Final Part: Who Are The Minnesota Wild's Top 6 Prospects?

Welcome to The Hockey News' Minnesota Wild's top 15 prospects list. The list will be split into three posts where Dylan Loucks and Aaron Heckmann will give their thoughts and analysis on each prospect. The lists were created by a points-based system. Each player is assessed a point from both Aaron and Dylan, which resulted in the final rankings. An example of this is how Dylan had Jack Peart ranked at No. 11 and Aaron had Peart ranked at No. 9. So, in the final ranking, Peart landed at No. 10. This post will be the final post of the three and will cover prospects 1-6.

Click here for part one. 

Click here for part two.

Liam Ohgren put on quite a show in the Allsvenskan Playoffs with the Djurgardens IF. The 19-year-old scored eight goals (tied for second league wide) and 13 points (tied for seventh) in 17 games. Ohgren, who also scored 33 goals and 58 points with Djurgardens IF J20 back in 2021-22 during his draft year, showed exactly why the Wild took him in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Ohgren is a highly talented offensive player who can be equally dangerous scorer or playmaker, and also has the ability to play a 200-foot game. He will have the opportunity to showcase his skill in one of the best leagues in the world next season after scoring 11 goals and 20 points and finishing as a +15 in his first full professional season with Djurgardens IF. Ohgren, who will play with the Farjestad BK, is returning to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) next year, which is a good thing for his development because he will play against better competition. — Aaron Heckmann

The 20-year-old defender was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with the 45th overall pick in the 2020 draft. The Wild acquired his rights in June of 2022 when they traded Kevin Fiala to the Kings for Faber and the Kings' 2023 first-round selection, which they used to draft Ohgren.

Faber is a highly skilled defensive defender who spent three years at the University of Minnesota, where he played the most minutes of any Gopher player in that span. Faber this season had a career year where he notched four goals and 27 points in 38 games for the Gophers. As the captain of the team, Faber led the Gophers to their second straight Frozen Four appearance and a national title game.

The 6-foot-1 defender only played two games during the 2022-23 regular season with the Wild after the Gophers season ended, but Faber appeared in all six playoff games the Wild played against the Dallas Stars this year. Faber likely won't rack up the points as an NHL defender but you can bet for him to play high-level defense that will result in fewer scoring chances allowed. That being said, we saw from game five to game six in the playoffs that Faber looked more comfortable in skating up in the rush to spark the offense. – Dylan Loucks

The 5-foot-9 center might be my favorite prospect the Wild currently have. Khusnutdinov was passed over in the draft by many teams due to him being a smaller center. But so far in the KHL, Khusnutdinov is proving his smaller frame is no issue after he posted a career year with 11 goals and 41 points in 63 games.

According to hockey prospecting’s comparison tool, the 2020 37th overall pick has post-draft comps of Kirill Kaprizov, Martin Havlat, and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Those three players probably don’t need much of an intro but Kuznetsov has been a two-time all-star in the NHL with seven 50 or more point seasons as a center. He’s also scored 19 or more goals in six of his ten seasons in the NHL.

Khusnutdinov will play other season in the KHL next year but with his contract expiring in April of 2024, Khusnutdinov will be 21 years old when he is eligible to come to play either in the AHL with Iowa or the NHL with the Wild. As of right now, Khusnutdinov is showing he could be ready to play in the NHL when his KHL contract is up. But this upcoming season could be a good measuring stick for the Wild on what to do with their prized centerman. – Dylan Loucks

I’m gonna go back to another hockey prospecting comparable because it makes sense when you watch Yurov but the 2022 24th overall had draft comparables of Taylor Hall, Marian Gaborik, Alex Debrincat, Matthew Tkachuk, and even Mike Bossy. Yes, Mike Bossy. Not saying he will turn into one of those five players but he for sure has the talent that they did.

Meghan Chayka said on the ESPN broadcast when the Wild took Yurov that she had Yurov as the most talented player of the draft. The 6-foot-1 forward has one more year in the KHL before he is eligible to come over to the States. This means the Wild will have the chance to bring Khusnutdinov, Yurov, and Ohgren all over at the same time. What a perfect way to develop what could be a future top-six line in the NHL. – Dylan Loucks

There’s no question that Marco Rossi’s stock is down from when the Wild drafted him at No. 9 in the 2020 NHL Draft. Rossi hasn’t scored and only has one point to his name through his first 21 NHL games. Which is underwhelming because of the high expectations attached to him and the Wild’s need for help down the middle. Rossi made the team out of camp last fall, but the Wild sent him down after he registered just a single point in his first 16 games last season, and he also didn’t reach the scoresheet later in a three-game stint in April.

Even though his value might have dropped, we still think he’s the Wild’s second-best prospect with the same potential and trajectory. Rossi has all the tools to be a top-six center between his detail-oriented two-way approach and playmaking ability. He makes an impact in all three zones and although he’s known more for making a slick pass, he has shown that he can still score, too, which opens up other options.

Plus, it takes longer for some prospects than others to adjust at the NHL level. And there are a few things to consider, too. He played limited minutes in a bottom-six role and never got an extended look in an elevated role. Secondly, he went on a tear in Iowa and showcased his skill after getting sent down. The 21-year-old finished second in scoring in Des Moines, scoring 16 goals and 51 points in 53 games. The talent is there, it’s just about patience now. – Aaron Heckmann

Jesper Wallstedt, who is heralded as one of the top goalie prospects, finished his first season in AHL Iowa with a 2.68 goals against average and .908 save percentage. That’s comparable to another top goalie prospect in Nashville’s Yaroslav Askarov, who finished his first season in the AHL with a 2.69 GAA and .911 save percentage. And it took Wallstedt just four games in the AHL to make headlines when he scored a goal. He also posted a .947 save percentage for Team Sweden in three games at Worlds in May.

Wallstedt, who could potentially jump to the NHL for the 2024-25 season, is the Wild’s top prospect and is projected to be the goalie of the future for good reason. The 20-year-old has all the tools to be the organization’s future bonafide No. 1 starter. How he adjusted to the AHL this past season from the SHL is impressive, and he looked like everything that had been advertised when the Wild drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

What makes Wallstedt such a high-profile prospect goes back to the control and calm demeanor he has between the pipes. His game isn’t built on flashy saves, rather his status as a top prospect is due to how polished he is. He doesn’t need to make the get-out-your-seat saves because of his positioning and how well he tracks shots. That and his rebound control leads to him routinely making the first save. He has the type of control in goal that is rare for his age. — Aaron Heckmann

There's no doubt the Minnesota Wild have one of the best, if not, the best prospect pool in the NHL today. With the Wild still in salary cap constraints, these prospects will look to be big pieces of the Wild's success going forward. 

It is safe to say the future is very bright in Minnesota. 

General Stats via Eliteprospects, analytics on World Juniors via Dylan Loucks, and Photos via USA Today.