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  • Wild Sign Top College Defenseman Brock Faber To ELC

    Image courtesy of © George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports
    Thomas Williams

    By Thomas Williams -

    Hours after suffering a heartbreaking defeat in the NCAA championship game, the Wild's top defenseman prospect signs his rookie deal.

    There is at least some good coming out of the Gophers losing the national title in overtime on Saturday night.

    Announced by the team on Sunday morning, the Minnesota Wild have signed top collegiate defenseman Brock Faber to a three-year, entry-level contract that will begin this season and go through the 2024-25 campaign.

     

    According to the team, the 20-year-old blueliner will be joining the Wild in Chicago, as they prepare to face the Blackhawks on Monday. He will be wearing the No. 7 for the Wild.

    Through his three years with the Gophers, Faber totaled seven goals and 53 points in 97 games. He finished his college career as captain of his team during a campaign where he was able to score four goals and 27 points in 38 games. The Maple Grove, Minn. native isn't known for his all-out offensive ability, but as one of the best two-way defenseman in college hockey that is hyper mobile and agile around the ice.

    The Wild originally acquired the defenseman as part of the package from the Los Angeles Kings for winger Kevin Fiala last summer. He was drafted 45th overall by the Kings in 2020.

    Faber was crowned the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice and has many more accolades that we probably cannot fit in here. 

    With just three games remaining for the Wild this season and the race for the top spot in the Central Division still going on, Faber getting a game in and making his NHL debut is questionable. The Wild sit two points back of the division-leading Colorado Avalanche and have played one more game than the reigning Stanley Cup champions. So, where and who the Wild will be facing in the first round of the playoffs is still to be determined.

    Unless he shocks head coach Dean Evason and his staff during practice this week and they decide that he is a better option on that bottom pairing than Jon Merrill or Alex Goligoski, then we might just seem him solidify his spot. The only question that remains -- in that scenario -- is handedness as Faber is right-handed and with Jared Spurgeon, Matt Dumba, and Klingberg all solidifying their spot among the six, the likelihood of Faber playing regularly this season and in the playoffs is dramatically reduced.

    Either way, it is exciting to have a crucial piece for the continued success of this team arrive and potentially step on the ice in the last few games of the season.

    By Thomas Williams  

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    joebou15

    I was not in a good place after last night's loss. And I replayed that game winning goal over and over in my sleep. 

     

    So I'm still not in a good place. 

     

    I guess I'm happy for Brock. No idea where they'll put him in the lineup. 

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    Tony Abbott

    Nowhere this year, right? I know he's got high-level experience with the Olympics and a WJC Gold, but the NHL playoffs is such a big leap to do cold, right?

    I wouldn't be shocked to see him get a game this year, though. Gotta imagine someone, somewhere could use a night off. 

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    joebou15
    18 minutes ago, Tony Abbott said:

    Nowhere this year, right? I know he's got high-level experience with the Olympics and a WJC Gold, but the NHL playoffs is such a big leap to do cold, right?

    I wouldn't be shocked to see him get a game this year, though. Gotta imagine someone, somewhere could use a night off. 

    Yeah, maybe last game of the season, if the Avs clinch, you insert Addison and Faber for Spurgeon and Klingberg assuming you want zero shenanigans taking place with those defensemen right before the playoffs.

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    Backwoodsbob

    Not sure that I'd say the big leap would be cold as he just finished a competitive tournament with the best collegiate teams and players.

    I'd like to see him play at least one game to see how he stacks up with NHLer's.

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    MickX
    2 hours ago, Backwoodsbob said:

    Not sure that I'd say the big leap would be cold as he just finished a competitive tournament with the best collegiate teams and players.

    I'd like to see him play at least one game to see how he stacks up with NHLer's.

    And the last team he played against had guys older than some NHLers.

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    NC Beach Bum

    looks like they are gonna kick the tires on Rossi and Petan also, probly not a bad idea to evaluate a few guys again before playoffs the way injury's have been popping up lately 

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    IllicitFive

    What are the roster rules for playoffs? I dont think we should be pushing too hard last few games, tryout some guys like Faber and Rossi, see how they do while giving guys a night off to rest bumps and bruises 

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    mnfaninnc

    Faber is exactly the type of defender that we need right now, a larger body on the right hand side who's actually interested in playing defense.  I would think this will specifically help out a player like Goligoski, should we need him in a pairing.

    For those confused about why Addison isn't playing, really, all you need to do is look behind the play and watch him consistently physically get crushed and punished.  It generally doesn't show up on the screen except for the very beginning.  Addison didn't pay attention in the offseason with gaining strength, specifically upper body strength.  He simply gets pushed around too much and shielded so he's at a disadvantage defending.  

    Faber should immediately jump Addison on the depth chart, and will be much better starting the play and getting it up to the forwards and out of the zone.  

    The cavalry has started to come for the defensive corps.  We're going to be very deep there, and will likely have the assets to trade for what we're missing.  Not all of them will get to play.

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