The Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase continues tonight in St. Louis with the Wild their first game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks played the Blues's prospect team last night and will now play the Wild.
Minnesota will bring 15 forwards, eight defenseman, and four goalies for the two games. The roster includes some top prospects with some invitees.
Forwards: Luke Toporowski (41), Hunter Haight (43), Matthew Sop (53), Ryder Ritchie (54), Gavin Hain (56), Mason Zebeski (57), Riley Heidt (58), Mikey Milne (60), Kody Dupuis (74), Felix Lacerte (75), Caeden Bankier (76), Brad Marek (78), Jack O'Brien (79), Pavel Novak (80), and Luke Loheit (86).
Defensemen: Jack Peart (49), Bogdans Hodass (65), Jordan Tourigny (67), Carson Lambos (71), Kyle Masters (73), Stevie Leskovar (81), David Spacek (82), and Kalem Parker (84).
Goalies: Kyle McClellan (33), Samuel Hlavaj (35), Riley Mercer (50), and Chase Wutzke (95).
Here are some players to watch for.
Riley Heidt, F
Heidt is a veteran when it comes to this. Last year he made a great impression in rookie camp, rookie showcase, training camp, and the preseason. Heidt went back to the WHL and tore it up.
The 19-year-old forward recorded 37 goals, 80 assists, and 117 points in 66 games. He was drafted in the second-round by the Wild in 2023 and looks to be a player that could make the team out of camp this year.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” Heidt said on if he thinks he's ready to be in the NHL. “I fully believe that. I’m just trying to get better at one thing every day. It’s what I’ve done my whole life. It got me to this point. I fully believe in my capability that I can do it.”
With Marat Khusnutdinov and Liam Ohgren playing some NHL games last year, it will be a bit harder for Heidt to impress enough to make the NHL roster but if he plays well enough he could force both Khusnutdinov and Ohgren out of a spot or even Marcus Johansson and Freddy Gaudreau.
It's a long shot that both Gaudreau and Johansson get pushed out of a spot but if it happens it would likely be because of Heidt.
Hunter Haight, F
Another intriguing forward prospect to watch is Haight. The 20-year-old forward just wrapped up his Junior Hockey Career in the OHL with 68 goals, 100 assists, and 168 points in 193 career games.
The Wild's second-round pick from 2022 will turn pro this year after four seasons in the OHL. He is set to start the season in the AHL with the Iowa Wild but will get a good chance to stick around long enough during training camp.
Matthew Sop, F
Sop signed an AHL contract with the Iowa Wild after his impressive season with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. He had 43 goals, 47 assists, and 90 points last year in 67 games. Sop also recorded six points in ten playoff games with the Rangers.
He also took home the Leo Lalonde Trophy as the OHL's top overage player.
The undrafted forward finished his OHL career with 169 points in 203 games and 14 points in 30 playoff games. He attended the Toronto Maple Leafs camp last year before he returned to Kitchener.
At 21-years-old, Sop is one of the older Wild prospects competing in the showcase. He should be a player fans should keep an eye on at the Showcase but also in the AHL this upcoming season.
Others to watch
Toporowski had a good second half to his AHL season last year with the Wild following the trade. Lambos, a former first-round pick, should be watched closely. Bankier has also climbed the Wild's prospect pool rankings recently and is turning into a solid player.
