Wild prospect Danila Yurov will play another season in Russia

Danila Yurov hoped to play in North America this season.

That’s the message the Wild prospect relayed through an interpreter a year ago while in St. Paul for the team’s development camp.

But the Russian scorer’s highly anticipated move isn’t happening anytime soon.

Yurov is staying with his KHL team for another season after a breakout performance from the winger drafted in the first round 24th overall by the Wild in 2022.

“We support him in being over there for another year,” director of player development Brad Bombardir said during Wild development camp this week. “When he comes over here — hopefully it’s next year — he’ll be a great player for us, which we fully expect.”

This time last year, it was understandable why Yurov was eyeing a switch. He was coming off a season with Magnitogorsk in which he was a footnote in the lineup with sporadic ice time; Yurov could log anywhere from a few seconds a game to 10 minutes.

Last season, though, was different.

Given much more responsibility, Yurov thrived. He finished with 21 goals and 28 assists for 49 points in 62 games to break two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko’s record for most points in a season for a player under age 21. The 20-year-old Yurov also helped the team capture the KHL championship.

“We’re happy,” Bombardir said. “We’re fine with him staying over there because if he’s going to be able to play that big of a role, that many minutes and be that important of a player for that team, great.”

The Wild believe Yurov is ready to come to the United States, with Bombardir mentioning that Yurov, who wasn’t at development camp this year, is “more than welcome” at any point.

“We fully expect him to have another really good year,” Bombardir said, “and we’d love to see him here after.”

Rasmus Kumpulainen is returning home to Finland to play next season.

The center had an impressive stint with Oshawa in the Ontario Hockey League in 2023-24, combining 28 goals and 28 assists for almost a point-per-game pace in 58 games. He added another 11 points during a playoff run to the OHL championship series, which London ultimately won.

“He played very important minutes,” Bombardir said. “He was relied on heavily there. Everything that we were hopeful would happen happened for him.”

Kumpulainen, 18, will join his hometown team Lahti in Finland’s top league.

“When I was a kid, it was a dream to play [for] the men’s team there,” said Kumpulainen, who will be in Plymouth, Mich., later this month for the World Junior Summer Showcase that evaluates players for the next World Junior Championship. “But also I think it makes sense for my development, just playing against men as a big guy over 200 pounds and 6-foot-3. I just think it’s better to play against men and get used to pro hockey.”

Talk about making a memorable first impression.

Goaltender Samuel Hlavaj broke the Airdyne exercise bike on the first day of development camp.

“I just pushed too hard,” he said.

The Wild signed the 23-year-old to a two-year, entry-level contract in April after the Slovakia native competed in the Czech Extraliga last season.

“[The Wild] gave me the chance to prove that I belonged here,” Hlavaj said. “I want to prove it to everybody.”