Over the next three weeks, the Wild will go from having 60-plus players at training camp to 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders in their opening-night lineup for their 25th NHL season.
Along the way, some will merit more attention than others because they’re new to the Wild, battling for a job or the face of the franchise.
Being back in Minnesota and around his teammates could accelerate the process, or this may just be the beginning of a long stalemate; if that’s the case and the uncertainty spills over into the regular season, the scrutiny is bound to hound Kaprizov and the Wild and distract from what they’re trying to accomplish on the ice.
For Kaprizov, that’s rebounding from a season cut short by injury and surgery and possibly posting the first 50-goal season in franchise history; the winger was on pace for 55 a year ago before first getting hurt. He’s hit 40 goals three times, including a career-high 47 in 2021-22.
A two-time Stanley Cup champion who used to be a rival of the Wild during his 10-year stint with St. Louis, Tarasenko was the team’s most notable offseason acquisition, coming over in a trade with Detroit.
He struggled to score with the Red Wings but had 23 goals two seasons ago and another 18 the season before that. Look for him to start at right wing. The plan is for him to experiment with different linemates at camp, which includes six preseason games beginning Sunday at Winnipeg.
In August, Wild coach John Hynes visited with Tarasenko, 33, and his family in Florida to establish a rapport before camp and get an understanding of what Tarasenko feels he needs to be at his best.
After the Wild drafted him 24th overall in 2022, Yurov returned to Russia and had an impressive run in the KHL: He became a 20-goal scorer and won a league championship. His next challenge is adjusting to the faster style in the NHL, and the Wild want to set him up for success by surrounding him with established players and maintaining clear communication.
Although Yurov, 21, will get a look at center, it’s not a given he sticks there, and he’ll have to show he’s ready to crack the roster and potentially make his NHL debut in the season opener Oct. 9 at St. Louis.
Since the Wild have nine returnees up front plus the additions of Tarasenko and defensive center Nico Sturm, who is back with the Wild after breaking into the NHL with them in 2019, their forward group is almost at max capacity.
What should help Ohgren’s bid to snag one of those spots is the fact he’s been in this position before: Last year, Ohgren made the team out of camp and rattled off a chunk of games before getting sent to the minors, where he netted 19 goals.
Each time he was called back up to the Wild, the winger looked more comfortable, and that confidence seems key for Ohgren to showcase the speed and skill that made him a first-round pick in 2022.
At 38, he’s played more than 1,200 NHL games after being a third overall draft pick. He captured a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022 (with Sturm) and earned silver with Team USA at the 2010 Olympics.
If he fits in on the blue line, Johnson’s experience could be appealing alongside youngsters Zeev Buium and David Jiricek and in the absence of veteran Jonas Brodin, who is still recovering from offseason surgery on an upper-body issue and isn’t expected to be an active participant at the beginning of camp.