Russian standout Danila Yurov, a former first-round pick, signs with Wild

Wild prospect Danila Yurov is leaving Russia.

Yurov, 21, signed a three-year, entry-level contract that begins next season after an impressive run in the KHL that fueled the intrigue surrounding the savvy forward since the Wild drafted him in the first round 24th overall in 2022.

“He’s a big, lanky kid,” President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin said. “He hasn’t even grown into his body yet. But the skill level, the ability to produce offense, I think that’s what we’re really excited about.”

Yurov’s breakout performance was two seasons ago, the 6-1, 176-pound Yurov scoring a career-high 21 goals and 28 assists with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and his 49 points were the most by a player 20 years or younger in KHL history; his goals were third most. He went on to add nine points, including six goals, in 23 playoff games to help Metallurg to a Gagarin Cup championship.

“For a young kid and a young career and a good professional league like the KHL, he’s done some really good things,” Guerin said. “Most importantly, he’s won a championship. That’s what I love, that he’s got the taste of winning and knows what it feels like. He contributed to a championship team at a young age.”

Last season, Yurov finished with 13 goals and 12 assists while playing fewer games.

He started late because of offseason shoulder surgery, and then Yurov’s regular season ended early because of an ankle injury. But he did return in the playoffs. Overall, Yurov had 41 goals and 47 assists through five seasons with Metallurg.

“He might have come back a little too early,” Guerin said. “We like the character part of that. He’s willing to play when he’s not 100 percent. Yeah, he’ll be 100 percent by the time we get to training camp.”

At camp, the Wild will be gauging Yurov’s commitment to the defensive side of the puck to determine if he’s NHL-ready, and that could also decide if he stays stateside.

His contract includes a clause that would allow Yurov to turn down an assignment to Iowa in the American Hockey League and return to the KHL if he doesn’t make the Wild.

“Young players this day and age, the offensive part is figured out,” Guerin said. “They’ve got the skill. They’ve got the drive for it. But just like any other young player, defensively, you really have to want to play a 200-foot game, and that’s going to be really important for him — especially where our team’s at.”

Although the Wild drafted Yurov as a winger with the second of two first-rounders in 2022 (Liam Ohgren went five picks earlier), they will debut him at center.

That could make Yurov a potential complement to Kirill Kaprizov, who also won the KHL title but was a back-to-back 30-goal scorer before joining the Wild. Still, Yurov is known for his speed and competitiveness, and his experience is unique compared to other recent prospects making the switch to the Wild. Ohgren was in Sweden’s top league for two seasons before leaving, while Marat Khusnutdinov played parts of four seasons in the KHL (with fewer goals than Yurov) ahead of his move; the Wild traded Khusnutdinov, a center, to Boston in March.

The plan is for Yurov, who will wear No. 22, to spend “quite a bit” of time in North America this summer.

After attending his draft in Montreal, Yurov did participate in the Wild’s development camp in St. Paul before returning to Russia.

“There are going to be growing pains, learning curve, whatever you want to call it,” Guerin said. “But in the end, he’ll be a center, and we might as well start him there.”