It wouldn’t be without precedence for the Minnesota Wild either; they were duly rewarded upon sending Jordan Greenway to play a weekend with the Iowa Wild. He scored a hat-trick in the American Hockey League before netting his first regular season NHL goal upon his return. Joel Eriksson Ek could do with the same confidence boost.
Some players thrive upon facing elite competition and it elevates their game. Others, it takes playing slightly lesser competition to find their stride, but once they find it, they’re fine.
I think, much like his teammate Jordan Greenway, this is exactly the case for Joel Eriksson Ek.