Joel Eriksson Ek Is Still Quietly Driving Winning For the Wild

The Minnesota Wild are 8-1-2. Their 18 points through 11 games are tied with the 2002-03 and 2006-07 seasons for the most in franchise history. They're getting big-time contributions from their most important players, creating branching narratives. Kirill Kaprizov is one of the best players in the league, and Matt Boldy is developing into an elite player. Filip Gustavsson is back. 

There's much to be excited about, but a key to the Wild's success lies beneath those headlines. 

Joel Eriksson Ek is fantastic. Again. The Wild depend on Eriksson Ek to play in all situations as a vital anchor on the power play and penalty kill. Minnesota deploys Eriksson Ek against the opposing team's top players, and he has yet to commit a penalty. He's scored five goals and seven points in nine games while continuing to be a defensive stalwart. The two-way forward also has shown off his shot this season. His best highlight was a snipe coming off a fantastic Kirill Kaprizov feed against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

It’s fitting that Eriksson Ek remains such a solid force for the Wild in a year full of other players grabbing the spotlight. While Eriksson Ek is a fan favorite in Minnesota, he is perpetually underrated around the league. If the start of the season is any indication, Eriksson Ek is only getting better. 

An Underrated Force

Wild fans know what the team has in Eriksson Ek, but people around the league continue to sleep on him. He’s never made an All-Star team or been a finalist for a major award. The Swedish center often receives Selke votes, but never quite enough to make the final shortlist. That wouldn't happen if the national properly noticed him. 

Over the last few years, the center has been one of the best defensive forwards in the league. According to Natural Stat Trick, Eriksson Ek has given up 2.24 expected goals per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 play since 2022-23. That number is good for 27th in the league among players who logged more than 1500 minutes. That places him above players like Auston Matthews, Aleksander Barkov, Nico Hischier, Elias Lindholm, and Mitch Marner – all of whom have won or been finalists for the Selke Trophy.

While Eriksson Ek doesn’t get as much press as he should, the other players in the league appreciate his game. Eriksson Ek received votes as the league’s most underrated player in The Athletic’s 2024 anonymous player poll. That places him in the company of some of the best players in the game, including Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, and Barkov.

Drawing that parallel to Barkov feels especially apt. They’re both defensive-minded centers who can play a physical game and put up points. An anonymous NHL assistant coach echoed these comparisons.

“He’s like Barkov, but without as much offensive polish,” he told The Hockey News. “He’s brilliant defensively and a complete horse offensively.”

The Barkov comparison crystallizes Eriksson Ek's place among the league's most underrated players. While it would be great to see him get the recognition he deserves, ultimately, what matters is that he’s a valued contributor to the team. The Wild appreciate Eriksson Ek for his tenacious play and his ability to develop new parts of his game.

Adding New Wrinkles

Eriksson Ek is already a fantastic player, and part of the reason is that he continually adds tools to his kit. At 27 years old, he’s entering his prime, and his career arc has gone upward because he develops parts of his game. Early in his career, the center rarely got power play opportunities, but grew into an elite net-front power-play presence. That new skill saw Eriksson Ek go from scoring only one power-play goal in his first five seasons to 36 power-play goals from 2021-22 through 2023-24.

His counting stats also show an improvement with each season. Eriksson Ek’s ability to add to his game carried into this year, when the center is showing the ability to score from the perimeter. Let’s look at his goal chart from this year compared to his last two seasons.

This year’s data is a small sample size, representing just five goals. Still, it is compelling to see the difference in Eriksson Ek’s goal charts from this year compared to previous seasons. His strength will likely be his net-front presence, but establishing the threat to score from further out will continue to buy his teammates space. Eriksson Ek should prioritize getting to the net as the season goes on, but this new wrinkle adds another tool to Eriksson Ek’s ever-expanding toolbox. 

The Value Of Versatility

Eriksson Ek can impact the game in countless ways. As mentioned, he’s a solid scorer, a premiere defender, and a physical presence. All three are good qualities for any player. However, Eriksson Ek’s production is unique for a well-rounded center. He dominates games. 

Let’s look at some of his metrics this year compared to his last two from Moneypuck.

Eriksson Ek has always been an imposing force, but it’s even more apparent this season. He's equalling or outpacing some of the most critical metrics of his previous seasons. Eriksson Ek has played most of his minutes with Matt Boldy and Marcus Johansson. Last year, he most commonly played with Boldy and Kaprizov. Now that he’s driving his line without Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek’s uptick in play is even more impressive. 

It’s easy to discuss Eriksson Ek’s stats=, but he also brings an edge to his game that frustrates his opponents. Eriksson Ek’s game earns compliments from his teammates and ire from his opponents. In 2019, the Athletic ran an article titled “What the Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek Does To Make Opponents Want To Rip His Head Off.” In the piece, Eriksson Ek’s teammates spoke about his style of play.

“It’s a strength to piss off your opponent, and nobody pisses off opponents like Ekker,” former teammate Luke Kunin said. “It’s just how hard he plays. He’s just a pest out there. That’s why you love playing with him out there. He gets under the opponent’s skin and is always doing the right things, and it’s almost funny to watch because guys hate him.”

When you look at all of Eriksson Ek’s skills, along with his incredibly reasonable contract, it’s a bit of a wonder why he’s so underappreciated league-wide. He may fly under the radar, but the physical Swede is only getting better. He’s gotten better with every season, and it appears he's hitting yet another level. The message is clear: Underrate Joel Eriksson Ek at your own peril.