The difference is partly explained by top guys like Brock Faber and Marco Rossi graduating from the prospect ranks, and some of the more highly touted players are coming off down years, including Jesper Wallstedt and David Jiricek. There was also no reloading this year, as the Wild traded their first-round pick to get Jiricek in November.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime you don\u2019t have a first-round pick, don\u2019t get to pick until the 50s this past summer, that rating is going to go down notably,\u201d Pronman said on the upcoming \u201cFellowship of the Rink\u201d podcast<\/a>. \u201cUnless they think they\u2019re smarter than the rest of the league and found a star in the second or third rounds, that tends to be how it goes.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a few variables there. Carson Lambos has been just OK as a pro. Jesper Wallstedt had a really tough year. That definitely plays a little bit of a variable into it. There\u2019s the positives, too. Charlie Stramel had a really nice year at Michigan State. Zeev Buium had a really nice year in Denver. I know Wild fans, they\u2019re very passionate, but I feel midrange is pretty fair considering where they\u2019ve been picking and how many picks they\u2019ve had in recent years.\u201d<\/p>\n With the Wild hosting the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase this weekend in St. Paul and top prospects like Buium, Danila Yurov, Hunter Haight and Riley Heidt in attendance, Pronman offered to give more in-depth takes on the pool. Here are some highlights. The full conversation can be heard Wednesday on the podcast.<\/p>\n On Buium\u2019s ceiling<\/p>\n \u201cYou hate to overhype a guy who was a 12th overall pick a year ago and put unrealistic expectations on a guy. But I think the world of Buium. You can go back in my writing. I don\u2019t typically give these high ratings out. But when I watch Buium, he brings you out of your seat<\/a> with his talent. He\u2019s so skilled, so smart, so dynamic. A great skater. Honestly, when I watched him, I see (Zach) Werenski. I see that guy at the same age. I\u2019m not saying he\u2019s going to be an 80-point Norris-contending defenseman for sure, but I think he has that level of talent. The question is never going to be his offense. He\u2019s not super physical. He\u2019s not huge. But I think the offense is just outstanding, and he\u2019s got a real, true game-breaking ability at the college level, World Juniors level. He showed he could really break shifts open and do it in a way that I think will translate to the pro level.\u201d<\/p>\n Zeev Buium has a chance to be something special for the Wild. (Ethan Miller \/ Getty Images)On realistic expectations for Yurov<\/p>\n \u201cI think he can be a top-six forward. As center, maybe a 2C. It\u2019s going to be interesting. I never envisioned him as an NHL center when they drafted him. Usually, they draft a center and then go to the wing. It\u2019s pretty rare you draft a wing and they end up being a center. That\u2019s an interesting development path for Yurov, and he\u2019s looked quite good playing the middle in the KHL. I don\u2019t know if his offense is so off-the-charts good that he can be a true impact top-two-line center in the NHL. That might be asking more from him. He can be a really good 3C, a really good second-line winger, a fine second-line center. That would be my projection.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s a really well-rounded player, a good skater. High skill level. Not huge physically, but can work hard. He\u2019s a smart, detailed player. His skill can have some eye-popping moments, but I don\u2019t think the offense is going to be truly special.\u201d<\/p>\n Stramel\u2019s trajectory \u2014 a middle-six center?<\/p>\n \u201cI do think he\u2019s a useful third-line center in the NHL. We were wondering a year ago at this time if he was going to play in the NHL. His season at Wisconsin a year ago was nothing short of a disaster, quite frankly. But he goes to Michigan State, was their first-line center on one of the best teams<\/a> in college hockey. He provided an impact.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be realistic about the offense you\u2019re getting. If you get 30 points out of him, that\u2019s probably going to be what you hope for. He\u2019s not a power-play guy, not a dynamic player, but there\u2019s enough skill there that he can chip in some offense in the NHL. He\u2019s big. He can move. He\u2019s highly physical and competitive. He can play the net-front role. He\u2019s great on faceoffs. Can kill penalties. There\u2019s a lot of things he provides in a positive way. But what he\u2019s not \u2014 he\u2019s not going to be a goal scorer. He\u2019s not a top-six forward.<\/p>\n \u201cBig centers like that who can move, who can score a little bit, who are highly competitive and physical, they play. You look at the recent Stanley Cup champions, that was a profile of Eetu Luostarinen for a long time. And Florida would very much like to hold onto that guy for the next 10 years. His offense is maybe higher than Stramel. But (Stramel is) that type of player. He is going to be a useful NHL player.\u201d<\/p>\n Where is Jiricek in his development?<\/p>\n \u201cYou saw a lot of things in his draft year that really stood out. His skating was a little below average, but this was a big right-shot defenseman. Really skilled with the puck. A big point shot. He\u2019s physical. He\u2019s competitive. The skill and physicality (are) always what drew me to him. Then he came to North America and the physicality kind of goes a little bit. Coaches aren\u2019t trusting him defensively in the American League. But the offense is still there. Then this year, the offense completely dried up. So you look at this guy and are saying, \u2018What is his path to the NHL? What is his role? Is he a penalty killer? He didn\u2019t kill penalties in the AHL the last couple of years. Power play? He doesn\u2019t really score.\u2019<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2211614027-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n