The Minnesota Wild have a lot of talented players on their roster and they’re all skilled in different ways, which is why the team works so well. Despite playing the same sport, each player has a different way of seeing the ice. Some players are better at passing than others, and some are better at shooting. The same goes for their hockey intelligence.

Hockey IQ describes how each player sees the game and what they expect to do next. It could be things like being ahead of their linemates and making passes, or even beating the goalie. The Wild have plenty of players with high hockey IQs but only three can be called the best on the team and they’ll need to use that IQ as the new season quickly approaches.

Wild’s Top Offensive IQ: Kirill KaprizovThe first name that comes to mind when hockey IQ is mentioned is superstar Kirill Kaprizov. It’s quite clear he sees the ice differently than most players in the NHL; scoring 108 points in his second season proves that point. The Wild knew they were snagging a talent when he joined their roster during the 2020-21 season but they didn’t realize how special he truly was.

Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) (Amy Irvin/The Hockey Writers).Kaprizov is able to see what’s going on before it happens, and can be there most of the time. He makes mistakes, but that’s normal for every player. However, he can often make up for them by using his hockey intelligence to determine where he needs be defensively. He improved his ability block shots by playing on the defensive side. Last season, he had 29 blocks, an increase from the 18 he had in his rookie campaign.

The final detail that shows how high Kaprizov’s hockey IQ is his ability to learn from the situation and fix it going forward. He’s constantly working to improve his game and it will continue to grow as he hones his skills more and more. It’s exciting for Wild fans to see a player that has a consistent drive to improve, despite already being highly talented.

Wild’s Top Offensive & Defensive IQ: Joel Eriksson EkThe next player on this list has to be the most defensive-minded forward on the entire Wild roster, center Joel Eriksson Ek. He’s another player that can see things unfold and be prepared for them, except he’s more defensive-focused. He’s been talked about for years about being in the running for the Selke Trophy and while he hasn’t won it, he’s always in the conversation.

Joel Eriksson Ek (Minnesota Wild) Eriksson Ek focuses his game on the defensive side. Ryan Hartman won the award for most blocked shots last season with 48. Eriksson Ek only had 44. He knew when to block shots and when to use his physicality in order to shift the momentum. He was edged slightly in the number of hits, but it’s hard to keep up when your linemates are Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. Brandon Duhaime also fell behind, but Eriksson Ek still managed fourth place last season with 138 hits.

While Eriksson Ek isn’t as offensive-minded as some of his teammates, he’s still highly talented in that area as well with 49 points tallied last season. His IQ helps him anticipate when one of his linemates is going to make a big hit that’ll force the puck out to him for a scoring opportunity, which can happen quite often with the hard-hitting GREEF line. He’s also like Kaprizov and focuses on always improving, so it’ll be fascinating to see how well he does this season.

Wild’s Top Defensive IQ: Jonas BrodinThe final spot on this list goes to a player that’s consistently forgotten about but is very crucial to the Wild’s defensive core, Jonas Brodin. His level of hockey IQ is basically equal to Kaprizov except he doesn’t dazzle in scoring goals, he works hard to stop them. He is able to predict what will happen, which is why he was able last season to win the team’s block shot lead with 126 and to steal the puck 24 times.

Related: 3 Wild Storylines To Follow Heading into 2022-23

The most important part about Brodin isn’t just his defensive talents but also his scoring skills. With 30 points, he finished second among Wild defensemen with five goals. He was not only a great goal scorer, but he also had great assists.

Brodin is often considered one of the most overlooked players in the NHL and it’s surprising with how great of a hockey IQ he has. With their current goaltending situation, the Wild will need Brodin’s blocked shots and takeaways. They have their veteran in Marc-André Fleury, but their backup Filip Gustavsson is still unproven with just 27 games played in the NHL and being brand new to the Wild. Brodin’s ability to predict the next move of an opposing team is going be huge for the entire season.

Wild’s Overall IQThe Wild’s Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Brodin may have the top hockey IQs on the team, but luckily for them, the majority of the roster is also on the high end of that spectrum. Last season, it was evident with 11 players scoring 30 or more points and their ability find the back of net so often. They also don’t have to worry about the defensive end of things since their core is so strong led by Jared Spurgeon, Matt Dumba, and Brodin.

As stated before, the area they’re most likely to struggle in will be goaltending. They have an eventual Hall of Fame goaltender in Fleury, and while he’s talented he is getting older and is not the goalie he once was. Gustavsson is still in his rookie year and will likely be under pressure to step up for Fleury. Hopefully, the Wild’s defense can continue to improve from last season to help them out, but it would also be great if Gustavsson could use his hockey IQ to make this his breakout season, and step up in a big way to snag some wins too.

Mariah Holland is a contributor Minnesota Wild writer for THW. She’s been covering the Wild at THW since October of 2020 and specializes in game takeaways and weekly check-ins. To help fans connect with each other on a deeper level, she is always on the lookout for new angles and digging deeper into stories. Follow her Twitter @MariahEStark to get the latest news.

The post Wild’s 3 Players With the Highest Hockey IQ first appeared on Raw News.