Iowa Wild 2022-23 Season Preview
October 14, 2022 – American Hockey League (AHL) – Iowa Wild News Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa Wild kick off the 10th season in team history Friday when they take on the San Jose Barracuda inside Wells Fargo Arena at 7 p.m. While a few notable players from last season have earned roster spots with the Minnesota Wild, this season’s roster features several core members from last year’s team. In addition, fans can look forward to seeing several highly touted prospects and exciting additions that signed with the organization in the offseason.
Under the leadership of Tim Army and with the support of the Des Moines faithful, this year’s Iowa Wild team will look to threaten for a playoff berth and potentially a top spot in the Central Division.
FORWARDS
Center Depth
Entering the offseason, General Manager Mike Murray and Head Coach Tim Army identified the center position as one where the team could use depth. In 2021-22, the Wild rotated several forwards through center who naturally played wing. 2022-23 promises to be a different story.
The team enters opening night with two new faces down the middle who have significant professional experience under their belts in Nic Petan and Steven Fogarty. Petan enters his eighth professional season with 154 NHL games and 184 AHL games to his name while Fogarty has skated in 29 NHL games and 330 AHL games. Fans can expect to see each center in high leverage situations, whether it’s taking a late game face-off in their own zone or hopping over the boards to try to net a crucial power-play goal.
The combined experience of the two centermen offers Iowa the ability to rotate several other players through the position, including Damien Giroux, Tanner Kaspick, Mike O’Leary, Mason Shaw, and Sammy Walker.
Scoring Prowess
Four of Iowa’s top scoring forwards from the 2021-22 season will be on the ice to start the 2022-23 campaign. Mason Shaw will serve as team captain and tied for third on last year’s team with 52 points (19-33=52). Following the departure of Kyle Rau and the graduation of Marco Rossi to the Minnesota Wild, Iowa will look to Shaw to lead by example not just offensively, but in all facets of the game.
Adam Beckman, Mitchell Chaffee, and Nick Swaney should also figure prominently into the offense for the Wild. Iowa will rely on Beckman to use his size and puck protection abilities to facilitate chances as a member of one of the team’s top lines. Chaffee, who finished second on the team in goals (23) last year in only 49 games, possess a lethal shot and the ability to score in several ways. Swaney will likely fill out multiple roles for the team offensively and look to make a scoring jump in his second full season of professional hockey following his 38 points (16-22=38) in 2021-22.
Speed
Every year, professional hockey gets faster. The Iowa Wild are no exception, and while there are several talented skaters on the roster, Sammy Walker may be the quickest one.
Walker joined the Wild organization as a free agent this offseason following an illustrious career at the University of Minnesota, where he served as captain for three seasons. Known for his speed, Walker should provide extra jump for the Iowa offense.
DEFENSE
Right-Handed Additions
When it comes time for a birthday wish, many hockey coaches close their eyes and ask for a few right-handed defensemen. Tim Army may have gotten his as Iowa will start the season with a couple promising right-handed additions in Ben Finkelstein and Simon Johansson.
Finkelstein led ECHL defensemen in points (62) and assists (52) in 2021-22, earning him a one-way contract with Iowa. Fans can expect to see Finkelstein facilitating breakouts, activating in the offensive zone, and providing a spark for the Wild power play.
Johansson joins Iowa following four professional seasons overseas. During the 2021-22 season, he became the youngest defenseman in the history of the Finnish club Ilves Tampere to post 32 points (8-24=32). At 6’2″, Johansson’s height will be an asset to the Wild in the defensive end.
Veteran Leadership
In addition to naming Mason Shaw team captain, the Wild also bestowed the alternate captain title on defensemen Joe Hicketts and Dakota Mermis for the 2022-23 season.
Hicketts led all Iowa defensemen and finished second among AHL blueliners in goals (12) last season. While his ability to post offensive numbers will certainly be crucial for the Wild, Hicketts also provides the team with intangible elements in terms of his emotional leadership and extensive professional playing experience.
Mermis enters the 2022-23 season with seven professional seasons of experience, including two with Iowa. Selected as the winner of the AHL Yanick Dupré Memorial Award following the 2021-22 season for his contributions to the community, he will continue to be one of the most prominent members of the organization as it continues to give back to Des Moines in its 10th anniversary season.
GOALTENDING
Promising Tandem
Iowa will start the season with perhaps the strongest goaltending duo in the league. Zane McIntyre and Jesper Wallstedt will take turns between the pipes for the Wild in a tandem that is reminiscent of the 2018-19 pairing of Andrew Hammond and Kappo Kahkonen.
Wallstedt is one of the most watched goaltending prospects in professional hockey and proved himself worthy of the attention last season when he led the Swedish Hockey League in goals against average (1.98) and was named top goaltender at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. While the 20-year-old netminder will face adjustments in his first professional North American season (namely a smaller ice surface), his presence in Des Moines is one of the most exciting elements of the upcoming seasons for Wild fans.
Young prospects need veterans to show them the way and McIntyre will be able to share valuable knowledge from his 252 games of NHL and AHL experience. However, McIntyre brings more to the table than just leadership. He finished 19-14-3 for Iowa last season after joining the club in December and posted a 2.45 goals against average. His steady presence in net enables the coaching staff to balance the workload between the two goaltenders to ensure that neither tires as Iowa approaches the later months of the season.
EXPECTATIONS
Identity
The success of the 2022-23 Iowa Wild will be predicated on the club’s greatest asset, which is its team speed. Iowa will take advantage of that asset by pressuring opponents aggressively and pushing the pace with numbers when the team is in possession of the puck.
With a new and improved roster, Iowa has a strong chance of competing with divisional opponents, making a playoff push, and potentially advancing beyond the second round for the first time in team history.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com. Fans can purchase single-game tickets through the team’s website at www.iowawild.com. Group tickets (10 or more), suites, Wild 365 memberships or premium tickets can be purchased by contacting the Iowa Wild Ticket Department at 515-564-8700 or [email protected]. The 2022-23 season marks the 10th anniversary of Iowa Wild hockey. Fans can purchase season tickets for the 10th anniversary season at https://www.iowawild.com/wild-365.
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