2010 Wild Development Camp; the search for skill continues

http://www.stateofhockeynews.com/2010-articles/july/2010-wild-development-camp.html

2010 Wild Development Camp; the search for skill continues

Written by Derek Felska
Sunday, 11 July 2010 19:20

First impressions they say are the most crucial for anyone starting a new job or attending a job interview. In these not so great economic times, millions of Americans are spending lots and lots of time worrying about how their first impressions are going to go. Fear of saying the wrong thing, the fear of selling yourself but not sounding too cliche, or the fear of talking to complete strangers while they may bombard you with a bunch of uncomfortable questions. Questions like, "describe your biggest weakness" or "describe a conflict you've had at your past workplace." Real fun stuff eh? Unless you were a highly touted player who was considered a strong possibility to be selected in the first round, most players rarely meet team execs, team coaches and player development personnel until they first report for player development camp. In the case of the Minnesota Wild, its prospects as well as a few hopeful invitees report for their 'first impression' tomorrow at the Xcel Energy Center and will remain there as they are put through their paces, even having an opportunity to show what they can do in scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday. It isn't quite the NHL per se, but the prospects know that NHL eyes are squarely upon them so it is in their best interest to have a strong showing. This is especially true for the 9 invitees, another possible example of how the Wild is a very real and perhaps even desperate search for skill to fill out its prospect ranks. Last season, the Wild offered prospect camp invitees in Fridley, Minnesota-native Jarod Palmer, Brandon Buck and Bjorn Krupp pro contracts. Does it mean that either of these two players will be skating for the Wild someday, not necessarily but for undrafted players it is a way to showcase their skills. Undrafted free agents can play key roles in the NHL, as evidenced by the recently traded Kris Versteeg and the Blackhawks Antti Niemi who took a chance on a former Zamboni driver who ended up helping them win their first Stanley Cup in 49 years.

Some prospects like University of Minnesota: Duluth star Justin Fontaine and Bemidji State's leading scorer Matt Read who should be familiar to fans of college hockey are going to ply their skills in front of Wild brass. Both are skilled scorers who have great hands and are used to being the go-to offensive threat for their respective team. Other invitees like Joel Broda, J.T. Barnett, Darian Dziurzynski, Tyler Johnson, Josh Caron, Cameron Schilling, and Jared Spurgeon seem to be an interesting mix of toughness and skill. A few of these other invitees stand out from the rest; like Spokane, Washington-native Tyler Johnson who was a member of the U-20 Team USA squad that won gold at the World Junior Championships this winter. Johnson is a small (5'9", 175lbs) but gifted offensive center, precisely the type of player the Wild's prospect pool desperately needs. It will be interesting to see if he stands out against some of Development Camp's other offensively gifted attendees like former Colorado College star Chad Rau who had a good first pro season in Houston, late-season Wild free agent Casey Wellman, as well as Palmer, Fontaine and Read. Another intriguing prospect is late-bloomer Joel Broda, who was one of the Calgary Hitmen's (WHL) top scorers last season. It was Broda's emergence that allowed Hitmen to advance to the Memorial Cup after teammate and elite scorer Brandon Kozun went down with an injury. In some ways, he may remind Wild fans of Andrew Brunette, a forward with not a tremendous amount of speed but a player who has good offensive instincts and uses his frame well to protect the puck along the boards but great hands near the net. The last non-college invitee that seems to have a little spice to his game is another Spokane (WHL) product in Jared Spurgeon. Spurgeon is your classic small, but offensively gifted defenseman who has a cannon of a slap shot. (click on the link for the rest of the article)

Enjoy, it goes farther than the Wild.com primer article...

This Joel Broda kid from the Hitmen may be someone to keep an eye on. 73 points in 66 games. 6 feet and 203 pounds.

Russo Blog

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/blogs/98372679.html

here is an excerpt on a player Johan Larsson

Quote :

Winger Johan Larsson, a second-round Wild draft choice, must have a pretty heavy shot. He shattered a panel of the plexiglass behind one of the goals during warm-ups Tuesday – with a wrist shot!