ST. PAUL — Minnesota Wild newcomer Declan Chisholm didn’t waste any time.
Chisholm, who the Wild claimed off waivers from Winnipeg on Jan. 29, hadn’t played a game since Dec. 4 and only played eight games (six in the AHL) so far this season before he made his Wild debut at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday. The 24-year-old left-shot defender had an excuse if he didn’t have his best night.
Not only did Chisholm not show any signs of rust, but he made a strong first impression and showed a glimpse of his potential in the Wild’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
“Bunch of adrenaline getting in there,” Chisholm said. “I was just super hyped to get back in the lineup and play.
“I like to play fast paced hockey and jump up in the rush, so I thought I was doing that right away. I wish sometimes in the game I was hanging onto the puck a little longer to make maybe a better play instead of just going with the simple play all the time. But that was what I wanted to do right off the bat, and I just didn't want to make too many mistakes.”
The promising young defenseman scored his first NHL goal — which gave the Wild a 2-1 lead in the third period before the Sabres tied the game with 37 seconds left — when his shot from the point through traffic beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen glove side on the power play.
“After I scored that goal, I just wanted the game to end right there so we did get the win,” Chisholm said. “Weird wave of emotions coming in. Obviously super happy to score that goal. It's probably the best feeling I’ve ever had playing hockey. But (it) sucks to lose, and you really want to win that game.”
It’s impressive that Chisholm, who played alongside Jon Merrill on the third pair, had the ability to jump into the lineup and not look out of place at all after playing so little this season.
Chisholm’s skating and puck-moving ability was noticeable, and he looks like he could handle quarterbacking the second power play unit.
“He played a really good game,” coach John Hynes said of Chisholm. “You could see his skating was evident (and) his puck play. He looked good on the power play, but that’s one component. Five-on-five, I thought he moved the puck well, and he had good gaps.
“He's a good skater, so he's confident in his skating so I think his gaps are good on rush defense and things like that. I thought he played hard in the hard areas where you have to defend — so it was a good first game for him.”
Chisholm, a pending restricted free agent, was the Jets’ seventh defenseman and only played two games with them this season because of their lack of blue line injuries. He’s coming off a strong 2022-23 campaign, where he recorded five goals and 43 points in 59 games (and four assists in five playoff games) with the Manitoba Moose, which ranked tied for 14th among AHL defensemen.
“It’s a good opportunity for him,” Hynes told the media at a practice after the Wild claimed him off waivers, “and it’s a great opportunity for us to take a look at a good young left-shot D that seems to have a lot of potential.”
Potential, indeed. Chisholm’s strong play Saturday likely earned him a spot in the lineup in Monday’s game against the visiting Vancouver Canucks.
“I just want to do as much as I can to help the team win,” Chisholm said, “and then also just grow my game. I think if I can string together a few games here, hopefully get some more confidence and make some nicer plays, I'm excited for the future — and I hope they are too.”