Minnesota Wild boast elite prospects

The latest NHL lockout has made it difficult for Minnesota Wild fans, and any NHL fan, to be excited about hockey, since fans might see another season cancelled.

Wild fans, however, can take solace in the fact that the future is quite bright for the Wild. According to Hockey's Future, the Wild own the best crop of prospects in the entire NHL.

The Minnesota Wild have spent several years rebuilding their system and now boast one of the deepest, most talented group of prospects in the NHL. Leading their system is potential star Mikael Granlund. Behind Granlund there are a multitude of talented, offensively minded forwards that includes Charlie Coyle, Zack Phillips, and Jason Zucker. They also have a very talented group of two-way forwards that includes Johan Larsson, Brett Bulmer, and Erik Haula. Leading the defense are puck-moving defensemen Jonas Brodin and Mathew Dumba. The Wild also have very good goaltending prospects in Matt Hackett andD arcy Kuemper.

While the NHL players have been busy resting or playing overseas, many prospects have been playing in the AHL. Minnesota's official website has been providing updates on the Wild's prospects all season long, and Carly Peters posted the team's latest update on Wednesday.

Mathew Dumba, the Wild's first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, has scored 17 points through his first 33 games with the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL. Minnesota's second-round pick from June's draft, Raphael Bussieres, has notched 18 goals and 25 assists for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.