Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
By Thomas Williams -
The Minnesota Wild need their young players to step up if they want to take the next step as a team. One of those players who spent the majority of last season down in the AHL and is projected to at least make a medium impact in the NHL this season is winger Liam Ohgren.
And so far, Wild head coach John Hynes is impressed with the 21-year-old.
“His speed is a factor, he’s tenacious on pucks and he’s got a great shot,” Hynes said via The Athletic. “He’s a little bit more mature — a little bit more comfortable. He’s in fantastic shape. He has a better idea of how we want to do things. And he’s playing with that tenacity and the mindset that he wants to come in and earn a job.
“And in saying that, he’s using his greatest assets. Like, he’s shooting to score. He’s bearing down. He’s got second effort on pucks. His speed is a factor. And that’s what you need. You need guys to come in and push for spots. And he’s a guy that’s worked hard over the last couple years, and it seems like right now he’s making a strong push. It’s really encouraging what he’s brought to the table.”
Ohgren is the perfect candidate to lift this Wild roster higher than previously imagined. Sure, a healthy Kirill Kaprizov and the continuation of Matt Boldy developing into a two-way star should get them there but in the middle of that forward lineup, Minnesota was counting on the likes of Marcus Johansson and Ryan Hartman to provide most of the offense. Now, it can be Ohgren and maybe newcomer Danila Yurov to do exactly that.
That's Wild
- More from The Athletic on who is standing out at Wild camp and more roster decisions looming. [The Athletic]
- Once upon a time, Wild fans dreamed of Patrik Laine coming to Minnesota. Could, now, Vladimir Tarasenko provide just a little bit of what the Finnish winger would? [Hockey Wilderness]
- In his second stint with the Wild, Nico Sturm knows exactly what to do. [StarTribune]
Off the trail...
- Six Olympic storylines to follow as the NHL season approaches. [TheScore]
- Connor McDavid is without a contract still, but he is reportedly going to be starting the season on the same line as Leon Draisaitl. [NHL.com]
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