{"id":539010,"date":"2026-04-03T19:36:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T19:36:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/539010\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T19:36:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T19:36:21","slug":"danila-yurov-cant-be-the-odd-man-out-in-the-playoffs-minnesota-wild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/539010\/","title":{"rendered":"Danila Yurov Can’t Be The Odd Man Out in the Playoffs – Minnesota Wild"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThe Minnesota Wild’s lineup got a lot deeper at the trade deadline, and for the first time in a while, it’s tough to crack the forward group. The arrivals of Bobby Brink<\/a>, Nick Foligno<\/a>, and Michael McCarron<\/a> have ushered out the era of suiting up AHL veterans like Ben Jones<\/a> and Tyler Pitlick<\/a>. They even moved\u00a0Vinnie Hinostroza<\/a>, who played in 48 games. Suddenly, there’s no room at the inn.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBecause of this increased competition, getting into the lineup is less about “Are you a legitimate NHLer?” and more focused on “What have you done for me lately?”\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd that’s been bad news for rookie Danila Yurov<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDespite being 10th on the team with 25 points, the 2022 first-rounder was healthy scratched in two straight games. It’s not hard to explain this away, if you want to. Yurov has played 65 games — already longer than the KHL regular season — so perhaps it’s a good time for him to rest. It’s also helpful for John Hynes to see what his new players can do.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter the second scratch, though, it’s hard not to read into this a little bit when forecasting the Wild’s playoff lineup. The elder Foligno and McCarron’s physicality make them “playoff-type” forwards, and Minnesota has been enamored with Brink’s tremendous moxie for his size<\/a>. We’ve also seen the Wild be gunshy about putting young players in big-time spots, such as with Marco Rossi<\/a> last year.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd, to be absolutely fair, this also goes back to, “What have you done for me lately?” Since the return from the Olympic break, Yurov had just two goals and an assist in 14 games before the scratches. Just as notably, he averaged only a shot per game, which isn’t nearly assertive enough.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSo, Thursday night’s game was going to be big for Yurov to force his way back into the lineup. Did he? It depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, Yurov was held off the scoresheet for his sixth-straight game and went 2-for-8 in the faceoff circle, a point of emphasis for the Wild. Still, Yurov was credited with two scoring chances by Natural Stat Trick and nearly set up Bobby Brink for a two-on-one goal. There was urgency to the rookie’s game.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhenever his next chance arrives, he’ll have to build on that urgency, and not just for his sake. Slump or no, the Wild need a confident Yurov if they wish to take down one of the giants of the Central Division.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMinnesota collected two 40-goal scorers last night when Matt Boldy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Kirill Kaprizov<\/a> hit the milestone. But as we know, the reward for their regular-season success will be playing the Dallas Stars… the only other team in the NHL with two 40-goal scorers (Jason Robertson<\/a>, Wyatt Johnston<\/a>). Those top-end players might simply cancel each other out.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe series will likely come down to two questions. The first is, whose incredible power play will cook the most? The second is, which down-the-lineup X-factors will step up?\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Wild have players who’ve stepped up in the postseason before. When healthy, Joel Eriksson Ek<\/a> is a big-game performer. Ryan Hartman<\/a> has four goals and 16 points in his last 17 playoff games. But overall, Minnesota’s limited successes have been fueled more by its star players, with few contributions elsewhere.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMaybe the Wild have the requisite X-factors now. Vladimir Tarasenko<\/a> has averaged 33 goals per 82 games in his postseason career, including 14 goals in 43 games since turning 30. Bobby Brink hasn’t played an NHL playoff game, but won a National Championship in Denver. Quinn Hughes<\/a> is a playoff performer, and he’s seemed to unlock a new level in Brock Faber<\/a>. That might be enough.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBut slump or no, Yurov has been one of the Wild’s best players this season. He’s been a positive on both sides of the puck at even-strength, and has done well in his opportunities on the power play and penalty kill.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMinnesota Wild Standings Points Above Replacement Leaders, 2025-26:\n<\/p>\n

\t\tQuinn Hughes, 7.1<\/p>\n

\t\tBrock Faber, 4.8<\/p>\n

\t\tMatt Boldy, 4.5<\/p>\n

\t\tKirill Kaprizov, 4.3<\/p>\n

\t\tMarcus Johansson<\/a>, 3.9<\/p>\n

\t\tJonas Brodin<\/a>, 3.8<\/p>\n

\t\tDANILA YUROV, 3.4<\/p>\n

\t\tYakov Trenin<\/a>, 3.3<\/p>\n

\t\tJoel Eriksson Ek, 2.8<\/p>\n

\t\tMats Zuccarello<\/a>, 2.7<\/p>\n

\n\tIt feels like watching Yurov get\u00a0top-line minutes<\/a> in the playoffs is a pipe dream now. The Wild are very hesitant about giving young players huge roles in the postseason. Heck, they didn’t offer that opportunity to Rossi after a 60-point season. Minnesota has also invested relatively heavily<\/a>\u00a0into faceoffs<\/a>, suggesting Hynes would believe Yurov’s 39.1% win rate to be too much of a liability in a big role.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSo if Yurov is going to be in the playoffs, it’ll be in the role we saw last night, centering a scoring third line with Brink and Tarasenko. Yurov only has around 50 games in that role, but you can call him a proven commodity in that spot.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHis top-end skating and mature game have made him a killer shut-down option on the third line. Yurov has allowed the second-fewest expected goals per hour (2.49) among Wild forwards with 300-plus 5-on-5 minutes. That’s despite playing around 40% of his minutes with the defensively-challenged Tarasenko.\n<\/p>\n

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\n\tThe reason young players are generally seen as unreliable is that their defensive games aren’t usually polished. When that’s the case, youngsters either contribute offensively or are a liability. But that’s not the case for Yurov. Scoring or not, Hynes should feel as confident throwing Yurov over the boards as he does with a Foligno, or Trenin, or McCarron.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile it’s no guarantee Yurov blossoms offensively in a playoff series, it’s a stronger bet than the Folignos, Trenins, or McCarrons of the world. And depth scoring could be the difference in a series against a Stars team that is a lot more top-heavy than the squad that demolished the Wild in the 2023 playoffs.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMake no mistake, Dallas won’t be a pushover. They still have Robertson, Johnston, Roope Hintz<\/a>, Matt Duchene<\/a>, and Jamie Benn<\/a> from the last go-round. Dallas has added Mikko Rantanen<\/a>, who blitzed the Colorado Avalanche in the first round last year with 12 points in 7 games. But Joe Pavelski<\/a>, Tyler Seguin<\/a>, Evgenii Dadonov<\/a>, Max Domi<\/a>, and Mason Marchment<\/a> are all gone since 2023. That’s more than a full scoring line out the door.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPaired with Brink and Tarasenko, Yurov’s presence helps close the gap between the Stars’ bottom-six and the Wild’s. Heck, it might even swing in the favor of Minnesota. But without him, the Wild are playing either McCarron, Nick Foligno, or Nico Sturm<\/a> between those two scoring wingers, which doesn’t feel like the right fit for a line that should be an offensive threat.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIt’s partly on Yurov to prove that he belongs in the playoffs, and that may well happen in Minnesota’s final seven days. But the Wild should also recognize what got them to this point, and Yurov, as a strong third-line center, is a significant part of their success. Hynes and the coaching staff simply must get their rookie ready to contribute for the upcoming playoff run.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

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