Breaking: Wild demote two rookies down to AHL

The Minnesota Wild have sent forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

The two rookies are both mired in scoring slumps and Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau is hoping the demotion will help them gain their confidence back. “We just think those guys need a little bit of confidence,” said Boudreau. “You know, get a chance to play the power play, get a chance to play 22 or 23 minutes a night.”

Eriksson-Ek, a preseason Calder Trophy favoorite as the league’s top rookie, hasn’t scored in 12 games… it’s been 10 for Kunin. The former first round picks have just three and four points respectively on the season, so it’s easy to see what’s led to this decision.

Subsequently the team also recalled forward Zack Mitchell from Iowa to slot into the Wild’s lineup. The 24-year-old has leads Iowa in scoring with 5 goals and 16 points in just 11 games.