Marat Khusnutdinov Should Use the Summer To Explore Minnesota

Toward the end of the Minnesota Wild 2023-24 season, when it was somewhat apparent that there would be no postseason, but everyone was still putting hope in the mathematical odds, one bright light shone through. Marat Khusnutdinov was finally making his way to North America.

Many fans had been watching Khusnutdinov from afar while he was playing in the KHL. He was physically tough, could take faceoffs, and score goals. It seemed like a dream, considering the challenges the team has been through with the salary cap hell. All eyes were on his team, which didn’t make the KHL playoffs. We all sat on the edge of our seats, collectively holding our breath until the news came out that he had been released from his contract and was on his way to America. 

After all that waiting, how fans reacted when Khusnutdinov played his first game in Minnesota makes sense. I was there and can attest to how fun it was to cheer for anything and everything he did, no matter how silly it was. His first shift? Cheer as he comes over the boards. Winning his first faceoff? Cheer as loud as possible for a center who may actually be a dependable faceoff guy. (Other than Joel Eriksson Ek, but he’s on his own level.)

It stands to reason that Minnesota has fallen in love with their new baby Russian, especially when everyone found out that he could speak some English. It only got better when he let it be known that he was funny! 

With relations between America and Russia where they (still) are, there is an assumption that Khusnutdinov may be staying in Minnesota for at least part of the summer. It would be an amazing chance to get the young Russian to feel more at home in the state that has already welcomed him with open arms.

Last summer, many Wild players stayed back in the Twin Cities and had a great time. They were seen all over the place having fun. If that happens again this summer, Khusnutdinov has a group with Brock Faber at the helm to introduce him to the Twin Cities scene. With so many players, it’s important to get them to fall in love with Minnesota. Other teams have advantages like year-round summer weather, large cities, or storied histories like the Original Six. But the State of Hockey has the hockey vibes all year round and other fun to boot.

Khusnutdinov also has access to the ice time, trainers, and coaching, and he needs to improve his game even more. He played well after his debut, but he didn’t quite look like the Khusnutdinov fans had been watching in the KHL. Still, during every game he played through the end of the season, he improved a little bit. Undoubtedly, he’ll get better, but the more time he has to acclimate to North America and NHL-style hockey, the better. 

The other plus for more time in Minnesota is practicing his English. As I pointed out, he has a much better grasp of English than Kirill Kaprizov did when he came. Or, at least, he has much more confidence about speaking it in public. He’s got a great sense of humor, and fans would love to hear more of that starting in training camp next year. Perhaps he could take a page out of Kaprizov’s book and see every movie he can in the theater. It might lead to some interesting vocabulary, but let’s broaden his horizons!

No matter what, Marat Khusnutdinov deserves a summer of honing his skills, picking up more English to make even better jokes, and falling in love with Minnesota and everything the state offers.