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By Justin Wiggins -
Even the Minnesota Wild bye weeks are packed with news these days. Most players have taken this time off to likely lounge on warm beaches as the league’s best arrives in Toronto, but the news around the team keeps churning.
According to The Athletic's Michael Russo, a few Minnesota prospects are close to making their decision on turning pro in North America sooner than later. Both of their high-profile Russian-born prospects seem to be at a decision point to either return to the KHL next year or cross the pond. 2020 second-round pick Marat Khusnutdinov could be here as soon as his season ends in February, which aligns with the typical arrival date for Russian players.
His fellow countryman and former first-round pick in the 2022 draft, Danila Yurov, seems to be on a faster track. In a surprising report, Yurov's KHL club has offered him an extension. But the proposed $330k contract is shockingly low for a KHL superstar. So much so that rumors are circulating that he hasn’t signed the contract because he may be debating coming over to the NHL rather than staying another year in the Russian pro league.
For a season that seems destined to end with the Wild missing the playoffs, watching at least one of their Russian prospects play for the NHL club before the season ends is tantalizing. Even if Yurov won’t be here until next year and likely start in the AHL, getting him to the States is just the next step in his development. While most fans will be happy to just get their eyes on a few touted prospects, their early arrival will be extremely important for Minnesota's coaching staff and front office.
Why? Because while both players are important cogs in the Wild’s future, Minnesota’s staff needs to determine how they will fit within the roster construction. They drafted Khusnutdinov and Yurov as uber-talented offensive talents. But at the same time, both players have uncertainty about whether they will be a center at the NHL level or if the Wild will kick them out to the wing. The big club needs to get their eyes on both players for an extended period to determine which position they will play because the answer to that question will play a huge factor in how Minnesota will add to its roster in the future.
If one or both of Yurov or Khusnutdinov can prove their mettle at center, the Wild can cross off depth down the middle, one of the most important requirements of a contending team. The Wild have been searching for impact centers for almost their entire existence. They never could find the type of playmaking center to pair with Mikko Koivu during his prime, which played a large role in their inability to compete in the playoffs.
But now, the Wild’s center depth looks more encouraging than ever. Joel Eriksson Ek has been a known commodity for a handful of years. Marco Rossi's emergence has been a welcome discovery. But beyond those two, the depth starts to drop off a bit. Ryan Hartman is not a traditional center, and some of their other prospects, Riley Heidt and Charlie Stramel, are still pretty far away in their development. Waiting on their arrival still leaves a lot of uncertainty at center for a team looking to compete for a Stanley Cup in a few years when the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyout hits mostly come off the books.
That brings us back to Yurov and Khusnutdinov and the importance of getting them to the States sooner than later. Having them in North America would allow the Wild complete control of their deployment in the NHL or AHL. Minnesota's staff can fully understand how their potential at center translates to the NHL. If one or both of them can prove themselves as a true center, you can start to see the makeup of a contender begin to take shape.
A forward group with some sort of combination of Rossi, Eriksson Ek, and either Yurov or Khusnutdinov at center has the potential to be the best collection in franchise history. Pairing that center depth with their superstar in Kirill Kaprizov, an elite goaltender in Jesper Wallstedt, plus an extremely deep blue line, and you have the makings of an elite contender. And just in time for when that contention window opens.
Even better, being able to place Yurov or Khusnutdinov at center would allow their other center prospects time to develop at their own pace, instead of feeling forced to elevate them into roles they’re not ready for.
Finding out if their Russian prospects can play center would be huge for the Minnesota Wild's future roster construction. Let’s just hope they can get here sooner than later so we can all find out.
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