Wild Plan To Start Danila Yurov At Center
The Minnesota Wild have a clear plan for their newly signed prospect. According to Jessi Pierce of NHL.com, General Manager Bill Guerin expects Danila Yurov to be a center to start his professional career in North America.
There’s credibility toward the Wild’s thought process. Over the last two years with the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Yurov spent much of his time down the middle, securing a faceoff success rate of 41.0% in 2023-24 and 47.3% in 2024-25. That success rate would have placed him third among Wild forwards who totalled more than 500 draws this past season, although it’s unrealistic to think Yurov would have been as successful in the NHL.
Wild Sign Danila Yurov To Entry-Level Contract
The Wild have signed top forward prospect Danila Yurov to his entry-level contract, the team confirmed. The three-year deal starts next season and carries a $950K cap hit, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. Yurov can also earn up to $2MM in performance bonuses each season ($1MM in Schedule A, $1MM in Schedule B) as part of the deal, Russo adds.
Yurov was released from his contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League late last month, so he was free to sign with Minnesota before the KHL contract year ends on May 31. Negotiations between Yurov and Wild general manager Bill Guerin have likely been ongoing for the past few weeks, as with most ELCs, the time between becoming eligible to sign and signing likely hinged on performance bonus negotiations.
The 21-year-old right-winger arrives in Minnesota nearly three years after the Wild selected him 24th overall in the 2022 draft. He was widely regarded as a top-15 prospect in the class but fell to later in the first round due to concerns over his contract status with Metallurg.
With parts of five seasons of pro hockey in the KHL and a Gagarin Cup championship under his belt, Yurov will now focus on making his NHL debut as part of the Wild’s opening night roster in the fall. The 6’1″, 176-lb forward is one year removed from a spectacular 21-goal, 49-point showing with a +22 rating in 62 games for Magnitogorsk to lead them in scoring as the club won its third championship since the KHL’s inception in 2008.
This year was less impressive offensively for Yurov, who battled injuries and was limited to a 13-12–25 scoring line in 46 games (a 0.54 points per game pace). He still finished second on Metallurg with a +15 rating but was limited to one goal in five playoff games as their postseason came to a quick end.
Yurov is nonetheless the crown jewel of Minnesota’s forward prospect pool, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic wrote a few months back. While a natural winger, he has played a fair bit of center in his home country and could eventually slot in for the Wild. His up-and-down production in the KHL indicates that Yurov’s everyday first-line role may be a tad optimistic. Still, he’s got an excellent chance of settling in as a long-term complementary top-six piece for the Wild, even as soon as out of the gate in 2025-26.
Wallstedt Still Has Confidence After Disappointing Season
- Now that Marc-Andre Fleury has shut the door on his playing career, Minnesota Wild netminder prospect Jesper Wallstedt has a clear pathway toward NHL minutes. Still, he’s not coming off a promising season, as injuries limited him to 27 games in the AHL, leading Wallstedt to a 9-14-5 record with a .879 SV% and a 3.59 GAA. In an interview with Joe Smith of The Athletic, Wallstedt reaffirmed his confidence in himself, saying, “I know I’m a great goalie. I know I can save the puck. I’ve done it for so many years. I’ve done it at so many different levels. I’ve done it at the AHL. So it’s more that I’m asking myself, ‘Why am I not doing it right now? What has changed?’ I just need to get a clean slate.”
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No Changes Coming To Wild Coaching Staff
- Although the Minnesota Wild became the first professional team in North American sports to lose in the opening round of the playoffs for the eighth time in ten years, no changes are coming to their coaching staff. According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, General Manager Bill Guerin doesn’t expect any coaching changes for the Wild this offseason, which extends to their head coaching situation for their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild.
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Kirill Kaprizov, Marco Rossi Discuss Contract Talks With Wild
Wild star winger Kirill Kaprizov spoke to reporters today and hinted at his interest in signing an extension with the club this summer, per Joe Smith of the Athletic.
The Wild will be eligible to sign Kirill Kaprizov to a contract extension starting July 1, and owner Craig Leipold has made it clear the organization is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep their superstar in Minnesota. Judging by Kaprizov’s comments today, the feeling appears to be mutual.
“This is my agent’s job, so we will see. But I love everything here. It should be all good,” he said. “It’s all about winning. Everything is about winning. But I like everything about here.”
It will be fascinating to see what kind of deal Kaprizov lands—his next contract could rank among the richest ever signed by a winger, or by any player, in NHL history. While Kaprizov could land a massive deal on the open market, the Wild do have a ton of cap space available, making the path even clearer to sign an extension with Minnesota. No matter the cost of his contract, Kaprizov will more than likely prove to be worth it. At just 28, Kaprizov has lit up the league over five sensational seasons, racking up 386 points in 319 games. That production already places him fifth on the Wild’s all-time points list, while his 185 goals rank third, just 34 shy of Marián Gáborík’s franchise record. And the Russian also put to rest any concerns about the injury he sustained this season that required surgery and kept him out of the lineup for three-plus months, as Kaprizov posted five goals and nine points in the team’s 4-2 series defeat to the Golden Knights.
The tone was a little less positive from center Marco Rossi, who, like Kaprizov, deflected questions regarding his contract toward his agent, but also noted his disappointment in being relegated to a fourth-line role in the playoffs, per Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News.
“I was very disappointed. But I have been taught to respect those decisions. It’s always the team first,” he said. “We had an honest discussion about (my role). We were both honest. I won’t tell you everything that was said, but I need to respect it.”
Rossi, who is headed for restricted free agency this offseason, quietly put together a strong campaign with 24 goals and 60 points—impressive numbers on a team that often struggled to generate offense. Given that production, his limited role in the playoffs sparks questions about where he fits into the Wild’s long-term plans.
Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek To Undergo Core Muscle Surgery
Minnesota Wild centerman Joel Eriksson Ek shared that he’ll undergo core muscle surgery next week during his end-of-season media availability, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Eriksson Ek added that he had been playing through the injury at the end of the season. It’s unclear if this is connected to the lower-body injury that held the 28-year-old out of 22 games between February and April. He also noted that this surgery shouldn’t impact his readiness for training camp next season.
Off-season surgery will continue the bad luck of an injury-riddled season into the summer. Eriksson Ek sustained countless injuries over the course of the year, including a broken nose and multiple lower-body injuries. In total he appeared in just 46 games – a new career low. Eriksson Ek was still reliably impactful when he was healthy, netting 14 goals and 29 points – an 82-game pace of 25 goals and 52 points. Those numbers would still fall short of the 30 goals and 64 points Eriksson Ek posted last season, though his scoring through injury was nonetheless impressive. He also remained a focal point in the defensive zone and ranked fifth on the team’s forwards in hits-per-game – among those to play at least 20 games in Minnesota.
Minnesota found a silver lining in the play of Marco Rossi while Eriksson Ek was out. Rossi took a major stride forward this year, netting 24 goals and 60 points while playing in all 82 games for a second-straight season. That includes a red-hot streak during Eriksson Ek’s absence when the calendar turned over. Rossi scored 36 points in 51 games between December 1st and March 31st. That was the second-highest on the team during that stretch – behind Matt Boldy‘s 39 points. Rossi seemed to have more offense to give, and could be in store for a major breakout season in 2025-26, after confidently improving from the 40 points he scored last season.
With Eriksson Ek maintaining a strong two-way impact in his healthy games, Minnesota could finally land a top-two center duo to treasure with a wave of good health next season. Eriksson Ek has proven consistently capable of reaching 20 goals and rivaling 50 or 60 points. He’s managed that feat, or scored at an achievable pace, in each of the last five seasons. He is signed to a yearly cap hit of $5.25MM through the 2027-28 season – an expiration date that Minnesota will surely begin sizing up with his performance next season.
Morning Notes: Marner, Stars, Buium, Lindholm
The Toronto Maple Leafs were without star winger Mitch Marner at Sunday morning’s practice, as Marner attends to the birth of his first child. He isn’t expected to miss any time, helped along by Toronto’s second round matchup against the Florida Panthers beginning at home on Monday. Marner finally broke through the 100-point glass ceiling this season, scoring a career-high 102 points in 81 games played. He also recorded just 14 penalty minutes – a career-low. Those marks have carried into the postseason, with Marner netting one goal, eight points, and no penalties in six games of the first round. He is notably just under two months away from hitting the open market, unless Toronto can manage an eight-figure contract extension before July 1st. Marner is performing at a top mark at the perfect time – but he’ll have to hold onto the scoring role if Toronto wants to get by a Panthers lineup that averaged the fifth-most goals-per-game in the first round.
Other notes from around the league:
- Dallas Stars head coach told the media on Sunday that it is still unlikely Jason Robertson or Miro Heiskanen are ready for the start of the second round, per Lia Assimakopoulos of Dallas News. DeBoer did share a glimmer of hope, though, adding that both players should be good to go at some point during round two. The Stars lineup will undeniably improve when they receive their top goal-scorer and top defender back from prolonged injury – an exciting thought to consider after they beat the Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game series. Robertson and Heiskanen – who both have returned to skating at optional practices – will have at least four more games to work their way back into the lineup.
- Star prospect Zeev Buium only appeared in four games before the Minnesota Wild were eliminated from playoff contention. He performed well in those appearances, netting one assist and four penalty minutes from a depth role, and now faces the a transitional summer as he moves from college to the NHL full-time. Buium hasn’t shared too many details of what the summer will look like, but he did announce that he’ll join Team USA at the World Championship, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. Buium represented his country at the World U18 Championshp in 2023 – netting six points in seven games – and at each of the last two World Juniors – where he combined for 11 points in 14 games. Now, he’ll get to join the Americans at the top flight – stepping onto a blue-line full of young-and-upcoming defensive talent. Buium will fight for a role over Mason Lohrei, Jackson LaCombe, and Michael Kesselring.
- Speaking of Worlds, the Boston Bruins have shared that centerman Elias Lindholm will join the Team Sweden roster immediately. Lindholm hasn’t played at this tournament since 2019, when he scored six points in eight games. That was Lindholm’s third-consecutive season joining the Swedes at the World Championship. Across the trio of years, he combined for 19 points in 26 games. Lindholm’s only opportunity to represent Sweden since 2020 came earlier this year, when he participated in three games of the 4-Nations Face-Off and managed no scoring. Lindholm totaled 47 points in 82 games of the NHL season, his lowest scoring pace since he recorded 21 points in 58 games as a rookie.
Top Offer Money-Wise Might Not Be Enough To Entice Early Kaprizov Extension
- The Wild will be eligible to sign star winger Kirill Kaprizov to an extension as of July 1st and owner Craig Leipold has previously said they’ll pay whatever is necessary to keep him. But as John Shipley of the Pioneer Press notes, that alone might not be enough. Kaprizov is in line for what will be a record-setting contract handed out to a winger and he can get that from Minnesota and likely several other teams if he was to get to unrestricted free agency. Given that the Wild have yet to have much playoff success – they’ve lost in eight straight first rounds in ten years, the first team of the four major North American sports leagues to have that happen to them – it’s possible that Kaprizov might want to see what other opportunities await him and if there’s a better chance to play for a contending squad. On the other hand, the Wild have much more cap flexibility to play with this summer and will surely be looking to try to make their roster look more like a contender.
Marc-André Fleury Announces Retirement
The last goaltender selected with the first overall pick has officially hung up his skates. As expected after his farewell tour, the NHL Alumni Association announced that Marc-André Fleury has retired from the NHL after 21 seasons.
Fleury’s career began on October 10, 2003, on a rebuilding Pittsburgh Penguins’ team, losing to the Los Angeles Kings. He wouldn’t have to wait long for his first win, as they defeated the Detroit Red Wings a few days later on October 18th.
It wouldn’t be Fleury’s win against Detroit either. Although they lost in a hotly contested 2008 Stanley Cup Final, the Penguins won a year later. Thanks to a game-saving win against Nicklas Lidstrom in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, Fleury backstopped Pittsburgh to their first Stanley Cup championship since 1992.
Although the Penguins had successful seasons, it took a few years for them to return to the Stanley Cup Final. When they finally made it back, Fleury had moved into a backup role, while Matt Murray took over as the starting goaltender. Murray helped lead the Penguins to consecutive championships in 2016 and 2017.
This was largely the end of Fleury’s tenure in Pittsburgh. The team left Fleury exposed in that summer’s expansion draft, again in favor of Murray, leaving the upstart Vegas Golden Knights to select him.
Fleury, with an impressive record of 29 wins, 13 losses, and 4 overtime losses, along with a .927 save percentage in 46 games, helped the Golden Knights not only reach the playoffs but also advance to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural year.. Unfortunately, Vegas couldn’t capitalize on their Cinderella run, it was a clear resurgence in Fleury’s career.
He experienced several more successful years with Vegas before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in late summer 2021. ‘Flower’ only spent one year with the Original Six organization before being traded to the Minnesota Wild at the subsequent trade deadline.
Finally, Fleury’s career ended last night at the hands of the Golden Knights. He finished his career with a 575-339-97 record in 1,051 career games with a .912 SV% and 2.6o GAA. He won the Vezina Trophy along with the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2020-21 and currently sits second all-time in goalie win leaders, besting Patrick Roy by 24 wins and falling short of Martin Brodeur by 116.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Gabriel Landeskog, Sean Monahan Named Masterton Trophy Finalists
The NHL has announced the three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The award is presented each year to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” This year’s finalists are Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan.
The race for the sportsmanship title may be closer than ever this season. Leading the back is the 40-year-old Fleury, who played the last game of his illustrious
career on Tuesday night. Fleury is one of just three goaltenders to ever be drafted first overall, and he’s the only one of the trio to play through a full career in the NHL. He amassed 1,051 appearances and ended his career on a strong note this season, posting a satisfactory 14-9-1 record and .899 save percentage while serving as Minnesota’s backup. Fleury went through a true farewell tour this season, facing standing ovations and long hand-shake lines in many of his final stops around the league. A Masterton win would acknowledge the 21 years of formidable hockey and warm personality that Fleury offered the league.
While Fleury stands for achievement, Landeskog will represent true perseverance on this year’s ballot. The Avalanche captain made his long-awaited return to the ice this postseason, finally marking the end of his recovery from a skate-cut injury suffered in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Multiple surgeries and extended absences marked his 2021-22 campaign, though he stayed together long enough to net 22 points in 20 playoff games en route to Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup win.
But Landeskog fell completely out of the lineup after he lifted the Cup, and has spent the last three years fighting to return to game shape. His journey to recovery was outlined in the ‘A Clean Sheet’ documentary, hosted on HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. After three years of dedication, Landeskog has looked back to form in his return to the ice. He has four points in four playoff games and helped will a Game 7 when Colorado faced elimination on Thursday night.
For Monahan, Masterton recognition will mean something else entirely. The 30-year-old centerman signed a five-year, $27.5MM contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer, intent on joining close friend Johnny Gaudreau on the team’s top line. But tragedy struck when Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed by an alleged drunk driver in the weeks leading up to the season.
It was Earth-shattering news for much of the Columbus organization and fanbase, especially Monahan, who now lives two doors down from the Gaudreau family in Columbus. He channeled any emotions into incredible hockey to start the year, netting 41 points in 41 games to start the season. But Monahan sustained a right-wrist injury on Jan. 7 that forced him to miss nearly 10 weeks of action. He stayed hot when he returned, finishing the year with 16 points in 13 games, but the surge fell just a little short, and Columbus ultimately missed the postseason by just one win. Even then, Monahan’s season was a deep show of the resilience, community, and compassion that exists in the hockey world – all attributes that seem aptly summarized by the Bill Masterton Trophy.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports.