The Minnesota Wild topped the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, and one fast-rising player played a major role.

Kirill Kaprizov may be the big name in St. Paul, but Danila Yurov’s hot start has been turning heads. In nine games this season, Yurov has four goals and five points, including three goals in four games. That includes a goal against the Blue Jackets.

Yurov opened the scoring late in the first period after he and Yakov Trenin connected. Trenin took a loose puck near the blue line and darted down the ice. Two Blue Jackets players were nearby. One dove to the ice, and the other thrust his stick out to block Trenin’s ensuing pass across the ice to Yurov in the slot.

Yurov did the rest and smacked a wrist shot past Cam Talbot, who wasn’t quick enough to get over. That gave the Wild a 1-0 lead. Although Columbus would tie the game a minute later with a goal from Adam Fantilli, Kaprizov would later give the Wild the lead on a power-play goal.

The real story this season has been Yurov, who is on track for a career campaign. Should he keep up this pace, Yurov can finish the season with 37 goals and 47 points. That would be a far cry from the 27 points and 12 goals he posted across 73 games in 2025-26.

Minnesota Wild Coach John Hynes Has Taken Notice

Yurov’s play has caught John Hynes’ attention. Via Heather Rule of NHL.com, Hynes said after the game:

“He’s going to be a top-two line center the way that he thinks the game, sees the game. Now, we’re starting to see his skating, his confidence, his offensive instincts, on top of his hockey smarts and acumen without the puck, which is excellent.”

Despite his success, Yurov is still averaging third-line minutes with 13:30 per game. That’s roughly 12 seconds more than what he posted in 2025-26. Still, it won’t be long until he’s averaging 15-16+ minutes per game if he keeps up his scoring prowess.

Although he only posted 12 goals last season, it wasn’t that finding the net was hard to come by. Yurov finished the year with a stellar 15.0 shooting percentage.

He was, however, selective with his shots, finishing with just 80 shots on goal. This season, he seems to be doing the same, with 15. If he shoots more, Yurov could be in for even more of a monster season.

Danila Yurov’s Overall Game Has Been Solid

Yurov’s productivity goes beyond just scoring goals. He’s averaging over one hit per game, with 11 in those nine contests. He also has five blocked shots. This confirms that he’s not scared to confront the physical aspects of the game.

Yurov also has an improved Corsi For Percentage at even strength. It is currently 53.1, nearly seven percentage points greater than the 46.4 he logged last season.

Defensively, Yurov’s 91.4 on-ice save percentage also points to his sound defensive play. Should his on-ice shooting percentage, which is ironically just 6.4 percent, improve, Yurov will further evolve into one of the best all-around players in St. Paul.

All eyes will be on Yurov and Co. come Tuesday, when the Minnesota Wild square off with the Edmonton Oilers in a battle between two of the league’s better teams.