Minnesota Wild Prospect Handbook Issue 2.0 “We absolutely loved making the first issue and we hoped you enjoyed reading it as well. There isn’t much else to say but enjoy and share it with others!” Hockey Wilderness & First Round Bust STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF DANIEL CHAN SENIOR WRITERS DAN SHRADER NATHAN WELLS CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS HEATHER GALINDO JUSTIN GOLDMAN CONTENTS 8 INTERNATIONAL WILD HOPEFULS A look at who could potentially represent the Wild in the WJCs 9 HOUSTON AEROS UPDATE A mid-season update on the Wild’s developmental team 10 WHO IS TYLER GRAOVAC? In-depth look at the Wild’s 7th round pick 16 HANDBOOK SCOUTING REPORTS Matt Dumba, Johan Larsson, Charlie Coyle 20 INSIDE THE GOALIE GUILD A peek at the Wild goalie prospects Photo by Chris Jerina WWW.FIRSTROUNDBUST.COM HOCKEYHOCKEY WILDERNESSWILDERNESS WWW.WWW.HOCKEYWILDERNESS.COMHOCKEYWILDERNESS.COM WJC PREVIEW International Wild Hopefuls The WJC is a time for prospects to shine with the best of the best BY DANIEL CHAN he Wild continue adding talent CHRISTOPH BERTSCHY, to their prospect pool, many of C, 5-10,170, BERN T them having experience as key (SWITZERLAND) players for their respective coun- Bertschy is clearly too tries. good offensively for Mikael Granlund was a star in the Swiss junior Finland, Jonas Brodin was com- leagues, scoring 22 pared to Kenny Jonsson and Niklas points in 13 games Lidstrom by Detroit Red Wing last season and 3 defenseman Niklas Kronwall, Johan points in 2 games Larsson was captain of the Swe- this season. dish U20 team in 2011, and Jason However, in the Zucker has a combination of three top league in Swit- gold medals and one bronze collec- zerland, Bertschy ted from his appearances with the is struggling a U18 and U20 USA team. bit. Slated as an That is quite a collection of pros- offensive player, pects to have. he has only put up two goals and But all great things have to come one assist in 24 games. Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images to an end, and now that every one Perhaps it is because he is only a of them have graduated into the rookie and is playing behind John pros and are no longer eligible to Tavares, Joel Vermin and other play in the World Juniors, who is more veteran and developed players. USA HOPEFUL ready to step up and shine at the in- However, it should not matter too Lucia has only played nine ternational level? much because Bertschy was tied games but has made a good MARIO LUCIA, D, 6-3,193, NOTRE nd for 2 in Swiss scoring in the enough impression to be a DAME (CCHA) 2011 World Juniors and during this The lanky offensive forward is year’s World Junior Challenge. He possible USA player coming off an extremely successful will be relied on to create offense for season in the BCHL after scoring the always underrated Swiss team. 94 points in just 56 games, 3rd high- JUST MISSING THE CUT in a similar situation as the offen- est in the entire league. Unfortunate- Defenseman Matthew Dumba and sive centerman would have had ly, Lucia suffered a leg injury that centerman Tyler Graovac were both a tough time beating out Edmonton put him out for three months. He invited to try out for the Canadian Oilers star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recently made his debut with Notre WJC team but ultimately didn’t and the projected 2013 first overall Dame, and was named the CCHA make the final cut. Matt Dumba was draft pick in Nathan Mackinnon for Gongshow Rookie of the Week the Wild’s most recent first round a top two center role. on December 3rd 2012. His chances pick and he brings a very unique While skilled offensively, Grao- of being named onto the USA roster blend of physicality and skill but his vac just may not have had the skill- is still up in the air considering the high risk style of play probably set to be a regular bottom six talent level present and that Lucia would not have served well on the presence on the Canadian team. was injured for three months, but bottom pairing. They will return to their respective his quick start is a promising sign. Tyler Graovac also found himself junior teams. ▬ 8 ӏ December 17, 2012 WPH HOUSTON AEROS SOMETHING MISSING Injuries have forced some consistency but without the help of many Wild’s top prospects just enough to put the Aeros on the losing side of the equation, often having to try and dig out of an early hole after lackluster starts. While still scoring points, the Aeros were rarely able to bridge the gap left by poor defensive play. It wasn’t pretty, but it was necessary. The injuries forced some line-up changes and call-ups from the ECHL and CHL, which allowed Head Coach John Torchetti to rotate through some healthy scratches. Suddenly the Aeros Photo by Chris Jerina were fairly consistent, allowing only one or twob goals rather than four or five. Houston Aeros Add to that, Justin Fontaine and Jason Zucker both continue to be red hot on the score sheet, as well as the Update return from injury of Jarod Palmer A mid-season update on the Wild’s and Kris Fredheim. Both Palmer and Fredheim are underrated contri- developmental team butors, with Fredheim generally more BY HEATHER GALINDO consistent on the blue line than his more highly touted peers and Palmer o appreciate the AHL rather than everyone expected. The problem bringing a heart-and-soul mentality being driven crazy by it, one was, for every 5 goals they scored, to the ice. T must embrace the fact that the they were letting in almost as In net, Matt Hackett has gotten the journey from point A to point B is many, sometimes more. overwhelming majority of the starts never ever direct or logical or pretty The Aeros were winning, which and has taken the brunt of the stat- in a developmental environment. looked good on paper, but didn’t istical blow from the high goals Even if you have, for instance, a force the team to learn anything on against numbers despite playing well. roster stacked with first round draft the defensive end. There was concern picks who were superstars for other Porous backend? that this roster might teams last season, the nature of the Well, thank good- be too small to stand development process is that it’s cir- ness we scored a up to the abuse of the cuitous. bunch. 14 WINS pro game, and given Naturally, the Aeros have not Then came the 14-8-1-3 Record the early rash of in- been immune to this. But unlike a fateful weekend juries, perhaps that less gifted team (most any non- where top pros- concern is valid. But lockout AHL team, really) whose pects Mikael Granlund and Jonas the Aeros power play, especially on progress tends to spike up and down Brodin were both injured in the road, has been so prolific, the man erratically as they find their identity, Oklahoma City. Not only did the advantage is perhaps their best the Aeros have navigated the path team have to shake up its offensive deterrent. towards improvement with a confi- strategy without Granlund’s excep- With more than half a season re- dent stride. tional playmaking and vision while maining, more challenges will come They started out the season with a getting defensively weaker without along that send the Aeros back into bang, scoring loads of goals and, at Brodin, but due to other injuries, uncharted territory, but if they’ve least on the offensive end of the ice, they were playing every able body. proven anything, it’s that they have looking every bit the hyped up team From that point, the tide shifted the resources to find their way back. ▬ WPH December 17, 2012 ӏ 9 WWHHOO IISS TTYYLLEERR GGRRAAOOVVAACC?? Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images GRAOVAC’S IT WAS JUST SO FACTS AND STAT S As of December 17th 2012 MUCH FUN GP G A PTS PIM 26 18 12 30 6 THIS IS THE LIFE I WANT TO ACHIEVEMENTS LIVE … I JUST LOVE IT ● Drafted by Minnesota Wild, 7th round 191th overall in the 2011 NHL - TYLER GRAOVAC Entry Draft ● Represented OHL in the 2011 and 2012 Subway BY DANIEL CHAN Series or any other 18-year old, it was was a decision that has had Graovac ● Won the Ottawa 67’s prom weekend, and it was a time hopeful for the future. Academic Award in 2010 F for celebration. A time to celebrate Unfortunately, the seventh round tag the next stage of one’s life and the next also comes with a slew of skeptical fan ● Invited to the 2013 step to one’s true calling. comments, which is a quite common Canadian WJC Selection Some had more reason to celebrate reaction to late round picks. It is an un- Camp than others. derstandable reaction to a player that For Tyler Graovac, it was a time for very few know about. friends and watching the Minnesota Wild However, is it fair? Probably not. But call his name in the seventh round of the this matters little to Graovac. For a bigger center, he moves very well and has a 2011 NHL Entry Draft. “I just love it, this is life I want to live, solid extra gear. He's also a I just love it.” “The build up of watching the fourth guy who won't hurt you round, fifth round, sixth round go by, His first post-draft season didn’t in- being on the ice because he's and see the seventh round pop up was spire much enthusiasm throughout the a smart player and plays in just … the amount of thought that went Wild fan community.