchups for his top lines. 

It would not surprise me if coaches try putting him at center at some point. His responsible two-way game and ability to cover a lot of ice may make him a good fit for that position. However, he also possesses a significant amount of utility as a hard-skating winger. 

Amidovski’s defensively responsible tendencies might be partly due to adhering to a structured system. Still, an 18-year-old forward who rarely deviates from expected positioning is indicative of a mature player who won't need extensive coaching in terms of understanding and sticking to roles and responsibilities. That leads me to believe that he will be an effective penalty killer at the professional level. 

I would not be surprised if Amidovski joins the wave of Canadian junior players that are moving on to the NCAA after the recent rule changes regarding eligibility for such players. If he doesn’t do so before next season, I could see the Wild signing him after next season and starting him off in Iowa for the 2026-27 season.