20. Eric Belanger – C 3 Seasons, 214 Games, 39 Goals, 69 Assists, 108 Points Squeaking into the top 20 is Center Eric Belanger. Though not having an extremely long tenure with the Minnesota Wild, Belanger was an all around player with grit. One of the most memorable moments for Belanger came while he was not wearing a Wild uniform. Who can forget the scene of him pulling out a tooth while on the bench with just a piece of gauze. Belanger was a great 2-way player. Defensively he was solid and quite often showed his offensive skill when givenMore
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3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #21
21. Cal Clutterbuck – RW 6 Seasons, 346 Games, 62 Goals, 48 Assists, 110 Points Clutterbuck was drafted by the Wild in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft in the 3rd round 72nd overall. Although he wasn’t known for his scoring, he quickly became a fan favorite do to his high amount of hits. During the 2008-09 season, he broke the NHL record for most hits in a season with 356 which held up until 2011-12. After 6 seasons, the Wild traded Clutterbuck to the New York Islanders along with a third round pick for #29 on our list Nino Niederreiter. Clutterbuck scoredMore
3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #22
22. Marco Scandella- D 6 Seasons, 302 Games, 23 Goals, 53 Assists, 76 Points Coming up through the Wild system and steadily improving his game is not the only achievements Marco Scandella has made. He also made it to #22 on the 3 in the Box Top 33 of all time list. Scandella was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft. As a true product of the Wild’s system, spending his early years with the Houston Aeros, Scandella has become a top rated defenseman in the NHL. Scandella has been a cornerstone of the WildMore
3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #23
23. Mikael Granlund – C 4 Seasons, 240 Games, 31 Goals, 101 Assists, 132 Points Mikael Granlund was the Wild’s first pick, 9th overall, in the 2010 Draft. He established himself as a top player in the Finnish League, earning Rookie of the Year and the Finnish version of the Lady Byng Trophy. In international play, he helped team Finland win Bronze at the 2010 U18 Championship, and Gold for the big team at the 2011 IIHF World Championship (the tournament where he scored the phenomenal LaCrosse-style goal against Russia). Granlund made his Wild debut in the lockout-shortened 2013 season. Despite hisMore
3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #24
24. Filip Kuba – D 5 Seasons, 357 Games, 33 Goals, 99 Assists, 132 Points Filip Kuba came to the Wild from the Calgary Flames in the 2000 expansion draft. With the Wild, Kuba was named captain twice under Lemaire’s rotating captaincy and also joined Dwayne Roloson in the 2004 All-Star Game. As a Wild staple in the first 5 seasons, Kuba averaged just over a point every three games as a defenseman. Even though he never won a cup, he got a Gold in the 2001 World Championships and a Bronze in the 2006 Olympics. Previously on our list: 25. WillieMore
3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #25
25. Willie Mitchell – D 5 Seasons, 288 Games, 9 Goals, 48 Assists, 57 Points One of the original tough guys for the Minnesota Wild, defenseman Willie Mitchell was definitely a crowd favorite while in Minnesota. Not known for his offense, he was a defensive force on the ice. He came to the Wild via a trade for Sean O’Donnell late in their inaugural season on March 4, 2001. Mitchell was also part of the magical 2003 playoff run playing through torn ligaments in his hand and only missing a few shifts after fracturing his cheekbone. His role with theMore
3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #26
26. Marek Židlický – D 4 Seasons, 241 Games, 25 Goals, 98 Assists, 123 Points Marek Židlický started his professional career in Finland, and due to a contract dispute with the Rangers, held out there until he was 26, when the Rangers traded him to the Nashville Predators. In 2008, after 4 solid seasons with the Perds, the Wild made a deal for 31 year-old Marek Židlický, sending Ryan Jones and a 2nd Round draft pick to Nashville in return. Židlický, primarily an offensive-defenseman, led all Wild defensemen in scoring during his first two seasons in Minnesota. In his third year, he wasMore
3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #27
27. Devan Dubnyk – G 2 Seasons, 106 Games, 0.925 Save Pct, 2.13 Goals Against Avg, 10 Shutouts In the more recent history of the Wild there may not have been a bigger impact than current Minnesota Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk. Remembering back to ringing in the new year of 2015, any hope that the Wild had of making the playoffs was quickly fading as they fell into a deep slump. This was not just a little funk as the Wild had only been able to muster 5 wins during a long 20 game stretch, through their annual December strive toMore
3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #28
28. Pavol Demitra – LW 2 Seasons, 139 Games, 40 Goals, 78 Assists, 118 Points Pavol Demitra came to Minnesota in 2006 via trade and immediately shined. In his first game he tallied 2 assists and in his second game he scored his first goal in a Wild sweater. Playing with fellow Slovak, Marian Gaborik, Demitra averaged .85 points per game, which is the second highest in Wild history, behind only Gaborik. Unfortunately, he is the second player on our list to meet his end too early. On September 7, 2011, he along with the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team, perished in an unfortunate planeMore
3ITB’s Top 33 Wild Players of All Time – #29
29. Nino Niederreiter – RW 3 Seasons, 243 Games, 58 Goals, 58 Assists, 116 Points “El Nino” came to the Wild from the Islanders in a trade that sent fan-favorite Cal Clutterbuck packing (with a 3rd round draft pick). Niederreiter, a former #5 overall draft pick, had struggled in his two first forays in the NHL, collecting just 3 points in 64 games with the Islanders. Relegated to the AHL for the entire lockout shortened 2012-2013 season, the trade gave him a chance for a fresh start with a team that needed offensive help. Within 5 games of his Minnesota Wild career,More