General Manager Chuck Fletcher and company decided to send Swedish forward and 2015 first round draft pick Joel Erikkson Ek back to his SHL team Färjestad BK for the season. Easy E’s gave Wild fans a tantalizing taste of things to come by playing like a skater that already belonged in the NHL. He scored two goals and three assists over nine games, the maximum allowed before the Wild would burn the first year of his team friendly entry-level contract (ELC).
The deciding factor was likely the concern that Erikkson Ek would develop better in Sweden than in the fourth line-role he was playing here in Minnesota.