The Wild Should Recreate Pittsburgh's HBK Line

I know what you’re thinking. Marat Khusnutdinov is who he is, and he isn’t going to improve his offensive production dramatically. He’s worse than Connor Dewar. 

Khusnutdinov has been a replacement-level player. However, the Minnesota Wild should acknowledge why keeping Khusnutdinov in the fold is important. 

Hunter Haight has better pure skill than Khusnutdinov. People rave about Haight as a high-end skater who can be a dual-threat offensively at lower levels. However, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler never mentioned Haight as a boom-or-bust talent. Haight has limited NHL upside.

“And while he doesn’t fit the NHL checker mold (I’m not sure if he has an NHL fit/role) and isn’t talented enough to project into a top six, Haight’s a responsible off-puck player who has worked to become a good 200-foot player.”

Wheeler acknowledged that Haight could become a depth winger but not an everyday NHL player. Given his projections, Haight might become another Adam Beckman. 

Mikey Milne has more NHL potential than Haight. However, the 5-foot-11, 185 lb. winger is likely a bottom-six depth winger who can excel at playing a 200-foot game and being energy to stir up trouble with additional size plus speed. 

However, Milne is a pure winger rather than a center. Khusnutdinov is versatile enough to be an everyday NHL player. While he isn't going to break any scoring records or make All-Star appearances, you can count on Khusnutdinov to excel as a shutdown forward who can chip in offensively at important moments.

Let's say someone like Danila Yurov or Joel Eriksson Ek goes down with an injury. Who's going to take over as a center? 

Ignore the role for a second. The Wild wouldn’t rely on Khusnutdinov to take the reins from Yurov and Eriksson Ek offensively. Instead, he’ll play a shutdown game and produce odd-man rushes. Many forget that Khusnutdinov can be a successful pest like Ryan Hartman but more disciplined. Milne has that potential, but he can’t play center.

As Wheeler mentioned, Khusnutdinov has more upside to be an everyday NHL player to play with various players.

“He’s a solid, respectable player,” wrote Wheeler. “I’d like to see him make more plays at times and he needs to get better in the faceoff circle but he projects as a potential third-line type who can play with a variety of linemates. He’s also by all accounts a well-liked locker room guy and coachable.” 

Khusnutdinov can play with anyone. He won't drive offense, but his speed will create odd-man rushes that the Wild still need. That’s why the Wild must consider slotting Khusnutdinov with Yurov and Liam Ohgren. Why Ohgren? Khusnutdinov and Ohgren have played together already and have chemistry. So why not have Yurov play between a speed demon and a potential scoring winger in Ohgren? Thus recreating the Pittsburgh Penguins’ HBK line.

Who's HBK? Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel were Pittsburgh’s instrumental third line that provided secondary scoring during their 2015-16 and 2016-17 championship runs. Hagelin was the speedster. Bonino had some size and two-way ability. Kessel had the goal-scoring ability. Many wondered how Kessel would do without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin making plays for him. However, Kessel managed to be an effective offensive player and get involved defensively. 

Ohgren is a player in the Nino Niederreiter mold with better defensive potential than Kessel. Ohgren has shown glimpses of scoring upside in the American Hockey League (AHL). It's only a matter of time before Ohgren breaks out. Yurov can facilitate the transition and lead the breakout to either set up a teammate or snipe a wrist shot past the opposing goalie. 

Yurov looks up to Malkin as someone he wants to model his game after. If anything, this spells nothing but future success once Yurov gets comfortable. Let's not put too much expectations on him to be a Hall Of Fame superstar player. The Wild already have Kaprizov. 

What would the game plan for this line look like? Well, a third line usually consists of forechecking forwards who can disrupt zone clears. Yurov, Khusnutdinov, and Ohgren fit that description. They love to pressure defenses from clearing the puck, let alone make a breakout pass. Once they get the puck, it's time for the magic to happen. 

Ohgren and Khusnutdinov love to cause traffic in front of the net. While they don’t have Eriksson Ek’s elite net-front presence, they can still be swarming hornets. Yurov can get off a good shot or one-timer to beat a screened goalie. 

What if Yurov also shot one-timers and created openings for Ohgren to snipe goalies? Khusnutdinov can play net-front presence. He ain't the biggest or tallest guy out there, but he'll give it his all due to his dedication. 

Think of this line as another version of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman, and Barclay Goodrow line when they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2019-20 and 2020-21. Yurov and Ohgren have more offensive potential than Coleman and Goodrow. Khusnutdinov's game is similar to Gourde's game. Isn't that what the Wild would like him to become? 

Some people may not believe Khusnutdinov can take his game to the next level. Yeah, he ain't going to break out into a star player, but you can expect a star-level effort from him. He can complement higher-skilled players. 

If Hartman can get a chance to play with players like Kaprizov or Matt Boldy, then why can't Khusnutdinov? What happened to growth? The Wild should continue to develop center depth. Can Khusnutdinov be replaced? Sure. But who's going to? If Haight’s listed as a center now, why does Wheeler not see him as an NHL center? 

It's time to extend Khusnutdinov. He won't demand a long-term extension. He'll likely secure a bridge contract (2-3 years) where the team will further evaluate him. Khusnutdinov can enter the Wild’s long-term plans if they find the right line for him.