Matt Boldy is a bona fide NHLer.
Brock Faber aced the entrance exam, making a seamless switch from college to the pros, and Marco Rossi is in the on-deck circle.
All three stoked the praise the Wild have received for the prospect pool they've assembled in recent years, mostly from the draft but also via trade in Faber's case. But these headliners aren't the only ones behind the hype.
Percolating in the pipeline is another wave of talented players with potential to impact the Wild in the next year or two, some of whom were on the ice over the weekend at Tria Rink in St. Paul for the team's development camp.
"There's plenty of work and runway ahead of these guys to make it to the National Hockey League," Wild director of player development Brad Bombardir said. "The National Hockey League, it is a gauntlet. It's tough to get there.
"But we are seeing guys that are continuing to do the work, and we're excited about them."
Daemon Hunt, defense, Iowa (American Hockey League)
Hunt could be a call-up option for the Wild after an encouraging kickoff to his pro career last season in the minors with Iowa.
For starters, he logged 50-plus games after injury had limited him previously, including before the 2020 draft when the Wild selected him 65th overall in the third round out of Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League. He also had a steady helping of minutes as a shutdown defender who moves well, and eventually Hunt, 21, graduated to the second power-play unit and took up residence on the flank (a position that's usually assigned to a forward).
Overall, he finished with two goals and nine assists in 59 games, and the 6-1, 199-pound Hunt believes he can deliver more offense.
"What completes my game is that two-way [style], hopping into the rush a lot," he said, "and being part of things offensively is what I need to do."
Marat Khusnutdinov, center, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
Because of the experience and effect Khusnutdinov has had in the KHL, many in the Wild organization believe he could help the team at any time.
He's a 5-9, 165-pound center with electrifying speed, a quickness that enables him to generate offense, and he sure did that last season with SKA St. Petersburg at 20 years old: Khusnutdinov recorded 11 goals and picked up 30 assists through 63 games before tallying seven more points in 16 playoff appearances.
A second-round pick (No. 37) in 2020, Khusnutdinov has only one more season left on his KHL contract.
Liam Ohgren, left wing, Farjestad BK (SHL)
This next year should be telling for Ohgren, who was drafted 19th in the first round in 2022 with the pick the Wild secured in the Kevin Fiala trade with Los Angeles that also landed them Faber.
The 6-1, 196-pound winger had a tough start last season but was impressive by the end, racking up eight goals and five assists during an important 17-game stretch in which his team was vying to rejoin Sweden's top tier. The prowess of Ohgren's shot enabled him to score from the perimeter, but the Wild wanted him to be around the net more and Ohgren adapted his game.
But that was in Sweden's second league.
Now, the 19-year-old will suit up for Farjestad BK in the SHL, the best of the best in his native country. Considering he's a fast learner, the Wild expect Ohgren to have a solid showing and the plan is for him to leave Sweden after the season.
"I hope to take even more steps this year," said Ohgren, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Wild last July. "Then hopefully I'll do my best to make the team next year in Minnesota."
Jesper Wallstedt, goalie, Iowa
Another first-round pick, No. 20 in 2021, Wallstedt is coming off a productive debut in the AHL.
The netminder went 18-15-5 with a 9.08 save percentage and 2.68 goals-against average. One of the highlights of his season, though, wasn't a stop: Wallstedt became the first goaltender in Iowa history to score a goal and the youngest goalie in AHL history to achieve the feat.
His mobility and technique are strengths, as is his hockey IQ, with Wallstedt adept at reading the play. But being a goalie on the smaller North American rinks isn't the same as manning the crease of Europe's larger ice surfaces. What the Wild believe is key for his development is for the 6-3, 213-pound Wallstedt to keep focusing on his fitness.
Like Hunt, the 20-year-old could also be ushered up to the NHL next season if the Wild need a reinforcement.
Danila Yurov, right wing, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)
Yurov was at development camp, a timely chance to get more familiar with the Wild.
The Russian winger is under contract for another season in the KHL and then hopes to make the move here.
"Great city. Great people," Yurov said at camp in English, which the Wild have noticed improve since they drafted the 6-1, 172-pound power forward 24th overall in the first round last year.
At 19 years old, Yurov's opportunity in the KHL was different from his role in the junior league, where he also skated last season. The challenge for him is to play the way he would against his peers when he's facing older competition in the KHL.
Still, he chipped in six goals and six assists in 59 KHL games.
With north-south speed and skill, Yurov is a playmaker, especially in tight spaces. Aside from the Wild's Kirill Kaprizov, who texted Yurov last week, Yurov likes to watch NHL superstars like Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar from Colorado.
