Which Wild Prospects Could Provide Biggest Immediate Impact?

On today's episode of Locked on Wild, Zach Zeman joins the show as we look at which Wild prospects will provide the most immediate impact. We discuss Jesper Wallstedt, Danila Yurov, Zeev Buium and Riley Heidt, as well as Liam Ohgren, Marat Khusnutdinov and how they slot in. We also discuss the defensive side and who among those players could rise the fastest. We also discuss Sammy Walker receiving a qualifying offer and a quick game of Yes or No with the status of Filip Gustavsson and Marco Rossi.
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#NHL #KirillKaprizov #MinnesotaWild

[@aaronberg221]

All the speculation makes me want summer to just go ahead and get over so we can get back to winter and hockey!

[@michaelowen6377]

Zach I feel ya man - with the addition of Buium and Kiviharju this draft, I'd say our prospect pool is easily top 5 still, especially if we factor in the rookies. When Billy traded up, it was the first sense of true hope I've felt for this franchise probably since the 2021-22 season. That said, I'm really high on Kumps, Spacek and Haight....these 3 dudes need to bring it and challenge the other guys for spots. Loved the draft, now let's see what training camp looks like. And honestly, I'm not concerned about Yurov....I think he'll be in a Wild sweater next season.

[@briangeary7684]

Just a decade ago, we would have drooled for a pipeline like this…I agree, it’s pretty dam deep and top 10 for sure, maybe top 5.

[@michaelowen6377]

@@briangeary7684 can you believe that 10 years ago, Alex Tuch went 18th overall? I had to look it up because I almost said Granlund, but that was actually in 2010! (even worse hahaha) You make a great point though, but now comes the part where the Wild brass have the pieces, just put the puzzle together over the next 3 or 4 years...and we might actually have a shot at that big shiny, silver, beautiful trophy.

[@italian1ist]

Kumps is at best a 3-4 liner. His skating is not good. I don’t see Spacek making it either.

[@michaellord9745]

All you guys are delusional. This mutt franchise is going nowhere until there is new ownership. Period.

[@johnrobinson1824]

Where will Yurov, Heidt, Haight, Lambos, Peart, Buium, Chisholm etal fit into the mix in the next 2 years? The answer is only Yurov and Buium will get a shot the others will be traded as they play out their 3 yr ECLs just like Beckman. No Roster Spot availability equals no change or chance to pursue a Cup. What happens if Yurov has an off year like Marat had last year?

[@JayWeisser]

unfortunately BG keeps giving no trade clauses out like they're candy. I don't see many roster spots available the next 2 years. What I really wanted to see was them letting the young talent play as much as possible, but BG screwed that up with the 4 year no trade clauses in his first signings. Bad move.

[@travzimmerman1340]

I'm at work so I wont be able to listen live.The biggest impact prospect will be Yurov if and when he decides to sign. He's already playing pro hockey (KHL) and dominating. I really hope to see all the prospects mentioned to get significant playing time, but I won't be shocked if that doesn't happen. Sammy Walker = career AHL'r, which I would take over my career in a heartbeat. My guess is Ohgren and Marat start the season in Iowa, or Marat with the big club and Heidt back to Juniors, Ohgren in Iowa. Remember, this is a Bill Guerin run club so prospects should probably go the "McBain" route sooner than later.

[@dennybarlau8065]

Trav once again, you've hit it on the Head

[@iwannatalktosampson5852]

Buium likely the only rookie we just drafted that makes a impact with the wild next 2 years . Him & faber will be a crazy defensemen duo going forward hope he takes the faber route & debuts late next year after college

[@LockedonWild]

Agreed. Buium should provide immediate impact after the Denver season is done. Beyond that it’ll be a couple years for the rest

[@johnrobinson1824]

I love that optimism , and hope it’s the case but Hynes and Guerin make me wonder if they will come up w some excuse to delay the inevitable 😂😂

[@SwifferTWetJetMop]

Would like to shout out Hunter Haight, Rieger Lorenz, and Caedan Bankier as well.

[@Scalptrash]

Off topic, maybe for another show. Wild broadcast partner for 24-25? I believe it's still Bally's, but they should try to move to Scripps Sports. Panthers and Golden Knights already switched and they offer local OTA broadcasts, local cable and streaming app. I can't imagine watching pro hockey, for free, over the air again!

[@LockedonWild]

I’m working on a couple shows for this for sure. Just trying to find more info about the route they’re going

[@italian1ist]

Faber, Rossi Then Yurov, Buium and Walstedt. I don’t see a huge amount of potential in the rest of the prospects but those 3 are going to be good. You can tell that when players are doing things nobody has ever done.

[@NathanMuckala-gb7is]

Hope they can find playing time for the young kids with carasss JoJo Freddy g zuccarello on the roster how long is kirill going to wait to get these younger guys up here

[@terrancekrolak4759]

Quantity over quality . Good grief

[@dustinsaeb9262]

This roster is a mess. The Wild are an afterthought around the league. TBH I was holding out hoping that the Wild would possibly take a shot at Tarasenko but clearly that wasn’t the case. SMH. Currently stuck in my feels over the state of this team.

[@iwannatalktosampson5852]

My question is would he of been thier at 13 or was someone else gonna trade up if we didnt ?

[@LockedonWild]

Many have speculated that teams were calling Philly to try to get to 12, whether they would have taken Buium or not is anybody's guess but there were a handful of teams trying to get to that spot, so the Wild opted to not take a chance and just traded up to get Buium

[@garyberg]

Thanks Zach for being optimistic. Getting a little tired of Seth being such a downer.

[@LockedonWild]

I’m tired of me being a downer too

[@travzimmerman1340]

What is there to be optimistic about?

[@dennybarlau8065]

Good call,Trav

[@carl-johanfougstedt199]

Aren´t you putting Aron Kiviharju in the B tier? Don´t you think that he will develop to a NHL player? I would bet for him making a great, or at least good, NHL career in the future.

[@LockedonWild]

I will be redoing this later on. Way too big for one single episode. There are like 50 prospects that need to get sorted out. Think of it as a "Entry to Prospect Tiers" lol

[@tylerbach3519]

Aron is a very intriguing prospect. He has actually been on my mind the most since the draft. I didn't know about him, I think, but my gut says maybe this guy is a diamond found in the rough of the draft. The way he told BG with such confidence that he would be the steal of the draft was inspiring. It sounds like he was originally projected very high in the pecking order and endured less than ideal circumstances. Smells like a bounce back to me. 🤞

[@michaelowen6377]

@@tylerbach3519 agreed, this kid was supposed to go in the middle of the first round...I think he dropped to a late first projection, and then fell from there just because of the mad scramble. I have a feeling he's gonna be a special player that surprises a lot of people. It may take a couple years to see him on the big stage, but hey...isn't he super young? like 17 still?

[@carl-johanfougstedt199]

@@tylerbach3519 I´m with you on this.

[@carl-johanfougstedt199]

@@LockedonWild Thank you for your answer! I wasn´t blaming you for not mentioning every prospect. That´s obviously impossible. But in my opinion Kiviharju is a prospect worth highlighting. Let me put it this way, he´s already mentally upper A tier and I´m not referring only to his latest awesome comment to Bill Guerin but overall. I´m convinced that he will reach his personal ceiling as a future NHL player. On the other hand I don´t know where he´s ceiling is. I would imagine he could be a future captain, a second pair 40-50 points D Man and a quarterback in the second power play unit. I also think that he can be reliable in the defensive zone with his hockey smarts.

[@michaellord9745]

Bring the NHL back to Minnesota !!!

[@michaellord9745]

The Mild have devolved into a "mutt team" with yet another clueless GM hired by a failed, moronic ownership. When the two teams in "hockey mad" Florida (Ha!) vastly outclass the dismal franchise in Minnesota you know there's no hope until the current idiot owner is forced to sell (how? I don't know) or drops dead. With any other club the most recent #1 pick, Buium, would have a bright future but with the Mild his career is already on the skids and all but over unless he refuses to sign a contract and holds out until he's shipped off somewhere else. And you can kiss Kaprisov goodbye. That's a kid who wants to win and it's not going happen with the Mild. A sharp, competent agent would already have advised him that his NHL future lies elsewhere.

[@travzimmerman1340]

I read all your posts in a "succulent Chinese meal" guy's accent.

[@michaellord9745]

@@travzimmerman1340 Oh geez, not THAT kind of guy.... really?

[@italian1ist]

OldDutchChips is that you?

[@Cinerary]

@@travzimmerman1340I see you know your judo