ST. PAUL, Minn. — If you go by the adage that you can win a job in the preseason, Hunter Haight has put his very best foot forward.

Coming off a strong first pro season, Haight has had an impressive training camp with the Minnesota Wild, including scoring a goal in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Chicago. It was telling that he got multiple shifts with the extra attacker late in the game (over even Danila Yurov).

“He’s put himself in a position to continue to compete for a spot,” coach John Hynes said. “He’s had a strong camp. He’s got good hockey sense. His competitiveness jumps out at you. He’s been able to produce in a couple games, and he seems like a pretty versatile player. He’s a right-shot center, and he’s done a pretty good job on the penalty kill. He’s had some power-play time, so he’s done well.”

Whether Haight makes the team remains to be seen. There are others in the mix, including Yurov, Liam Ohgren and Vinnie Hinostroza. Nico Sturm pushed hard in Sunday morning’s practice but has been dealing with a back issue; how he progresses could determine how many spots are up for grabs heading into the Oct. 9 opener.

But in such a nondescript preseason game, with a roster full of Wild hopefuls, Haight is an example of taking advantage of a longer look.

“At the end of the day, that’s why I’m here, is to try to find a roster spot and every day try and get better,” said Haight, 21. “I think I’ve progressed throughout this camp.”

Sunday marked the preseason debuts of veterans Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman and Marcus Johansson, and they were the only forward shoo-ins to dress in the game. The only two healthy players on the roster who have yet to play in the preseason are veterans Jared Spurgeon and Joel Eriksson Ek. Each player is expected to play the final two preseason games: Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets and Friday in Chicago against the Blackhawks.

Here’s a look at our projected roster after the Wild trimmed 10 players Sunday, including forward Riley Heidt (who had an underwhelming camp) and defensemen Kyle Masters and Jack Peart.

Forward

Locks (10): Kirill Kaprizov (eye infection), Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marco Rossi, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Hartman, Marcus Foligno, Marcus Johansson, Yakov Trenin, Nico Sturm (currently injured but on the mend)

Vying for a spot: Danila Yurov, Liam Ohgren, Vinnie Hinostroza, Brett Leason, Hunter Haight, Tyler Pitlick, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Ben Jones

Likely getting cut: Caedan Bankier, Rasmus Kumpulainen

Season-opening IR: Mats Zuccarello (will miss significant time to start the season), Michael Milne (if he’s not cleared from surgery recovery)

Analysis: There are realistically just a few open spots: one to fill in for Zuccarello, another on the fourth line with Trenin and Sturm, and a 13th forward.

But Hynes is uncertain about Sturm’s health. They’ll see how he feels when the team next practices Tuesday, but Hynes indicated Sturm needs to push through a couple hour-long practices before the Wild even consider playing him in a game.

Ohgren got off to a strong start in camp, making a really good impression in the first few days on a line with Tarasenko and Eriksson Ek. He has since plateaued a bit, leading us to believe it would not be a shock if Johansson sneaks his way back up to the top six — especially because Hynes says he wants Hartman to start the season at center. (Hartman won 15 of 22 faceoffs Sunday with three shots and another seven attempted.)

In Sunday’s exhibition game, Ohgren did have a couple nice shots on a first-period power play, including one that would have led to a goal had Hartman not misfired through the crease on the rebound. He finished with four shots.

Yurov has played in all four preseason games, which was needed to get reps in his first NHL training camp. The good news is that the rookie Russian center has made progress throughout, although board battles continue to be an area where he must adjust to the North American pro level. He came in as advertised in terms of being steady defensively. There still have been issues in the faceoff circle, however, which is a problem if Yurov is starting as a center. He’s won just 19 of 52 draws (36.5 percent) in four games.

He did have his first goal of the preseason overturned in the third period because of Hinostroza’s incidental contact with the Blackhawks goalie.

There haven’t been many flashes offensively for Yurov. He has been solid, not spectacular, showing signs he could use at least some seasoning in AHL Iowa — which shouldn’t be surprising.

President of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin has said they’re not going to force anybody in the lineup before they’re ready, and we can see Yurov starting the season in Iowa (even if it’s not for long) provided he’s willing to accept that rather than making a long-term decision by re-signing in the KHL. He does have a European out clause in his contract.

“I think he understands what we want to do,” Hynes said. “I think the next steps for him would be the faceoff circle, continuing to work on that, trying to win draws, us trying to help him with that. I think now he understands how we want to play and what the games are like, but the competitiveness to win puck battles in the corners and in both ends of the rink, I think that’s another level for him.

“And then I think we’ve seen some things offensively, but maybe a little … more intensity in puck recoveries and forecheck situations where you can get in the offense longer, I think we might see some more offense come out.”

Haight has been impressive in camp: just consistent overall in his effort, energy and two-way play. It seems like he picked up where he left off in his first pro season in AHL Iowa, when then-coach Brett McLean said he quickly relied upon the 5-foot-11, 181-pound forward in all situations. Haight caught the eye of some veteran players, including Foligno, who worked with him after practice.

“He’s going to be here sooner than later,” Foligno said.

Leason, here on a PTO, started off seeming like he had an inside track on a fourth-line spot given his experience in Anaheim. But he’s been underwhelming throughout camp and perhaps could provide some NHL-ready depth in Iowa if he’s willing to sign a two-way deal. It’s late September and he went the entire summer without a free-agent contract, so what choice would he have if that’s the offer from Minnesota?

Of the “veteran” group battling for spots, including Jones, Pitlick and Aube-Kubel, Hinostroza has been by far the best. He has a comfort level here, having scored five goals in 25 games for the Wild last season.

“I feel good,” Hinostroza said. “I feel like I helped the team here when I was playing. I love the team here, I want to be part of it — whether that’s playing anywhere in the lineup or as the 14th forward, I want to be part of the team.”

Our best guess: Yurov starts the year in Iowa, Ohgren and Hinostroza (as the 13th forward) make the team. But we’re starting to really wonder about Haight if Sturm isn’t ready to start the year.

Defensemen

Locks (4): Jared Spurgeon, Brock Faber, Jake Middleton, Zach Bogosian

Vying for a spot: Zeev Buium, David Jiricek, Jack Johnson, Carson Lambos, David Spacek, Matt Kiersted, Ben Gleason

Season-opening IR: Jonas Brodin (if he’s not cleared), Stevie Leskovar

Analysis: Let’s face it — Buium is making the team. And the former University of Denver star is likely to run the first power play. He missed three days earlier in camp after taking a puck to the hand and hasn’t really wowed in his two games (minus-6). But the Wild are big believers in what kind of impact he can make as a rookie. It’ll be interesting to see who Buium is paired with — perhaps Spurgeon?

Lambos has done well for himself in this camp. He looks like a guy who is pretty darn close to being NHL-ready, and at the very least he’ll be a first call-up type situation. You could tell how much more comfortable and confident he has looked with and without the puck.

“I feel a lot more confident,” Lambos said. “Just trying to make a statement.”

 

Johnson, brought in as a PTO with Brodin possibly missing the start of the season, looks like he still has game. The issue is this: If the Wild feel Brodin won’t be out long to start the year or even could be ready — Hynes said it’s a moving target and he did get cleared to practice fully for the first time Sunday morning — can you commit a contract to the 38-year-old Johnson? Let’s be honest, he’s not about to be asked to play in the minors after 1,228 NHL games.

The only way you can really sign him is if you’re willing to carry eight defensemen this season when healthy. And as we saw last season, you cannot have too many NHL-quality defensemen.

However, if Brodin’s not out long, you can simply keep Lambos (or Kiersted, who has looked good in camp) as insurance.

Jiricek, like Yurov, has played in every preseason game. He’s also made some pretty steady progress overall, with coaches appreciating him showing up early (Aug. 3) to work with other Wild players and staff. There’s been a difference in his skating and strength, especially the upper body.

Where Jiricek sometimes gets in trouble is in his positioning/decision-making in his own zone, or desire to burst out of the zone on the rush at poor times. He made a mistake on the first of Frank Nazar’s three goals Sunday.

“I would say that in the beginning, coming back, that he’s definitely stronger,” Hynes said. “I think he made the commitment to be here for six, seven weeks before the season started, so that’s been good. I think his skating has looked good. … In Dallas, we talked to him about leaving the net-front and chasing bad ice behind. …

“The other night (in a rematch against the Stars), he was reading like there’s a player below the goal line, ‘there’s a little bit of a breakdown here, I hold here.’ Least dangerous player, most dangerous player. So I’m seeing growth in his game. That to me is the most important thing.”

If Johnson isn’t signed and the Wild don’t want to play Lambos or Kiersted opening night, could one of the right-shot Jiricek and Bogosian play the left side? Hynes said that could happen if dictated, and if it’s a possibility, we could see that experimentation in one of the final two preseason games.

Our best guess: Buium and Jiricek make the team, and the Wild keep Lambos or Kiersted as the extra defenseman if Brodin is close to start the year or is ready. If not, they sign Johnson.

Goalies

Locks (2): Filip Gustavsson, Jesper Wallstedt

Likely getting cut: Samuel Hlavaj, Cal Petersen

Analysis: Gustavsson enters the season as the clear No. 1, and he’ll soon get paid like one as there’s expected to be talks about a potential extension. And it seems as though Gustavsson and touted prospect Jesper Wallstedt have hit it off, the two having golfed together since they arrived in Minnesota before camp.

We can expect Gustavsson to get 55-plus starts, but that means Wallstedt is going to get a strong share due to the condensed schedule. Wallstedt has had a strong camp, with Hynes noting he looks like a player who sees an opportunity and is ready to seize it. Wallstedt came in slimmer and, he says, more explosive. And more importantly, Wallstedt has mentally moved on from his “terrible” season last year.

Petersen, who signed with the Wild on July 1, had a strong preseason debut in Dallas. He’ll be in a tandem with Hlavaj in Iowa.

(Photo of Hunter Haight: Nick Wosika / Imagn Images)