Wild sign Danila Yurov to entry-level contract

On Friday, Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin announced the team has signed forward Danila Yurov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The deal is set to begin next season. According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the contract has an NHL AAV of $950,000. He can receive anywhere from $250,000 to $1 million in performance bonuses – which include scoring 60 points, making the All-Rookie Team and being named to the All-Star game, among other accolades.

The Wild initially took Yurov in the first round, 24th overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft. His draft stock was high after a couple of promising seasons with Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk in the MHL, the top junior league in Russia.

The Russian forward has spent most of the last few seasons with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. He had a great run in 2023-24, setting career highs in goals (21), assists (28) and points (49). Yurov went on to score nine points in 23 playoff games as Metallurg defeated Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to win the Gagarin Cup, the franchise’s seventh league championship.

Yurov was hopeful to have an even better year in 2024-25, but had to undergo ankle surgery in February, taking him out of action until the postseason. In his 46 regular-season appearances, he notched 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points. The 21-year-old came back in time to play in five playoff games, as Metallurg was eliminated in the first round by Avangard Omsk.

In 209 KHL games, Yurov potted 41 goals and 47 assists for 88 points, including another 11 points in 61 postseason affairs.

Internationally, Yurov played for Russia at the 2019 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, winning the gold medal, before winning the silver medal at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. He also represented his country at the canceled 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, his last appearance in international play before the IIHF banned Russa from competing in major competitions.