The Wild's First Cuts Offered Insight Into Their Organizational Philosophy

The Minnesota Wild played their first preseason game against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, and they made their first training camp roster cuts on Monday. While most of the moves were expected, there were still a few interesting nuggets that offered insight into the organization’s thinking.

The expected moves included sending Adam Benak and Lirim Amidovski, two standouts at the recent Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase, back to their junior squads. Benak, Amidovski, and fellow 2025 fourth-round pick Carter Klippenstein, who the Wild also returned to juniors, were never going to last long in camp.

Still, the three forwards had the opportunity to practice and scrimmage with NHL players for a few days and also suited up for the game against Winnipeg on Sunday. Klippenstein had a good game against the Jets, showcasing his straight-line speed and willingness to hound pucks. The Wild hope that their first summer and training camp with the organization can springboard them into strong post-draft seasons.

The most notable moves the Wild made on Monday were at goaltender, providing some clarity into how the team views its depth chart at that position. They assigned William Rousseau to the Iowa Wild, which, while expected, is notable because he was cut before fellow goalie prospect Riley Mercer. The 22-year-old Rousseau spent last season playing professional hockey, mostly for the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL, while also appearing in three games for the Iowa Wild.

Rousseau performed well and even earned another contract, but he has been passed by the 21-year-old Mercer, who will be entering his first professional season. Mercer has an entry-level contract after signing as a free agent by the Wild last spring, whereas Rousseau is strictly on a minor league deal. 

While both goalies played at the Kurvers Showcase, Minnesota started Mercer. Meanwhile, Rousseau came on in relief for both games. Ultimately, the Wild’s depth chart in goal is now clear: 

Depth charts are always subject to change, and you can bet that there will be battles for starts on both minor league squads. Mercer and Rousseau will also be battling to be first in line for an AHL promotion in the event of injury or other unforeseen circumstances. You can bet that the call-up will go to the most deserving goalie, especially if the Iowa Wild are more competitive this year. Therefore, Mercer will have to fend off the more experienced Rousseau.

Another notable move from Monday involved another goalie. The Wild also returned Chase Wutzke, a fifth-round pick in 2024, to his junior squad. However, not before inking him to a three-year entry-level deal that signals the organization’s intentions to make him part of its plans.

Wutzke played a significant number of games for the struggling Red Deer Rebels team in the WHL last season and earned a tryout contract with the Iowa Wild at the end of the season, allowing him to travel and practice with the team. The 6-foot-2 netminder followed that up with a standout performance at the Kurvers Showcase last weekend and has a chance to become a full-time pro next season.

In other moves on Monday, the Wild released forwards Matthew Sop and Ryan McGuire from their professional tryouts and assigned them to the Iowa Wild, where they’ll have to work to earn a roster spot. It’s an example of the reality that is professional sports, where your contract often defines your destination.

Sop and McGuire are on minor-league deals as opposed to entry-level or two-way contracts and would have had to do something spectacular in camp to earn an extended look. Instead, they’ll have to fight to stay in the AHL and possibly compete against each other to do so. Sop split time between the AHL and ECHL last season, and McGuire is a good bet to do the same in his first full professional season.

Finally, defensemen Rowan Topp and Jordan Tourigny were released from their amateur tryout agreements after their performances at the Kurvers Showcase earned them invitations to NHL training camp. Both should have plenty of eyes on them as they complete their junior careers this season with hopes of earning a professional contract.

The Wild have three preseason games between now and Sunday, and fans can expect that they’ll make another, larger round of cuts by this time next week. Each round of cuts becomes a little more telling. Last year, Sammy Walker was surprisingly among the second round of cuts and ended up being shuttled out of the organization and traded for nothing by midseason. It will be interesting to see who moves their way up or down the depth chart as training camp goes on.