Day 4: Coach directing Wild prospects camp pleased so far

Houston Aeros coach John Torchetti, who was in charge of the on-ice drills at the Wild development camp this week, called the camp "fantastic".

"The players have come here and they really worked at it," said Torchetti, a well-traveled NHL who was named the Aeros coach on July 5. "They want to get better. There has been some great off-ice leadership skill stuff. They want to show us as a staff that they want to be here."

The WIld had 42 players at camp, although several were injured and did not skate.

Torchetti said he learned a lot about the players just from watching them in drills.

Like what? "Their effort," he said. "If they are poised, especially later on in the practice. Do they handle the situations? This has been a pretty grueling camp. You get to see who accesses their skills being tired."

Torchetti said what made the camp grueling was all the demands on the players, on-ice and off-ice.

He especially was impressed with the leadership training the players went through. "It's been incredible," Torchetti said. "They had some people come in and hold a camp for them. It teaches. ... The future looks good because a lot of these guys will learn the right things and how to be prepared coming to camp."

"There is a lot more skill [here] than different camp I have been at before," Torchetti said. "You will see it in the games, too, that is what I am looking forward to seeing this weekend."

The prospects will scrimmage at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Xcel and at 11 a.m. Sunday. Admission is free both days and the gate opens at 10:30 a.m.

Here are Torchetti's views on four of the more intriguing players in camp:

* Finnish forward Mikael Granlund, the Wild's first round pick in the 2010 draft: "Great vision. Really good hands in traffic. Distributes the puck. Just in the little things that we are doing here, he sees the ice very well. I am very impressed.

"I don't think [his size, 5-10] matters. We've had some pretty good small players in my lifetime. There are used to playing with big guys because they have been small [all their life]. He is really crafty. He has great vision. He is going to be fine. And he likes to go into the traffic areas."

* Defenseman Kyle Medvec, the former Apple Valley star who was at his sixth WIld prospects camp: "He is a big guy [6-6]. Good reach. I've liked his camp so far. He has worked hard. He is somebody who will just have to keep getting better as we go along. "

* Wayzata junior forward Mario Lucia, the Wild's second round pick this year and the youngest player in camp: "From a coaching perspective, you want to see a player improve every day. And that is what he has done.

"And off-ice, he did a great job at the special training course, too. Being the youngest guy here, that is really a grueling task, doing the off-ice stuff. You get to test someone's will and he did a great job with it."

Lucia turns 18 next month.

Prospects at the camp repelled on a rope across a creek in Bloomington, and moved 35-pound water jugs wearing weighted vests.

"The majority of the kids did it," Torchetti said, referring to carrying the water jugs a certain distance and back.

"There is a whole slew of names" that stood out," Torchetti said. "I haven't seen a lot of these guys, so they are all new to me. This makes it a lot easier transition for me when I go to Traverse City."