Justin Kloos to Sign with Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have reached terms on a two-year entry-level contract with University of Minnesota senior captain Justin Kloos, reports Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Kloos served as captain of the Gophers for each of the past two seasons, and tallied exactly 43 points in each season. We ranked Kloos as the 91st-best NHL prospect in the NCAA this past season:

Kloos has put together four excellent seasons at the University of Minnesota, including serving as team captain for the past two years. Kloos has above-average speed and good offensive skill. He has the patience and vision to make the extra pass in the offensive zone, and good finishing ability. He’s a strong character player that works hard and frequently comes up big in big moments. There’s a lot to like about him, and impossible to argue with what he’s accomplished at the college level.

The problem is that Kloos has always been a bit of a tweener as an NHL prospect. He’s probably not quite skilled enough to play a top-six scoring role at the NHL level, and not quite big enough to play a physical checking line role. That said, someone with his track record will likely get an opportunity with an NHL contract with somebody, and it seems like it would be a mistake to bet against him contributing somehow in the NHL.