PLAYERS TO WATCH AT DEVELOPMENT CAMP SCRIMMAGE
Jul 15, 2018The Minnesota Wild development camp comes to a close Sunday afternoon with a scrimmage between Team Green and Team White. The scrimmage, which is open to the public for free, will give fans in attendance the first glance at the future wave of Wild players. Here are just a few players fans should keep an eye on during the scrimmage.
Brandon Duhaime – F
Duhaime enters another development camp with the Wild and is building off his sophomore season at Providence College, where he posted 26 points (7g, 19a) in 40 games with the Friars. Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Duhaime plays a two-way game with some sandpaper. The Parkland, Florida native has good hands and has a high hockey-IQ, allowing him to put himself and his teammates in the right place at the right time.
Jack McBain – F
McBain was chosen by Minnesota in the third round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and is attending his first Wild development camp. He played 48 games for Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he registered 58 points (21g, 37a), which ranked 19th in the league. The son of former NHLer Andrew McBain, Jack was awarded the OJHL top prospect award this past season while also playing for Canada in the 2018 U-18 World Championships.
Mason Shaw – F
Shaw is back in development camp, continuing to work his way back from tearing his ACL at the Traverse City Prospect Tournament in 2017. The fourth-round selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft missed the entire WHL season for Medicine Hat, but made his AHL debut on April 10 after signing an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) with Iowa Wild. Standing at 5-foot-9, Shaw plays with a very high compete level and isn’t afraid to go up against guys much bigger than he.
Ivan Lodnia – F
Lodnia comes into development camp after finishing up his second season with Erie Otters of the OHL. Lodnia, a third-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, put up 59 points (22g, 37a) in 62 games before making his AHL debut with Iowa, where he skated in six games. The California native is a strong skater with great vision on the ice and a heavy shot. There’s a lot of upside for Lodnia, making him one of the organization’s brightest prospects.
Filip Johansson – D
Johansson is attending his first development camp with the Wild after being the team’s first-round selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The Vasteras, Sweden native is lauded for his hockey IQ, a major reason why Minnesota selected him in the first round. Johansson registered nine points (5g, 4a) in 29 games for Leksand of the Sweden Junior league. The blueliner also helped Sweden take home the bronze medal at the 2018 World Junior Championships, where he had one goal and one assist in seven games.
Louie Belpedio – D
Belpedio got his first taste of NHL hockey last season when he made his debut for Minnesota against San Jose on April 7. He notched his first and second career assists in the game, becoming the first player in Wild history to have a multi-point night in his NHL debut. In his fourth development camp, Belpedio finished up his senior season at Miami of Ohio before heading to Iowa, where he skated in 10 games with the Wild. Belpedio has taken on a leadership role at development camp and has a “veteran” presence on the ice.
Kaapo Kahkonen – G
Kahkonen jumped across the ocean from Finland to head to development camp and for his first season of North American hockey in 2018-19. The fourth-round pick of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Kahkonen has spent the past two seasons with Lukko of Liiga in Finland. In his most recent season, Kahkonen appeared in 56 games, posting a 2.20 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. He led the league in games played, minutes and shutouts last season as well. The goaltender has also represented Finland internationally, as he won a gold medal at the 2016 World Junior Championships.