Wild sign 2022 first-round draft pick Yurov to three-year, entry-level contract

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild signed center Danila Yurov, their 2022 first-round draft pick, to a three-year, entry-level contract on Friday.

Yurov has played in the KHL in his native Russia for the last five seasons for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, with 41 goals, 47 assists and a plus-41 rating over 209 career games. He had eight goals in 61 games in the playoffs, winning a Gagarin Cup championship with Metallurg last year.

Yurov, who won a silver medal with Russia at the world junior championship in 2021, was the 24th overall pick in the NHL draft in 2022. The 6-foot-1, 176-pound Yurov will have a prime opportunity to make the team at age 21 with a strong training camp next season, with the Wild's center depth currently lacking behind Joel Eriksson Ek.

“Center's 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,” general manager Bill Guerin said. “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.”

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