With changes afoot, opportunity knocks for Sturm

Change so often brings about new opportunity. That's certainly the case for Wild forward Nico Sturm, who signed a two-year contract with Minnesota earlier this month, cementing his place with the only organization he's known since signing as a college free agent on April 1, 2019.
But this contract is different for the one-time Clarkson Golden Knight, who is coming off a number of firsts in his pro hockey career.

After making his NHL debut by playing in two games at the tail end of 2018-19, Sturm completed his first full year as a professional. Much of that season was played in Iowa, where he scored his first goal as a pro and tallied his first point. It was a solid first year in Iowa, scoring 12 goals and 32 points in 55 games for Minnesota's AHL team.
But he also got another taste of the NHL, playing in six games tabulating his first NHL point when he earned an assist Dec. 19 in Arizona.
He played in his first NHL postseason game in the Edmonton bubble, and scored his first NHL goal in Game 4 of the Wild's series against the Vancouver Canucks.

All of these firsts are things to build on for the 25-year-old centerman, who seems likely to embark on one more first whenever the 2020-21 season gets underway: his first full season as an NHLer.
Sturm's contract is a one-way deal, which means he'll have every opportunity to earn a job with Minnesota.
"To just have the actual signing out of the way and know where I'm going to spend the next two years ... I think that's great for me," Sturm said on a call with Twin Cities media last week. "I absolutely enjoyed my first year of pro hockey both down in Iowa and with the big club. I really wanted to stay. And it shows that the organization as a whole, and [Wild General Manager] Billy [Guerin] and the coaching staff trust me and the path that I've taken and have shown a lot of confidence that I'll be able to help the team move forward."
With the changes that have been made to the forward group this offseason, Sturm has the look of a player who could see a big increase in his role next season.
With veterans Eric Staal (traded to Buffalo) and Mikko Koivu (free agent, signed with Columbus) off the roster, that opened a spot for a player like Sturm to make the jump. The departure of Koivu, in particular, opened up the fourth-line center position and Sturm seems like a natural fit to fill that role.

While the Wild has traded for Marcus Johansson and Nick Bonino and drafted Marco Rossi, none of those would appear to be as clear a fit on that fourth line as Sturm, who saw time there during the playoffs.
"He's going to contribute to our team," Guerin said. "The thing is he brings speed and size. He's got great energy. He's a great skater, and we're happy to have him back."
Despite having just a handful of NHL games under his belt, Sturm has a strong grasp of what it means to be a professional. Few on the roster will come to training camp in better condition. He's also ready and willing to play wherever coach Dean Evason needs him. He played some wing during the playoffs and could find himself doing the same at points in the future.
And even though his time with the NHL club was limited last season, Sturm said he did everything he could to try and learn from those veterans who are now gone and whose skates he'll be looking to help fill.
The presence of those veterans was one of the most valuable parts of having Sturm around the big club for a couple of weeks in the immediate aftermath of him finishing his collegiate career.
"Those are two guys I've tried to pick up as much as possible from] the last year when I got the chance to play and got to stick around," Sturm said. "I always look at them, the longevity of their careers, the small things that they do right."
For now, with the League planning on a return in early January, Sturm said he'll put his focus on coming back to Minnesota in the best shape possible in order to pick up where he left off in the playoffs.
The wait for the season to kick off and for the chance to establish himself could be excruciating.
"If the season were to start tomorrow, I'd be ready," Sturm said. "I haven't taken any time off after those two [playoff] games. I've been grinding away on the ice, off the ice.
"For me, it doesn't really matter if it's tomorrow, a week or a month, I'm in great shape, I'm healthy and I'll be ready to go and help the team win."
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