Liam Hgren shakes off disappointing start to season – Minnesota Wild

Liam Hgren started the 2024-2025 season as one of the Minnesota Wilds' most exciting players. In our prospect rankings, we ranked him as the fourth-best player in Minnesota's system. The Swedish winger also had positive results during a four-match audition with the Wild last year with a goal and an assist. It seemed like everything was geared towards Hgren making an impact in his first full NHL season.

Unfortunately, his potential ascent was postponed when he failed to impress early in the season. hgren failed to make enough of an impact to stop more experienced players like Jakub Lauko. After eight winless games, the Wild sent the former first-round pick for more seasoning in Iowa.

Since returning to Iowa, Hgren has been playing fantastic hockey and seems to have completely shaken off the disappointment of the start of the season.

hgren misses opportunities

Before analyzing his boundary rebound, it's essential to examine why he struggled in the NHL and ultimately didn't join the team full-time. Hgren wasn't just a candidate to make the team; he seemed to have the inside track. Michael Russo projected hgren to be the Wilds' left wing on the fourth line. Other projections rated him as highly as playing on Minnesota's second line.

In the eight games he played more of that bottom six role. According to Moneypuck.comhgren averaged 9:53 ice time per game, and his most frequent linemates were Frdrick Gaudreau, Marat Khusnutdinov and Lauko. It seemed logical to play Hgren in this role.

The most celebrated parts of his skills include a highly competitive style, a solid 60-yard game, the ability to score in high-danger areas and playing with physicality. These traits should lend themselves well to a bottom-six role, especially as he gets used to the speed of the NHL. None of that seemed to translate, though. hgren scored no points and failed to produce underlying numbers that indicated a positive impact.

Perhaps most worrying was the quality of the opportunities. In his limited action, Hgren managed 17 shot attempts, resulting in 10 shots on target. None of them were rated as high-danger opportunities. The talented prospect has an above-average shot, so an important part of his game is getting into high-scoring areas to utilize it. Without it, his play sometimes floundered and he ultimately missed his opportunity to play in Minnesota.

Regaining form in Iowa

Since being sent to Iowa, Hgren has taken a closer look at his game. In 16 games he scored 10 goals and led the Iowa Wild. He's playing his usual style again. He uses his physicality to get to dangerous areas of the ice where he can use his solid shot to score goals. Just look at the few points he's scored since joining Iowa, all of which have come from the same general area of ​​the ice.

In each clip, Hgren gets into a dangerous area of ​​the ice before ripping off his shot. Even from tight angles, hgren is a dangerous scoring threat. Beating AHL goaltenders and defenses is much easier than playing like that on the big stage. Still, his assertiveness was sorely missed during his NHL stint. At Iowa, Hgren is doing a much better job earning opportunities to showcase his scoring prowess.

Part of the recovery of form is due to a change in role. He's playing like a top-six player instead of the limited minutes he played in Minnesota. Grens' skills should translate well into a striker role in the bottom six positions, but that is a niche he has not filled for a long time. Having more offensive responsibility results in much greater output. He can also play on the power play, acting as a threatening presence on net.

While many expected Hgren to make a spot on an NHL roster this season, he is still only 20 years old. The winger appears to be making great progress for the Wild, even if he suffered some setbacks early in the season. His play in the AHL has shown promise in a year that hasn't been great for Iowa.

Playing at a lower level has allowed Hgren to show off his speed, physicality, competitive edge and shooting ability. The return to form puts his season in a new context. While his early season appearance with Minnesota was undoubtedly disappointing, his time at Iowa is turning into a net positive for his development this year.

What hgren can bring to the wild

The good news for the Wild is that when hgren is ready to jump to the NHL, the Wild will need a player like him. Minnesota started the season with worries all around their depth score. While these concerns seemed unfounded earlier this year, they became relevant again with Minnesota's recent injury bug.

As of this writing, it has been seventeen periods since the Wild scored without Kirill Kaprizov on the ice. The lack of firepower has led to poor results. Minnesota has lost four games in a row and scored a total of four goals.

hgren already has the talent to close some of that gap. The winger has the talent to be a mid-six player who plays a physical game. At 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, he's not the hulking player GM Bill Guerin seems to covet, but he's already playing like one. He's also only 20 years old, so he should fill out his frame a bit, which will make his holding play even more effective.

If he's such a natural addition to the Wild, you might wonder why he hasn't gotten more NHL time with so many injuries. The Wild will lean on players like Ben Jones, Travis Boyd and Devin Shore to fill in while Hgren remains in Iowa. Keeping him where he has success is probably best for everyone involved.

The spots needed are for a bottom-six role that he has already struggled with this season. Instead, Hgren can remain in Iowa and continue to thrive in a more suitable role. At some point Hgren will have to develop to play that position. For now, Hgren is making strides at Iowa and returning to playing a style that will pay off when he eventually transitions to the NHL full-time.