ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have officially signed center Danila Yurov, their first-round selection from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract. The agreement was announced on Friday.
Yurov has spent the past five seasons playing professionally in Russia`s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Over 209 career regular-season games with the club, he recorded 41 goals, 47 assists, accumulating 88 points and a plus-41 rating. In the playoffs, he added eight goals in 61 appearances, helping Metallurg secure the Gagarin Cup championship last year.
Selected 24th overall in the 2022 NHL draft, Yurov previously won a silver medal representing Russia at the 2021 World Junior Championship. The 21-year-old forward, listed at 6-foot-1 and 176 pounds, is expected to compete for a roster spot next season, particularly with the team seeking additional depth at the center position behind established player Joel Eriksson Ek.
General Manager Bill Guerin commented on the challenge for young players at the position. “Centre is a very difficult position to play as a young player. We`d like to see him there, see how he does and then we`ll go from there,” Guerin stated. He also stressed the importance of defensive play: “Just like any other young player, defensively, you really have to want to play a 200-foot game. That`s going to be really important for him, especially where our team`s at.”
