Prospect Notes: Carlsson, Clara, Wild
The Ducks drafted center Leo Carlsson with the second-overall pick in the draft last month and he is widely considered to be one of the most NHL-ready prospects of this draft class. However, Carlsson’s agent Matt Keator told Jim Alexander of The Press-Enterprise that there is no rush for him to make a decision on where the youngster will play in 2023-24. Carlsson is under contract for two more years with Orebro of the SHL but as Carlsson is a first-round pick and Sweden has a transfer agreement with the NHL, a contract with Anaheim can supersede that. Carlsson had 25 points in 44 games last season in Sweden’s top division and a decision on where he plays next season will be jointly made between him and the team.
Other prospect news from around the hockey world:
- There were a total of a dozen NHL-drafted players in the recently-completed CHL Import Draft. One name that wasn’t on that list was Ducks goaltender Damian Clara. Lisa Dillman of the Orange County Register notes that several CHL squads expressed an interest in bringing over the 18-year-old Italian but that the netminder remained committed to playing on loan in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan next season with Brynas. He has two years remaining on his deal over there but if things don’t go as planned for him next season, Clara would be eligible for selection in the Import Draft next summer as well.
- Wild prospects Danila Yurov and Liam Ohgren both intend to play in North America in 2024-25, relays Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription link). The pair were first-round picks back in 2022, going 19th and 22nd overall, respectively, and are two of Minnesota’s top prospects. Both are under contracts with their club teams (Metallurg Magnitogorsk for Yurov and Farjestad for Ohgren) next season but the plan is for Yurov to sign once that contract expires while Ohgren, already signed, will have his deal slide once more. The Wild will need an influx of young, cost-controllable talent and these two could push to make the jump to the NHL right away once they sign.
Danila Yurov Signs KHL Extension
Minnesota Wild fans are all too familiar with the struggle of getting Russian players to North America can be. They had to wait years for Kirill Kaprizov to finally make his way to the NHL, despite everyone knowing he was talented enough to excel there. The current political climate affecting relationships between the two leagues could prove even more difficult. You can understand why there was trepidation, then, when they picked Danila Yurov 24th overall last year.
After spending the full 2022-23 season in the KHL, the 19-year-old forward has re-signed with Magnitogorsk. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports it is just a one-year extension, however, which is rather unusual for young players and potentially good news for the Wild. That means Yurov’s deal will expire at the end of 2023-24, and provide him with another opportunity to come to Minnesota, if he feels that’s best for his development.
This season, Yurov averaged just over eight minutes a game during the regular season, and even less in the playoffs. While that’s not totally unusual for a young player just trying to break in, the KHL also has a habit of limiting the exposure for players they expect to leave Russia in the coming years. It is often only when a new contract is signed that they receive a boost in ice time.
Whether this new one-year deal will result in more playing time for Yurov isn’t clear, but the talented forward showed he could still produce even in limited action. He had six goals and 12 points, and Metallurg outscored opponents 20-12 when he was on the ice. While Minnesota focuses on their current team and chasing a Stanley Cup, the front office will keep an eye on Yurov’s development overseas. He could be a significant piece, should they be able to bring him over in the coming years.