But from that two-game primer ahead of training camp to the Wild’s last preseason game Friday night in Chicago, Yurov has fit in more and more — so much so that it isn’t hard to envision him securing a spot in the opening-night lineup the Wild will ice next Thursday at St. Louis.
He skated in every preseason game because the team knew he’d need the reps to learn the Wild’s style during his transition from the KHL where he played the past five seasons; Yurov signed a three-year, entry-level contract in May to finally join the Wild after getting drafted in the first round in 2022.
“A lot of battles for puck. A lot of board battles,” he said with Tarasenko interpreting. “Guys are strong on puck, and I have to improve every day and keep up.”
“Now he understands how we want to play and what the games are like,” Hynes said. “But the competitiveness to win puck battles in the corners and in both ends of the rink, that’s another level for him.
“We’ve seen some things offensively. But if there’s a little bit more intensity in puck recoveries and forecheck situations where you can get in the offense longer, we might see some more offense come out.”
Not only was Yurov a 20-goal scorer two seasons ago when he won a KHL championship, but he broke Tarasenko’s record for most points in a KHL season for a player under the age of 21.
“The worst thing we can do is force-feed a kid in the league, because this league is unforgiving,” Guerin said. “Young players can lose confidence in an instant, and it can take months to get it back — or they might not ever. So, you have to be really careful, and as much as we want them to be ready and impactful, if they’re not, we have to make sure we’re doing the right thing for them.”