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By Kalisha Turnipseed -
Riley Heidt will try to earn a roster spot in camp this year. The problem is that the Minnesota Wild have handcuffed themselves with several contracts that are difficult to move, and Heidt will be competing with Liam Ohgren and Marat Khusnutdinov for meaningful minutes. Ohgren and Khusnutdinov had polished their games by playing professionally in Europe, unlike Heidt, who thrived playing junior hockey.
Heidt’s WHL production may not translate immediately to the NHL. However, if he brings a well-rounded game, it might be enough to convince general manager Bill Guerin to find another team for Marcus Johansson, who currently doesn’t fit Guerin’s image of a hard-working sandpaper team.
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler weighed in on Heidt’s NHL readiness. Wheeler is cautiously optimistic about Heidt making the leap to the NHL. He’s transitioning from the WHL to the NHL, so it makes sense for Wheeler to temper expectations, and Heidt may benefit from another season dominating the WHL. Still, it would be better if Heidt goes to Europe for a year to polish his game professionally, as Marco Rossi did in Switzerland before facing heart complications.
Heidt had mixed opinions about his inconsistent game, especially from Team Canada head coach Dave Cameron. That explains why Team Canada snubbed him this winter. Despite his impressive stats, Cameron evaluated the rest of Heidt’s game, which didn’t meet his expectations to win a gold medal.
After bottling those emotions and putting on a better showing at the Summer Showcase for Canada, Heidt made the roster and plotted his revenge tour. Heidt was physically engaged, which continues to impress coaches along with his offensive skills. Heidt’s physical tools can help him adapt to the NHL game quicker than his production, which is why Heidt can make Johansson expendable if he makes the team.
Johansson’s strengths are limited. His speed in open ice makes him a threat in transition, and he sometimes outskates defenders around the perimeter. However, Johansson doesn’t possess the grit that will last through a season, let alone a playoff series, making him a passive player. Thus, he’s prone to taking shifts off and doesn’t always look physically engaged. Therefore, Johansson wouldn’t be suited for a bottom-six role due to his inability to engage physically and play a shutdown game. Conversely, Heidt’s likely better suited for a third-line role.
However, Heidt could play in the middle-six and power play minutes on the second unit with Mats Zuccarello, Rossi, Ohgren, Ryan Hartman, and Khusnutdinov. That cast of players should help Heidt produce depth offense. Heidt plays a similar style to Hartman: He can agitate opponents and get under their skin at any moment. If anything, Heidt can benefit from playing with Hartman to become a pain for opponents to face and generate offense. Playing with someone like Heidt can help Hartman stay more disciplined because he’ll have a playmaker on his line.
To make Guerin move on from Johansson, Heidt must show promise like Rossi did during last year's training camp. Heidt doesn't need to score in every game during the preseason, but he should score timely goals where it makes a difference. Guerin can make Johansson expendable either via trade or buyout. He no longer serves the team's identity.
The Wild will play the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and Chicago Blackhawks during the preseason. Heidt will likely face defenders like Josh Morrissey, Miro Heiskanen, and Seth Jones, who will be assigned to shut him down. How will Heidt adjust to facing agitators and power forwards like Adam Lowry, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Bertuzzi? How about facing top goaltenders like Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger? Heidt must display some kind of well-rounded ability that Johansson doesn’t possess. Heidt will face his biggest challenge yet.
After failing to make Team Canada, Heidt began to round out his game. He’s trying out for the NHL to play with men, which is the opposite of the Summer Showcase. We’ll witness weaknesses in his game, but we’ll also see his scoring promise that should encourage the Wild to play him nine NHL games during the regular season. Will he show promise like Boston Bruins’ Matt Poitras, a similar player, which made him stay with the team? If the Wild send Heidt back to juniors, he will be motivated to break his scoring record after a helpful NHL stint.
Wheeler highlighted Heidt’s intelligence, which suggests confidence in his ability to develop and succeed at higher levels. He advocated for a supportive and strategic approach to his career progression. Overall, Wheeler has hope for Heidt's future while recognizing the challenges he must overcome to reach his full potential in professional hockey.
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