Minnesota Wild’s defensive powerhouse Joel Eriksson Ek is locking down the NHL’s elite centers—Nathan McKinnon, Connor Bedard, and Sidney Crosby all see their expected goals plummet when matched up against him. His offense may be slower to ignite this season, but his defensive metrics and faceoff dominance are reaching career highs. Can Eriksson Ek’s shutdown ability push him into serious Selke Trophy contention?
Seth Toupal spotlights Eriksson Ek’s evolving role, analyzes line combinations with Matt Boldy and Marcus Johansson, and uncovers how improved special teams are reviving the Wild’s penalty kill. The discussion covers high-danger scoring chances, missed shot percentages, and the impact of Johansson’s offensive surge. As Minnesota braces for a pivotal clash against the Dallas Stars, questions loom about the offense finding its rhythm and Eriksson Ek cementing his legacy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.
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3 Comments
I'm just afraid Eks body, which has taken a beating over the years, is aging quickly. Just think playing on the 3rd line when the Wild are healthy along with PP minutes is where he needs to be the rest of his contract. But, compared to some Wild players, i never have issues with his effort.
I’m a big fan of solo S Tope. Big fan. Except for these episodes where he reads statistics the entire ep. 15 min of ads + 20 min of listening to Seth read down an Excel spreadsheet is tough
I think a 3rd line of Foligno, EK, Trenin can beat the hell out of almost any offense. Getting EK his netfront post instead of corner grinding would improve his scoring stats. Trenin has been hitting everything that moves and a healthy Moose would go a long ways. By the 3rd period you see guys trying to keep a third eye open for Locomotive #13!