With training camp slated to start next week, the NHL season is upon us, and this weekend, the Minnesota Wild’s prospects had a chance to show their skills in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. They played host to the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues at TRIA Rink, the Wild’s practice facility just minutes away from Grand Casino Arena, which used to be named Xcel Energy Center, where all the Wild’s home games are played.
The Wild’s prospects took on the St. Louis Blues’ prospects, Friday night, Sept.12. The Blues will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the second game on Saturday, Sept. 13, and then the Wild and Blackhawks will wrap up the weekend on Sunday, Sept. 14.
The Wild got down early to the Blues, but battled back, and it was tied going into the final period. The Blues came out on top with two goals in the final two minutes to take the 6-4 win. This event is all about the prospects, and we’ll look at a few takeaways from the first game, starting with one of their star prospects.
Buium Continues to Shine
Wild fans always want to hear more about Zeev Buium after seeing him play four games in the last postseason, and the talent he has. That talent was on display once again in the showcase, and it was easy to tell when he was on the ice. He sped up and down, took chances mainly offensively, and they paid off as he scored a goal.
He was also given the chance to show off his skills on the power play, and he appeared pretty comfortable as he could be seen giving directions to his teammates as they lined up for several different times. He moved the puck around well, kept his head up, and showed the same levels of composure he had in the postseason.
As long as Buium continues to show talent like he has, he’ll likely be on the roster when the season starts; however, it’s unclear if he’ll be full-time or up and down. That all depends on his play and his teammates as well, because the Wild will start the season without Jonas Brodin, but once he’s back, who will be the odd one out? Buium will have to continue to step up his game if he wants to stay.
Wild’s Depth Shows
Buium stole a lot of the show, but there were a lot of players who had strong showings. Danila Yurov, Adam Benák, Hunter Haight, Riley Heidt, and Jack Peart were all mentioned numerous times throughout the game as they made plays, took shots, and tried to make strong impressions. Every player had a lot of speed, and although there were mistakes made, all of the players found ways to bounce back.
Yurov was able to show his skills on the power play, and although he didn’t register a goal, he had some chances. Benák’s name was mentioned all night, and the announcers were consistently saying what a bright spot he was since the drop of the first puck, and he ended with three assists. Haight and Heidt worked well together on the same line and also had some strong chances, with Haight setting up one of the Wild’s goals with an impressive pass.
Peart was one of the defensemen outside of Buium who was noticed the most throughout the game on the defensive side of things. Peart is a smaller player who plays more of a defensive first game compared to some of his teammates. Unfortunately for him, there aren’t quite enough roster positions open for him to make the jump to the NHL just yet, unless he makes a huge impact compared to everyone else, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be there in the near future.
Wild’s Special Teams Highlighted
The final item that was very noticeable throughout the game was the special teams, both the power play and penalty kill. Although the Wild got down early, they found a way to bounce back with the help of their power plays. They scored on back-to-back power plays to get themselves all tied up 2-2 after trailing.
Then it was the Blues’ turn as they got one past the Wild’s penalty kill for their lone power play goal of the game. However, the Wild responded with their third power play of the game that tied it once again, but this time it was 4-4. That ended the special teams show as the Blues scored the final two goals, one was at even strength, while the other was on an empty net to take the win.
Related: Wild’s Danila Yurov Signing Means High Expectations
Regardless of the score, both teams had some strong showings by their top players, and overall, it was a good game. A lot of physicality that will need to be honed in a bit, but overall entertaining, and the players were eager to show their skills on all sides of the puck. It’ll be interesting to see how the Wild respond to this and if they can pull out a win to end the weekend against the Blackhawks on Sunday.
