Top Wild prospect Danila Yurov has been released from his contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League a few weeks ahead of schedule, the league announced. Minnesota is now eligible to sign the 21-year-old to his entry-level deal, although Michael Russo of The Athletic reports no contract is in place yet.
Still, it’s incredibly likely Yurov is in St. Paul for training camp next fall and, if all goes to plan, will be on the Wild’s opening night roster. The No. 24 overall pick in the 2022 draft went lower than most expected given his skill level, largely due to his contract status with Magnitogorsk.
For Minnesota, he’ll be a player worth waiting for. He was the top forward in their system and second-ranked prospect overall behind defenseman Zeev Buium in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s midseason rankings, and for good reason. A well-rounded 6’1″, 176-lb right-winger, Yurov has posted 41-47–88 in 209 career KHL games over the last five years with Metallurg. That included a team-leading 21-28–49 scoring line in 62 games in 2023-24 before leading Magnitogorsk to a Gagarin Cup.
This season wasn’t as productive for Yurov. Injuries took a bite out of his campaign, and he was limited to 46 of Metallurg’s 68 regular-season games. His point per game rate dropped off when dressed, and he finished the year with 13-12–25 and a +15 rating, the latter of which ranked second on the team. He was limited to one goal in five playoff games as the defending champions were stamped out of the first round of the KHL playoffs by Avangard Omsk.
If all goes to plan, Yurov should be a cost-effective addition to the top nine that allows more cap space for the Wild to devote toward a new deal for pending RFA center Marco Rossi as well as external additions in free agency. If he doesn’t crack the opening night roster, though, don’t expect him to report to Minnesota’s AHL in Iowa.
Any ELC will likely include a clause that allows the Wild to loan Yurov back to Metallurg, who retains his KHL rights, if he doesn’t make the team. It’s probably for the best. Iowa hasn’t served as a good developmental partner for the Wild in the past few years, finishing well under the .500 mark for the second straight season in 2024-25.