Wild prospect Belpedio is NCHC Defenseman of the Week again
With signees and draft picks spread out across two continents and more than a dozen junior leagues, keeping up with the Minnesota Wild's various prospects can be a daunting task.
From managing streaming plans and tracking down cable channels, to learning a few new languages (Puhutko suomea?), keeping tabs on the next generation can be a full-time job.
FOX Sports North has you covered.
From Finland to Fargo, we're breaking down the stats and bringing you a comprehensive look at the Wild's prospect pipeline each and every week.
So, let's take a look at the week that was in the latest edition of the Young Wild Tracker.
Louie Belpedio, D, Miami (NCHC)
Belpedio earned NCHC Defenseman of the Week honors again after helping the RedHawks to a win and a tie in a nonconference series with Bowling Green. He registered two primary assists to help Miami to a 6-3 win Friday, then added another to tie things up in the second period Saturday. He broke through in the third, carrying the puck into the zone himself on the power play and surprising a pair of defenders with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle that found the back of the net.
Ivan Lodnia, RW, Erie Otters (OHL)
Lodnia keeps appearing in the space, and for good reason. He had five more points in two games last week, scoring in a 5-4 win over the Ottawa 67's and adding two assists in a 4-3 loss to the Sarnia Sting. He carried the puck into the zone, dropping it back to Taylor Raddysh who fired a shot off the end boards, before Lodnia grabbed the rebound and fired a shot home from a nearly-impossible angle.
Andrei Svetlakov, C, CSKA Moscow (KHL)
The Wild's other Russian prospect had his first multi-goal game of the season last week, scoring twice in a 6-2 win over HC Sochi. Held scoreless for 14 games, Svetlakov has had a productive November, registering four goals and two assists in his last five games. A teammate of fellow Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov -- both in Moscow and internationally -- Svetlakov was a sixth-round pick last summer.
