When he showed up at training camp in some of the best shape of his career, Wild forward Yakov Trenin admitted that his debut in Minnesota a season ago was less than he expected, and less than fans should have expected.
Minnesota Wild forward Yakov Trenin (13) is photographed during the team’s media day in St. Paul on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press).
He spoke then of a new attitude and approach to the season, and it was fair to assume providing more offense was his goal.
After a little more than one-fourth of his second season with the Wild, Trenin’s offensive numbers are roughly the same as a year ago, but he is turning some heads with an element of his game that some might not have anticipated from the tall, somewhat lanky, 28-year-old Russian.
After delivering eight hits in the Wild’s 3-0 win in Winnipeg on Sunday, Trenin is leading the NHL in that category, with 107 hits in his first 23 games this season.
Wild coach John Hynes, who was Trenin’s boss previously in Nashville, is seeing the player he once knew in Predators colors.
“The year that he’s having this year and the style of game he’s playing is more indicative of what he brings to a team and the value that he brings. So it’s good to see,” Hynes said following the team’s Tuesday morning practice at TRIA Rink.
Hynes has seen Trenin’s better physical shape translate into more impact on the ice.
“I would say stamina, I would say quickness. I think he’s a little bit lighter and leaner,” Hynes said. “I think he’s always in good shape, he’s just different. The adjustments he made in the offseason have paid dividends for him to be a little bit quicker. Now he’s a little quicker, stamina’s good. Now you can arrive on time, you can be physical. I think he’s a little more explosive.”
That strategic aggression manifested in the only goal the Wild would eventually need in Winnipeg. In the second period of a scoreless game, Trenin went hard at Jets forward Nino Niederreiter behind the home team’s net, delivered a hit, got the puck, then fed Wild rookie Danila Yurov for the goal that broke the ice.
The play left Trenin’s teammates impressed and smiling.
“You see the hits. You see the one that caused the first goal,” said Marcus Foligno, currently 11th in the league with 74 hits in 22 games. “Niederreiter coughs up the puck because he’s a little bit scared of what’s coming … and then the best part is (Trenin) hits him and he gets the puck back; it’s not like he blows (Niederreiter) up and he blows himself up. Seeing a lot of control out of him.”
The play reminded not only Hynes of the player he had in Nashville, but current teammates of their former Central Division foe before Trenin inked a four-year $14 million contract in Minnesota in the summer of 2024.
“I hated playing against him,” Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian said. “He finishes every check on the forecheck and then makes it tough on guys going back for the puck. So it’s good when he can set the tone that way, and it kind of bleeds into the group.”
Through his first 23 games this season, playing wing and some center on the third or fourth line primarily, Trenin has a goal and four assists.
Briefly
None of the Wild’s four currently injured forwards skated in Tuesday’s practice before the team boarded a charter for Wednesday night’s game in Chicago. Vinnie Hinostroza is expected to be out 4-6 weeks after suffering a lower body injury last Friday in Pittsburgh. Marco Rossi (lower) has not yet begun skating. Ryan Hartman (lower) skated on his own Tuesday but has yet to rejoin practice. Vladimir Tarasenko (lower) was sick and stayed away from the rink as a precaution.
Related Articles
Mats Zuccarello’s impact hard to miss at Wild surge continues
Wally is a Wall, as Wild blank Jets
After injury delay, Nico Sturm excited for his second Wild debut
Surging Wild dominate Pittsburgh start to finish
Good reviews, generally, for Danila Yurov as Wild’s top-line center
Leave a Reply