Cam Jensen

Nathan MacKinnon finally got his money. The Colorado Avalanche locked him into a 7-year, $44.1 million ($6.3 million AAV) in 2016 coming out of his entry-level deal. He almost instantly became the best bargain in the NHL, averaging 1.18 points per game over the agreement’s lifetime. Now MacKinnon is close to properly paid.

Last weekend, the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase featured several players coming into their first season of professional hockey, including a trio of recent NCAA players looking to make their mark on this year’s Iowa Wild team. Sammy Walker (Gophers), Sam Hentges (St. Cloud State), and Vladislav Firstov (UCONN) are all shoo-ins to make Iowa’s roster this season. The three forwards all played in both games against the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospects.

As it stands now, the Minnesota Wild are about to open training camp with a full roster and some intriguing roster battles. All eyes are on Marco Rossi and how quickly he can fit into the NHL. But other hopefuls like Andrej Sustr and Calen Addison will fight for the final spot on defense for Opening Night. Plus, injuries to Jordan Greenway leave an opportunity for a forward like Adam Beckman to make the team out of camp until the line-up is fully healthy again.