Personally, this time last season, I was a bit tepid on Joel* Eriksson Ek.
Part of this stemmed from my disappointment in the Wild taking Eriksson Ek over the more dynamic Travis Konecny. But a lot of it had to do with the Wild not altering their draft strategy at all. At the time of his drafting, Eriksson Ek was billed as everything that the Wild typically look for in the draft. Strong defensive game? Check. Work ethic for days? Check. Hockey sense as his calling card? Check. High-end offense? Meh.
Make no mistake, Eriksson Ek is still viewed as the Wild’s two-way center of the future.