The Minnesota Wild added two forwards in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, selecting Swedish winger Liam Öhgren with the 19th overall pick and Russian wing Danila Yurov with the 24th overall pick.
Öhgren ranked 28th on The Athletic’s final draft board and recorded 58 points (33 G, 25 A) for Djurgardens IF last season. The 18-year-old has a knack for finding the back of the net and Chris Pronman projected him as a top-nine forward that could provide depth for the Wild.
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“Calling Öhgren a goal scorer isn’t a novel observation given his stats this season but he’s shown he can score goals in a variety of ways,” Pronman wrote. “He has great hands and can create offense through his skill. He generates a lot of offense around the high-percentage areas because of his strength and competitiveness.”
“Öhgren also has a shot that can score from range. He’s smart enough with the puck to move it well but is more of a shooter and worker than a playmaker.”
The Wild doubled up on forwards later in the first round by taking Yurov, who ranked 10th on The Athletic’s draft board. He scored 13 goals and 12 assists in 23 games for Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk of the KHL last season and is known for his skills with the puck.
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“Yurov can make plays but I wouldn’t call his playmaking as dynamic as his stickhandling,” Pronman wrote. “He’s not overly physical but Yurov works hard to create turnovers and can kill penalties. He projects as a quality top-six winger.”
Adding both forwards should help the Wild, who traded Kevin Fiala to the Los Angeles Kings earlier this offseason. By adding younger, dynamic talent, the Wild should be able to navigate their salary cap issues and remain a competitive team in the Western Conference.
