Prospect Notes: Heidt, Dumais, Dach, Frondell
Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin didn’t rule out the chances of top prospect Riley Heidt making the opening night roster in an interview with The Athletic’s Joe Smith. Guerin said, “We have guys that still don’t need waivers… If Riley plays so well that he pushes himself on the team, then great. That’s what it’s about. It’s about competition.” Smith went on to acknowledge the hefty jump Heidt would need to leapfrog other prospects like Liam Ohgren and Marat Khusnutdinov – with Guerin acknowledging the former as someone Minnesota expects to make the NHL roster.
Heidt is coming off a dazzling season with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, ranking third in league scoring with 117 points in 66 games. He also ranked eighth with 711 faceoff wins, winning at an effective 51.8 percent. Heidt set career highs across the board but still seems a step behind the NHL lineup. He’d otherwise be bound for a fourth WHL season, though Minnesota could award him up to nine regular-season games to help inform their decision.
Other notes from across the prospect world:
- Top Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais won’t be taking part in this weekend’s NHL Prospects Challenge, per The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, who shares the winger has been designated with a lower-body injury. Dumais isn’t expected to participate in the start of training camp, either. It isn’t clear if this is related to the lower abdominal surgery Dumais underwent in January, which held him out of the entire second half of the season. He’s been as productive as they come in the QMJHL, recording 325 points across 193 games and four seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads. He’ll get a chance to translate that scoring to the pro level this season – that is, when he’s healed from that’s delaying his pre-season start.
- Chicago Blackhawks prospect Colton Dach shared that he has his sights set on earning an NHL roster spot, telling The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus that he feels he could’ve earned one by now had he not been injured. Dach notably missed extended time with a concussion this season, after a sucker punch from Milwaukee’s Zachary L’Heureux. Small absences cut into Dach’s first pro season, though he still impressed with 27 points in 48 AHL games. Dach has now been heavily limited by injuries in the last two seasons, making a spot on the Opening Day roster a longshot – though Dach could earn his way into an NHL call-up later this year if he continues to stand strong in the minors.
- Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Anton Frondell is set to undergo knee surgery, shares Djugardens IF insider Robin Fredriksson. No timeline for a return has been revealed. It’s Frondell’s second major lower-body injury in as many years, after a separate injury limited his 2023-24 campaign to just 42 league games. Frondell impressed when he did play, notably scoring 39 points in 29 U20 games, and adding seven points in seven games at the World U17 Hockey Challenge. His name has appeared near the very top of early 2025 Draft rankings, though another significant injury could make him an early faller.
Wild Sign Riley Heidt To Entry-Level Contract
The Minnesota Wild have signed 2023 second-round draft pick Riley Heidt to a three-year, entry-level contract (Twitter link). Heidt is coming off a dazzling season with the WHL’s Price George Cougars – scoring the second-most points in Cougars history (114 points), behind linemate Zac Funk who broke the record (121 points) this year. Heidt also earned Prince George’s all-time leading scorer title this season, with 277 points across four years and 220 games with the team.
Heidt is a poised and commanding playmaking-centerman who shows a strong understanding of how to play in the three lanes of the ice. His effectiveness comes from his ability to blend with his wingers – forming a great duo with Koehn Ziemmer across the last two seasons and Funk and Terik Parascak this year. While not the flashiest player in his own right, Heidt’s poise and constant scanning bring out the best in his linemates.
The Minnesota Wild will hope he can maintain the newfound tempo he added this season – something that could blend well with the slick-moving Adam Beckman or heavy-shooting top prospect Liam Ohgren – with Heidt potentially joining both players in the AHL next season. But even with the excitement of his first pro deal still fresh, Heidt will first have to focus on Prince George’s looming playoff run after the team’s first 100-point season ever.