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By Robert Brent -
Last season was supposed to be a massive step for Minnesota Wild prospect Liam Öhgren. A former first-round pick, Öhgren was projected to be a regular part of the Wild lineups, with some thinking he could even fit on the second line. Unfortunately, that never materialized. Öhgren occasionally struggled last year, but the highlights of his season give plenty of reason to believe this upcoming season could be another crucial year for the winger.
Before discussing Öhgren’s future, revisiting last season is vital. Öhgren struggled early in the campaign, averaging less than 10 minutes per game. In his early NHL stint, he failed to register a point or even a high-danger shot attempt.
Öhgren turned his season around in Iowa, scoring 19 goals in 41 games and making good on his potential as a two-way physical forward with a knack for the net. Öhgren’s positive results in the AHL earned him some more time with Minnesota later in the season, where he played a bit better, finishing the year with five points in 24 games.
What was different between his play in Iowa and Minnesota that led to such different results? Answering that question is key to understanding how Öhgren can establish himself more as a full-time NHL player.
Öhgren was much more successful in Iowa at asserting himself offensively. He averaged 3.2 shots on goal per game in the AHL compared to 1.3 per game in Minnesota. The scouting report on the winger states that he’s at his best when playing a physical and competitive game, allowing him to use his better-than-average shot to score goals. That aspect of his game was largely absent in Minnesota. He struggled to produce shots on goal, especially from dangerous areas.
(Source: Moneypuck.com)
He was much more successful at finding the high-danger spots on the ice in Iowa, leading to a much better goal-scoring output. When the forward gets to his areas on the ice, his heavy shot makes him a significant scoring threat.
Öhgren also struggled defensively in the NHL last year. According to naturalstatrick.com, the winger was on the ice for 3.28 goals against per 60 minutes, the worst on the team. His advanced metrics weren’t much better, with an expected 2.57 goals against per 60 minutes, the fifth-lowest mark on the team.
While that’s concerning, it was also his first year in the NHL. Öhgren still has time to adjust and catch up to an NHL-style game, and he’s drawn praise in scouting reports for his defensive ability. DobberProspects states, “Öhgren also displays responsible, pro-level habits away from the puck.” That part of his game will develop with more reps.
The other main differentiating factor between Öhgren’s time in Iowa and Minnesota was his deployment. In Minnesota, Öhgren played an average of 11:06 per game and never eclipsed 15 minutes.
His most common line combinations included trios of Ohgren-Gaudreau-Trenin and Ohgren-Khusnutdinov-Lauko. Neither of those lines was offensively effective and didn’t give Öhgren a chance to use his offensive capabilities.
Meanwhile, Öhgren played significant minutes in Iowa and was on the team’s powerplay unit. If he saw better deployment in Minnesota, it seems likely Öhgren could produce better results.
That all leads to the question of what role would best suit Öhgren to fully establish himself as a productive member of the Wild’s roster next season.
Given Öhgren’s need for growth and versatile skill set offensively and defensively, he could fill a role as a utility middle-six forward. The team could depend on him to play on a shutdown third line or vault into the top six to provide a scoring punch when necessary.
Gustav Nyquist, Marcus Foligno, and Marcus Johansson filled that role last year, but Öhgren could do a similar job while also being better suited to that niche. At his ceiling, he could be a more versatile player who doesn’t sacrifice anything on either end of the ice.
Liam Öhgren has every attribute needed to be a valuable middle-six forward in Minnesota if given the opportunity, but earning those minutes may be easier said than done. As mentioned, the Wild will finally have some cap space to add to their roster and are focused on strengthening their forward group.
Minnesota will likely need to prioritize the center position, especially if they trade Marco Rossi. However, adding another winger would push Öhgren further down the projected lineup card.
The team has already re-signed Marcus Johansson, a player who profiles similarly to Öhgren in that he plays solid defense and contributes a bit offensively. Öhgren will also have to compete with another highly-touted prospect, with Danila Yurov arriving next season.
Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Mats Zuccarello are firmly entrenched as top-six wingers in Minnesota. Signing someone else to join that group would push Öhgren completely out of contention for the top six. The Swedish forward will likely work best as a scoring winger, but will that spot even be open for him?
That leaves Öhgren in an interesting spot this season. He’s still young, but players entering their age-22 season are often nearing the start of their scoring prime. The Wild must use him as an asset now or risk wasting another season of him in Iowa.
Suppose he can put together an impressive camp. Minnesota would be best served if he were a utility middle-six forward who could provide a scoring punch while still playing responsible and physical defense. He has that skill set; the Wild must give him the platform to show it. Whether Öhgren seizes that opportunity or ends up in Iowa again will be a fascinating storyline this season.
If Öhgren can’t seize a spot in the Wild’s lineup, it could lead to serious questions about his future on the team.
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