The Minnesota Wild signed forward Danila Yurov to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.
Yurov, 21, tallied 13 goals and 25 points in 46 games this season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL. The Wild drafted Yurov 24th overall in 2022.
The contract includes a European out clause allowing Yurov to be loaned back to the KHL if he doesn't make the Wild out of training camp, reports The Athletic's Michael Russo.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin explained what excites him about Yurov.
"I just think his skill level," Guerin said, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith. "He's a big, lanky kid. He hasn't even grown into his body yet. The skill level, the ability to produce offense. That's what we're excited about."
In 2023-24, Yurov broke Vladimir Tarasenko's record for most points in the KHL by a 20-year-old when he recorded 21 goals and 49 points in 62 games. He added nine points in 23 playoff contests to help Magnitogorsk win the Gagarin Cup.
Yurov moved to center in 2023-24. His faceoff percentage increased 6.3% this campaign, up to 47.3%. The Wild plan to keep Yurov at center, Guerin said, according to Smith.
The 6-foot-1 pivot accumulated 41 goals and 88 points in 209 career KHL games over parts of five seasons. Yurov briefly represented Russia at the 2022 world juniors before the tournament was postponed.
Yurov ranked No. 25 on theScore's top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list in September.
