Top 25 Under 25: Vladislav Firstov snipes spot No. 15

Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty ImagesAfter mostly avoiding Russian-born players via the draft during the first 15 years of their history, the Minnesota Wild have been embarking on a sort of Russian renaissance over the last five drafts. And while Kirill Kaprizov and Alexander Khovanov are the names most commonly talked about, former general manager Paul Fenton also managed to grab a smart sniper in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft in Waterloo Blackhawks forward Vladislav Firstov.

Now entering his sophomore year at the University of Connecticut, Firstov has continued to show his teammates and opponents the offensive prowess he was known for in the Russian junior program, and…