Rough-and-tumble newcomer Jake Middleton joins Wild alongside Jared Spurgeon

Jake Middleton's trek to Minnesota to join the Wild required a pit stop at the mall.

"Bought some suitcases and packed up and hit the road," the defenseman said.

His journey from NHL long shot to trade deadline day pickup was borne of passion.

"I love playing hockey," said Middleton, who's expected to make his team debut Thursday against Vancouver at Xcel Energy Center. "I literally have nothing else going on, so showing up at the rink every morning is pretty good for me.

"I enjoy coming to the rink every morning and the camaraderie. So, that's just kind of what's kept me going along these five-and-a-half years or so. It paid off."

Almost 1,000 players — 968, to be exact — have skated at least a game in the NHL this season.

Only 34 are seventh-round draft picks and just two are last picks overall, a unique club that includes Middleton, who wasn't at the draft in Philadelphia in 2014 to hear his name called when Los Angeles selected him at 210.

Once he finished up his junior career, and after going unsigned by the Kings, Middleton eventually landed with San Jose's American Hockey League affiliate before meriting a three-year deal from the Sharks.

Not until this season, though, did he become a regular in the NHL, averaging 19 minutes a game and pairing up with the likes of Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson while chipping in three goals and six assists through 45 games. The box he's checking for the Wild is a physical, hard-nosed defender who can clear out the crease, attributes the team acquired Monday from San Jose in exchange for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and a fifth-round pick.

"He's not fun to stand in front with," center Ryan Hartman said. "He's going to give you shots, and he's going to make it hard for you. He's going to make you not want to be there."

Middleton credited that style with helping him kickstart his pro career and hang around the NHL, and it's a strategy that could benefit a team like the Wild that's given up the third-most goals (75) since the All-Star break.

"It's a race to get to the front of the net and screen and tip and create disruption there," coach Dean Evason said after Middleton's first practice with the team Wednesday at Tria Rink in St. Paul. "It's going to be difficult when we've got a big strong man that's going to be physically engaged. Hopefully it deters some people of wanting to get to the front of our net."

Getting assigned to work with captain Jared Spurgeon on the No. 1 unit guarantees he'll have an opportunity to make an impact — what Middleton called "a nice pat on the back."

But the 26-year-old is eyeing even more growth in his game on the heels of all the progress he's accomplished.

"I'm not a solidified player by any means," said Middleton, who will wear No. 5. "I hope to at one point, but there's a lot of good defensemen here, a lot of guys battling for contracts and spots, so it's an exciting time to be a part of this organization.

"Just from all the skill, all the players, how great they are, too, it's really cool to see."