Welcome to the 2014 edition of “Top Shelf Hockey Prospects”. As we go through the Summer of 2014 I will be featuring a team-by-team look at the top prospects in the NHL. I will go team by team through the NHL bringing you a look at each Teams Top Prospects. I will be following the order of the first round of the NHL draft (as if there were no traded draft picks) and you can find all the articles here. Since we had an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in the 2014 draft, as there have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed. What I will be doing is linking you to those articles, as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year’s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2014-15 roster of the NHL team in question. I will also bring you one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as my darkhorse to make the NHL. For those wondering, the cut-off for what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 50 NHL games played (including playoffs) or being 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.
For the second straight year, the Minnesota Wild made the NHL playoffs. This year they even upset the Colorado Avalanche, taking an exciting first round series in five games. The Wild did this despite huge issues in goal as starter Niklas Backstrom spent a lot of time hurt; Josh Harding had a great start to the year, but didn’t play after December when complications with his MS and the medications he takes to control it cropped up; Darcy Kuemper suffered a concussion, and the wild were forced to trade for Ilya Bryzgalov to help the team down the stretch.
In the off-season the Wild made official the worst kept secret in the NHL, signing Thomas Vanek as an unrestricted free agent to add a few more goals up front. Meanwhile the team will hope that their goaltenders are healthier in 2014-15, and that the addition of Christian Folin, a highly sought after college free agent, and the continued development of players like Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella and the team’s defensive prospects will improve the blue line going forward.
2014 NHL Draft Picks (Reviewed by LWOS): Alex Tuch, Kaapo Kahkonen, Reid Duke,
Graduates: Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Justin Fontaine, Erik Haula, Jason Zucker,
Top Minnesota Wild Prospects
Top Prospect: Mathew Dumba, Defence
Born Jul 25 1994 — Calgary, ALTA
Height 6.00 — Weight 183 — Shoots Right
Selected by the Minnesota Wild in the 1st round, 7th overall at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft
Mathew Dumba started the season by making the Wild out of camp, but saw plenty of time in the press box as a healthy scratch. He only got in 13 games before being released to play for Canada’s National Junior team, and then returning to the WHL to play for the Portland Winterhawks, who picked him up in a trade. While he wasn’t ready for full-time NHL action, he did dominate in Portland scoring 24 points in 26 games and 18 points in 21 playoff games.
Dumba is a very talented, but very raw defence prospect. Offensively talented, Dumba has great skating, a tremendous slapshot, smart offensive instincts, makes great passes, and is clearly not afraid to join the rush or take offensive chances. Over his time in Red Deer and Portland, Dumba has shown that he can use these skills and translate them into being a big time offensive weapon both at even strength and on the power play.
Dumba is also a big hitter. He loves to see a forward coming down his side of the ice with his head down, and will not hesitate to throw a hard, heavy hit, if he gets the opportunity. He’s usually able to do so with great timing and deliver his big shots legally.
Dumba has certainly improved his defensive work, but still has a ways to go in his own end of the ice. He sometimes takes too many offensive chances or gets himself out of position looking for that big hit and his defensive game can sometimes suffer as a result. He also needs to bulk up as he’s listed at 6’0, 183 lbs. He’s got decent enough height, but he certainly needs to continue to add muscle to that frame if he expects to be able to continue to throw those type of big hits against the bigger stronger opponents he will face in the pro game. More size and strength will also help him to contain the bigger forwards he’ll face in the pros. He could also use some more time learning defensive positioning and his decision making could stand to be improved. He has really improved since his draft year, but can still do more. Some might say I’m being too harsh on Dumba, but he has the mobility and the athleticism to be an elite defender and so with that potential I hope to see him continue to work on his fundamentals and fulfill that potential.
Last year Dumba was a ‘tweener where he wasn’t ready for the NHL, but the Wild were unsure what he would learn in the WHL, and couldn’t send him to the AHL. This year I expect him to start the year in the AHL where he can refine his game at a higher level than junior hockey and if he does well, he could be up with the Wild by the end of the year. Of course a dominant training camp would change that very quickly.
#2 Prospect: Gustav Olofsson, Defence
Born Dec 1 1994 — Boras, Sweden
Height 6.03 — Weight 190 — Shoots Left
Drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the 2nd Round, 46th Overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft
Gustav Olofsson is a Swedish defenceman who came to North America to play for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL prior to his draft year. The 2013 second round pick went to Colorado College last year, before signing with the Wild and joining their AHL team in Iowa to end the year. He also played for Sweden at the World Junior Championships where his 5 points in 7 games were a big part of the team’s silver medal performance.
Olofsson is a strong skater with good mobility on the back end. He has good speed and acceleration in both directions, with solid edgework, pivots and agility. Olofsson has good lower body strength giving him good balance, and allowing him to be strong on the puck. It also helps him to gain leverage and be effective in board battles and in front of the net.
Olofsson is solid defensively with excellent positioning, and solid stickwork. He is not afraid to take the body whether it be throwing a hit along the boards, battling in the corners or clearing the crease. Olofsson is the type of player willing to do whatever is necessary to make a play, including blocking shots, or taking a hit to make a strong first pass in the transition game.
Olofsson hasn’t put up big points, either in the NCAA or in his first 8 games in the AHL, but he does have some offensive potential. He has shown very good passing skills and vision at the world junior level, and the passing skill could translate to the AHL and higher with some patience. He does already show the ability to make a play in the transition game. Olofsson does need to work on his shot though, as it lacks power at this point.
Olofsson will likely spend the 2014-15 season in the AHL with Iowa, continuing to refine his game. He could be a good two-way defender but is likely at least a couple of years away.
#3 Prospect: Darcy Kuemper, Goaltender
Born May 5 1990 — Saskatoon, SASK
Height 6.04 — Weight 196 — Shoots Left – Catches Left
Drafted by Minnesota Wild in the 6th round, 161st overall in the 2009 NHL Draft.
Darcy Kuemper did a solid job of filling in for Backstrom and Harding in the second half last year, and even had a strong showing in the playoffs. His .915 save percentage in the regular season, and .913 in the playoffs show that the 2009 6th round pick is close to being NHL ready, if he’s not there already. He also performed well in a 6 game stint in the 2012-13 season. He is currently a restricted free agent and the Wild are trying to get him signed before training camp begins.
At 6’4″ Kuemper has the type of ideal size that teams are looking for in a goaltender today. He takes full advantage of this size by getting out and cutting down angles and giving shooters very little net to see. He skates well allowing him to get back on dekes, and to get side-to-side quickly on cross crease passes. Kuemper has quick legs that take away the bottom of the net, and a good glove hand to cover up the top of the net. He is very quick at getting up and down in his butterfly, but can sometimes go down to early. His blocker side could also use some work.
Kuemper could also stand to work on his rebound control, though this is something he has been working on in recent years. One area he excels is in handling the puck, as he often acts like a third defenceman and can make strong breakout passes and catch opposing teams making a line change with a long breakaway pass.
Overall I’ve identified a few things for Kuemper to work on, but it should be noted that these are minor weaknesses and not the type of things that will keep him from being a good goaltender in the NHL. He could even be a full-time backup as soon as this season depending on the Harding and Backstrom situations. He has a ton of potential and could be the future starter for the Wild, with some minor corrections
Super Sleeper: Christian Folin, Defence
Born Feb 9 1991 — Gothenburg, Sweden
Height 6.03 — Weight 210 — Shoots Right
Signed with Minnesota as an Undrafted Free Agent in March 2014.
The 23-year-old Swede put up 14 points in 34 games during his sophomore year for UMass-Lowell before signing with the Wild. However his best work is in the defensive zone, where he has great size and knows how to use it effectively. He cuts down shooting and passing lanes and causes turnovers. Folin has excellent mobility and is very hard to beat one-on-one with his good edgework and abgility, as well as an active stick. He’s got good balance and strength and is also powerful in front of his own net and along the boards.
Folin has a good first pass and starts the transition game well but isn’t the type of defender who will often join the rush. He does have a hard shot, which he keeps low and on net, and there is some potential to add more offense to his game. He is a very mobile skater for a 6’3″ defender and this makes many believe he will quickly translate his game to the NHL and made him one of the most sought after free agents in college hockey this year. Folin will be given every opportunity to make the Wild out of training camp this season.
The Wild graduated 5 forwards last year and also feature Nino Neiderreiter in the team’s top 9; so its no surprise that the top prospects remaining in the organization come from the blueline and in goal. Alex Tuch immediately becomes the team’s top forward prospect after being drafted. In terms of depth; Brett Bulmer, Mario Lucia, Zack Phillips, Kurtis Gabriel and Raphael Bussieres are a nice group of dark horse forwards though. The defence is well stocked, and Kaapo Kahkonen is a solid long-term project between the pipes. The Wild may no longer be the number one prospect group in the NHL as they were in our 2012 TSP series, but thats okay as those prospects are now up with the big club and helping in the NHL, and there is still some potential in the system.
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