2026-27 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Minnesota Wild’s Top 10

Jul 24, 2026, 10:30 EDTUpdated: Jul 23, 2026, 10:49 EDT

2026-27 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Minnesota Wild’s Top 10

Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses, and so much more.

Here are the criteria for being labeled a prospect: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included. Goaltenders are a bit more subjective, but they must be 25 or under and have played fewer than 20 games in the past season or fewer than 30 games over their career.

Today, we’re breaking down the Minnesota Wild.

The whole point of building a competitive prospect pool is to convert them into competitive NHL players. And the Wild may have done that better than any team in the league last year.

The team’s top five prospects from a year ago have all gone on to shed the prospect label. Jesper Wallstedt could end up becoming the team’s goalie of the future after bouncing back in a huge way last season. Danila Yurov is expected to start the season as Minnesota’s No. 1 center in 2026-27, too (whether that’s a good thing is up to you). Zeev Buium and Liam Öhgren were used to acquire Quinn Hughes from Vancouver early in the season, while David Jiříček was sent off to Philly. So while the five players had varying levels of success last year, all made an impact in one way or another.

But understandably, that means Minnesota’s pipeline is much closer to the bottom than the top. And that’s okay. You’ll notice that all three of the team’s draft picks from this season made this list. I think all three can become NHL players. This is not a deep pipeline by any means, and the high end is definitely leaving a lot to be desired. But you can’t really blame the scouting department for that given the success they’ve had the past few seasons.

Biggest Strengths

The Wild actually have some decent depth forwards with some offensive pedigree to their credit. The most skilled might be Adam Benák, who, despite being undersized, is quite competitive and has been so productive at every level. Charlie Stramel is an absolute physical monster who should give opponents fits in a bottom-line role one day. Adam Andersson is a perfect fourth-line center, and Riley Heidt and Ryder Ritchie are both former WHL stars who might pan out more in hard-working bottom-six roles at some point. Sure, the Wild don’t have any high-end forwards, but you still need capable talent deeper down, too.

Biggest Weakness

I’d be truly shocked if any of the forwards turn into top six players or any of the defenders outgrow bottom-pairing roles. Obviously, players can get promoted up the lineup when injuries arise. But it feels like most of the players they have here are going to be support options at best. And again, that’s to be expected when you’ve converted so many prospects into full-time NHLers just a year prior. I just don’t think there’s a ton of trade value left in the system here.

Fast Facts:

NHL GM: Bill Guerin
Dir. Amateur Scouting: N/A
Dir. of Player Development: Brad Bombardir
AHL Affiliate: Iowa Wild
ECHL Affiliate: Jacksonville Icemen
Recent NHL Graduates: Zeev Buium, LHD; Danila Yurov, C; Jesper Wallstedt, G; Liam Öhgren, LW; David Jiříček, RHD

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Charlie Stramel (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

1. Charlie Stramel, C, 21 (Iowa Wild, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 21st overall, first round in 2023

Many Wild fans were concerned about the Stramel selection at No. 21 in 2023, and I get it – I was too. For someone who physically dominated his age group for a few years, he struggled to keep up in the NCAA and was ultimately pushed down Wisconsin’s depth chart. The move to Michigan State in 2024 was huge for his development, and he capped off his college career with an impressive 19 goals and 44 points in 37 games – just three points shy of his combined production from the three years prior. Stramel is a huge 6-foot-3, 216-pound forward who takes space away quickly and effectively. He’s quite athletic, too, allowing him to continuously get in the way, no matter the stage of the game. With the puck, there’s a lot to be desired for someone his age, though. I still think he has done enough to convince scouts he’ll be an NHLer, but it’ll most likely be in a fourth-line role.

2. David Spacek, RHD, 23 (Iowa Wild, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 153rd overall, fifth round in 2022

This feels like a true make-or-break-it season for Špaček. Set for his fourth year of North American pro hockey, Špaček is coming off his best season to date with 36 points in the AHL to go along with his first NHL game action. Špaček also made his Olympic debut, primarily playing a depth role with Czechia. At six-foot, Špaček lacks ideal size for a defenseman, but he hits hard and plays harder. I think he could end up becoming a decent third-pairing option at best, but it feels like he’s destined to play double-digit NHL games this coming season. If not, I wonder if Špaček becomes trade bait thanks to his hockey sense and solid skating.

3. Adam Benák, C, 19 (Western Michigan University, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 102nd overall, fourth round in 2025

*Adam Benak (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

Benák is a personal favorite of mine because of just how good he is at distributing the puck. Given he’s 5-foot-8, the size concerns are founded, for sure. He can struggle physically, even if he has improved his raw strength the past few years. But I feel like his hockey sense will be enough to take him to the next level, and he’s as good of a playmaker as you’ll find in his age group. Benák had 49 assists and 77 points in his one-and-done year with the Brantford Bulldogs and is set to take his talents to the college ranks, where he’ll have plenty of opportunity to bulk up. I kind of wish he’d stay in the OHL for one more year just to build in a bit more consistency, though. If you count his time with HC Plzeň’s junior programs, WMU will be Benák’s sixth club team in four years, and that doesn’t include the multitude of international games at various levels in that span.

4. Adam Andersson, C, 18 (Leksands IF, Sweden U-20)

Acquired: Drafted third round, 83rd overall in 2026

Andersson really grew on me during the U-18s. Between killing penalties and some overall solid two-way play, Andersson looked on his game at that event. He’s a tough dude who plays a refined two-way game with his big 6-foot-4 frame. Scouts like him – some see him as a potential second-rounder thanks to his no-nonsense, yet high-reliability playstyle. His numbers with the Swedish U-18 team were excellent last year, too. While this might be higher than others would put AA, I like him here simply because he’s extremely projectable in a bottom-line role. Anything more than that is free money.

5. Riley Heidt, C/LW, 21 (Iowa Wild, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 64th overall, second round in 2023

For a highly productive forward throughout his junior career, it was difficult watching Heidt finish with just eight goals and 25 points this past year in the AHL. Iowa wasn’t a good team by any means, but it felt like he just lacked the confidence with the puck that we were used to seeing from him. I’d say the concerns about his off-puck involvement and defensive zone coverage from his junior days remain issues. There’s still some quality upside: Heidt isn’t afraid to physically challenge much stronger opponents, and he’s a wizard with the puck. Heidt is a decent skater, even if he won’t blow past you with breakneck speed. I think there’s tons of skill here, but the execution at the pro level still needs some work.

6. Ryder Ritchie, RW, 19 (Boston University, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 45th overall, second round in 2024

*Ryder Ritchie (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

The first time I saw Ritchie, he was 5-foot-10 and scrawny. Now, at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, it feels like he has started to really figure out how to use his frame to his advantage. His freshman offensive output was nothing to get excited about, but it felt like Ritchie really started to come into his own down the stretch on a bad Boston University squad. He’s a smart player who does an excellent job of getting himself into scoring lanes while also playing a detail-oriented game away from the puck. I think there are definitely some consistency concerns he needs to get around, but the former WHL star is a hard worker who could find a role for himself in a bottom-six situation.

7. Hunter Haight, C/RW, 22 (Iowa Wild, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 47th overall, second round in 2022

Haight missed some AHL time while up with the big club, which prevented him from reaching the 40-point threshold with Iowa. He’s a creative player who is always looking to exploit open space, even if he’s not a high-end skater yet. As a 5-foot-11 center, the odds are definitely against him, and it feels like he doesn’t have the offensive acumen to make a case for full-time NHL duty. Fortunately, he’s a hard worker, and one I definitely feel plays a strong enough 200-foot game to get a more extended look in the NHL this coming season. If anything, I could see him emerging as a fourth-line energy guy.

8. Kayden Lemire, RW, 18 (Prince George Cougars, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted fourth round, 112th overall in 2026

Lemire is a big, 6-foot-4 forward whom scouts like for his hard work. His numbers this year were nothing to get excited about, but he routinely won most of his battles and consistently outworked opponents at both ends of the ice. When he doesn’t have the puck, he makes it his mission to prevent you from getting it under any means necessary. I’m not sure if he’ll ever develop NHL-level offense, but I think he’s still solid enough as a checking-line guy. Lemire is definitely more of a long-term project, but if he can improve his speed, he’ll be tough to ignore.

9. Filip Růžička, G, 18 (Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted fifth round, 137th overall in 2026

Růžička was one of the first 2026 NHL Draft picks to sign an ELC this year. It’s hard not to see the allure of a 6-foot-8 goaltender, especially someone who proved he could absolutely steal some games. He’s extremely competitive and does a good job of keeping himself square to shooters. You won’t find many shots trickling in slowly past the Czech keeper – he seals holes as well as anyone. But the one thing that concerns me is that he can be a bit too slow, both in his skating and in his general movement. Those are pretty typical issues for bigger goalies, though. Fortunately, the Wild’s coaching staff can probably figure that out. The raw potential is definitely here – but I always wonder if there’s such a thing as being too big (there isn’t a single 6-foot-8 goalie in the NHL). I hope not, though; Růžička is a beast.

10. Aron Kiviharju, LHD, 20 (HIFK, Liiga)

Acquired: Drafted 122nd overall, fourth round in 2024

*Aron Kiviharju (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

Kiviharju has been in the hockey consciousness for about eight years now, so it’s crazy to think his junior career is finally over and done with. The 20-year-old blueliner was once viewed as one of the top young defenders in the sport, but injuries – and a lack of physical growth – really brought him down during his 2024 NHL Draft year. Kiviharju has had a pair of solid pro seasons with HIFK, and I thought he was solid at the World Juniors for Finland. Few defensemen can break out like Kiviharju can – it’s like watching a less refined Hutson brother. We’ll see if there’s enough here for Kiviharju to crack the NHL, but I’m a heavy believer in his game still and hope he makes it over to North America once his Finnish league contract concludes next spring.

Other Prospects: Rieger Lorenz, LW (22), Rasmus Kumpulainen, C (20), Caedan Bankier, C (23), Lirim Amidovski, RW (19), Carter Klippenstein, C (19), James Clark, LW (21), Nate Benoit, LHD (23), Aaron Pionk, LHD (23), Sebastian Soini, RHD (20), Justin Kipkie, LHD (20), Theodor Hallquisth, RHD (19), Stevie Leskovar, LHD (21), Jack Peart, LHD (23), Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, LHD (LHD), Chase Wutzke, G (19), Riley Mercer, G (22)

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