Wilderness Walk: Boston College prospects continue to impress

That’s Wild

• Boston College is loaded with Minnesota Wild prospects. Forwards Matt Boldy, Nikita Nesterenko and Jack McBain, joined by defenseman Marshall Warren, form a tighly-knit group of young talent that should have fans keeping a close eye on the Hockey East program. All of that has come into the spotlight as the trio of forwards were able to earn at least two points each in the 9-0 victory over Providence College, including this shorthanded bomb from Boldy.

After a late-game assist, that now should say eight points in four games for the 19-year-old Wild prospect. He has certainly been the star of the bunch, but even Nesternenko — just five months his junior and in his freshman year at BC — earning five points through his first four is more than impressive. As the college hockey season carries on, there will no doubt be some special attention paid to this one team.

• Mats Zuccarello will miss a significant portion of the regular season, after undergoing arm surgery to repair a nagging injury, earlier this offseason. [Hockey Wilderness]
• The NHL are still trying to stay optimistic and are reportedly eyeing a season start date somewhere around the middle of January. Let’s see if that happens. [Hockey Wilderness]

Off the trail...

• Should the Nashville Predators get aggressive and send an offer sheet another team’s way to keep the championship dreams alive? [ProHockeyTalk]
• Despite finishing towards the bottom of the league and haven’t really been able to consider themselves playoff contenders in a few years, Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk believes that his team will be buyers at this season’s trade deadline and will push to win the Stanley Cup. You just have to laugh sometimes. [NHL dot com]