As I said earlier (on Monday), the Minnesota Wild have shifted their focus from this season to the future, winning all of their Ducks in a row.
Next year should be interesting as they have established their current roster and many players are getting older and entering typical periods of decline, but the Wild have young players who need a place to play. There are a lot of players. After signing Riley Hite over the weekend, the Wild are now reportedly close to signing future defenseman and former Mr. Hockey Jack Peart to an entry-level contract.
Peart was selected in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft and will turn 21 in a few months. He just completed his junior year at St. Cloud State and will most likely turn pro with the Wild instead of going on to his senior year.
The Grand Rapids, Minn., native had a down year in terms of production. He had three goals and 24 points in 39 games from the blue line last season alone, but that rate has dropped by one game to just 14 points this season. Still, he has a very good, mobile defenseman who has said he wants to emulate Jared Spurgeon as much as possible. And he had the opportunity to learn from his master himself at training camp this fall.
Peart will likely be on Iowa's blueline with other defensive prospects like Carson Lambos, Ryan O'Rourke and Damon Hunt. Because the Wild are trying to develop the next wave of solid blue liners so they don't have to wear ice. A slower veteran.
That's wild
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Is everyone missing out on another Russian potential in Wilde? Are we not thinking enough about Vladislav Fastov as a really good player? [Hockey Wilderness]
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The Wild's playoff hopes may be at their lowest all season, with just a few games remaining. It looks like the season is almost over. [Daily Faceoff]
I went off the road…
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Top NHL prospects for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. [ESPN]
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The Philadelphia Flyers are likely to make the playoffs and have the worst power play in the NHL. Has this ever happened before? If so, what happened to those teams in the postseason? Let's take a look: [Broad Street Hockey]
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This season, more than any other, it seems like good players are getting a healthy dose of damage from poor play and just a numbers game. So, we'd like to introduce you to the All-Healthy Scratch team for the 2023-24 season. [Sportsnet]
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