What’s next for Wild’s Liam Ohgren after strong first impression? ‘I can play at this level’
ST. PAUL, Minn. — There's a photo circulating that Liam Ohgren had to pull up late last season when he finally made his NHL debut for the Minnesota Wild .
Ohgren's father, Andreas, has trained elite Swedish hockey players, from Gabriel Landeskog to Patric Hornqvist to Nicklas Backstrom . One Christmas, when Ohgren was about 12 years old, his family spent the holiday with Backstrom and then- Washington Capitals teammate Marcus Johansson . Ohgren and his younger brother, Noel, wore Caps sweaters and Santa hats standing between the two NHLers.
Ohgren, the touted Wild prospect, showed the photo to Johansson in the spring when he made his four-game NHL cameo at the end of the season.
"It was a special moment. I looked up to them my whole life," Ohgren recalled. "To finally be on the same team, it is pretty unreal.
Ohgren laughed. "(Johansson) told me he feels really old now."
What's interesting is that there's a scenario in which Ohgren — eventually — supplants Johansson as the Wild's second-line winger.
Ohgren may have made his pro debut only months ago, coming over after his Swedish Hockey League season to play for AHL Iowa and the Wild. But the 6-foot, 187-pound power forward impressed enough in his brief NHL stint that he could be a regular starting this fall. Minnesota is going to make him earn it, though. Ohgren was not on one of the top four lines when training camp opened, instead playing with Reese Johnson . Johansson, who is in the final year of his contract, started on the second line with Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek .
"The thing I like about Liam, he can play on all four lines," Wild president and general manager Bill Guerin said. "Sometimes, when you have some of these younger guys, they're either top six or bottom six. I really feel like Liam can complement any of the four lines he plays on, which is good for him. That brings a value at a young age, and the fact we could fit him in the top six or he can play a different role, that's a benefit."
Of course, Ohgren isn't the only one competing for a spot. Jakub Lauko , acquired this summer, is vying for a fourth-line spot. Ohgren also has to hold off fellow touted prospect Riley Heidt , who is expected to make his own case to join the roster.
But Ohgren's seamless transition to the North American ice and pro game, including racking up his first NHL goal, gives him confidence he belongs.
"I can play this game at this level," Ohgren said. "Of course, I've got to do this over 82 games, and that's very tough. I don't want to be anywhere else but here.
"Obviously it's the best league in the world, and you wonder if you're going to be ready for this yet. Because it's very fast. But I think from my first game on, I felt very good and felt more comfortable each time I played."
And what a first game it was for Ohgren. He never thought he'd play for the Wild last season, with his Swedish team, Farjestads, the class of the SHL. But when they lost in a stunning first-round upset, Minnesota brought him over to play in Iowa. Three games in, he got a call-up. His dad, mother, stepdad, girlfriend and Noel showed up in Vegas for the anticipated debut.
There were showgirls dancing against the glass during warmups and a drumline going at T-Mobile Arena, one of the best atmospheres in the league. If you ask Ohgren what his welcome-to-the-NHL moment was, it was his rookie lap, where he went without a helmet and tossed a puck to Noel in the stands.
"I felt pretty good, actually," Ohgren said. "I didn't know what to expect. I knew it was going to be a hard league to play in and all that. I was nervous. I was (more) nervous about the rookie lap than the actual game. When the rookie lap was done, I felt, 'OK, now I can relax a little bit and focus on the game.'"
The fact that Noel was there for the moment meant a lot to Ohgren. They've been attached at the hip their entire lives, competing, pushing. Noel, a left winger, played in the Swedish junior league last year.
Has he beaten Liam in anything? "He may be better at video games," Ohgren said. "I don't want to say it, but he probably is. It's been so good to have him beside me my entire life. We've competed in almost everything. I remember one time my grandma was going to cut our hair and we did rock-paper-scissors who was going to go first. I lost and slammed my stick and broke it in half, I was so mad. We've been competing forever, and it helped us get here."
Ohgren had many players to follow as examples, with his father training some of the NHL's best during their offseasons. As a kid, he would wear his Crocs and do agility drills alongside them.
Who does he model his game after?
"That's a tough question," Ohgren said. "I've said Landeskog before. I think he's more physical than I am. I love to watch Auston Matthews . I want to say I'm a little bit of a mix of Landeskog and Auston Matthews. Maybe with Matthews' shot and goal mentality because he scores from all angles and I can score with a shot or a tip or whatever. And also Landeskog, just his compete level and how much he competes in every battle. Maybe a mix of those two, I try to be."
The Wild would certainly take that.
Ohgren's size is one thing. His shot is what sticks out to teammates, especially the unique curve in his blade, something he took from his father, who used a wooden stick back in the day. "It's worked, right?" Ohgren said.
You could see how an Ohgren, Boldy and Eriksson Ek line would work.
"I like him a lot," Boldy said. "Strong, powerful, skates well. He can shoot. He won his battles, too, which is huge. It just opens up more in the NHL if you can win those battles and keep the puck alive. Guys are so good that it's tough if that's an issue."
Hynes said there are plans for Ohgren to get looks up in the lineup during camp and "see what he does" with it.
"He's got an NHL speed," Hynes said. "I think his strength is there. He's a pretty well-developed kid. He's a skilled player. He's got a great shot. Now you see in camp with some different looks the offensive instincts, the ability to execute at a high level versus NHL players, whether in exhibition games or in practices. He had a really good impression. I thought he came in last year and he looked good, and he's going to challenge for one of those positions.
"Similar to (Jesper) Wallstedt or any young player, you want to make sure that they're ready to play a prominent role if that's what their role is going to be. So I'm anxious to see how he continues. Let's just see how he continues to move forward and not put a timeline on him or pressure on him. He'll tell us if and when he's ready."
Ohgren earned coach Hynes' trust from the get-go, playing 14-plus minutes in three of his four games last season. The moment didn't seem too big for the rookie. His hockey sense and skills are at this level.
"I think I can handle it," he said.
We'll see soon.
(Top photo: Matt Blewett / USA Today)
