The farm system for the Minnesota Wild is in good hands with the Iowa Wild, and
 young forwards Sam Anas and Justin Kloos should inspire confidence from fans
and the Minnesota Wild brass.

Both players were signed after spending some time in the NCAA.Sam Anas

Anas, 25, played for Quinnipiac University from 2013-16. He scored 22 goals and
 43 points as a freshman, followed by a 39-point sophomore season.

In his junior year, the 5-foot-8 forward scored a career-high 24 goals and 50
points, leading the Bobcats to the national championship game. While Quinnipiac
 lost the national title game, Anas';s performance over the season motivated
Minnesota to sign the forward to a two year, two-way contract in April 2016.

"He';s a smart offensive player," said former Wild assistant GM Brent Flahr at
the time of the signing.

"He';s produced offensively at every level and finished in the top 10 of NCAA
scoring this year. While undersized, Sam has a high compete level and knows his
 way around the offensive zone."Sam Anas (Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics)

Anas has continued to improve every season as a hockey player. He led the
Bobcats in scoring in each of his three seasons, something that wasn';t
expected of him when he committed to the program.

"If you ask me from when he was 18, no question, he';s completely exceeded what
 we thought he would be," Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold told the Hartford
Courant in 2015. "We thought he could be pretty good but there was a lot of
risk when we took him in terms of his size. Then [after two years at
Youngstown] we were like, 'Oh, this is looking really good.'; At that point we
knew we had a top-six forward, a power play guy."

He';s continued to develop with the Iowa Wild.

In his first stint with the team in the 2016-17 season, Anas played in 66 games
 and scored 12 goals to go with 16 assists. His 28 points put him fifth on the
Iowa roster.

GOAL!!! Sam Anas scores off a penalty shot! pic.twitter.com/3q9r0Aa7S5

- Iowa Wild (@IAWild) March 18, 2017

The 25-year-old seemed to learn from his first season, as last year he finished
 second in team scoring with 61 points in 70 games. His 26 goals put him in the
 record books for most goals in a regular season by an Iowa Wild player. He
also broke records for longest point and goal streaks for the team last year.
He finished the year tied for 11th in AHL scoring.

As a result of his strong play, the franchise rewarded him with a fresh
two-year deal this offseason. With his continued growth, Anas will be relied on
 heavily this year to lead Iowa according to coach Derek Lalonde.

"He was a top scorer in the league and he made a big impact in the offensive
end, but he was a plus player this year, and his play away from the puck was
really good. He';s now put himself to the next level, he';s put himself as a
true prospect. I';d expect him to get a good look at training camp next season
and through the preseason," Lalonde said.

Anas was recalled by Minnesota in April but didn';t get into a game for the
team. This year his goal should be to spend some time with the big club, but
the Iowa Wild are going to enjoy and utilize his high skill set when they
can.Justin Kloos

Kloos should also give Wild fans hope, especially since he';s a home-grown
talent. In short, Kloos has scored a lot.

The 24-year-old played high school hockey at Lakeville South in Minnesota,
where he led his team to the state tournament in the 2011-12 season. According
to an article from the Wild';s team site, He led the state in scoring with 103
points in 31 games during his senior season. He was named the winner of the
2013 Mr. Hockey Award, given annually to the top high school hockey player in
the state of Minnesota (Iowa teammate Kyle Rau won the award in 2012).

He also played a few games for the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL during his
high school years before joining the team full-time in the 2012-13
season.Justin Kloos (Photo: University of Minnesota Athletics)

He spent four years at the University of Minnesota, where he posted a strong
freshman season in 2013-14. His 16 goals led the team, and the Gophers advanced
 to the national title game against Union. He finished with 150 points in 155
career games for the Gophers. He served as a captain in his junior and senior
seasons with the team.

University of Minnesota head coach Don Lucia was happy to name Kloos captain in
 2015.

"Justin has been a program-first player since he arrived on campus. He';s a
terrific teammate, a hard worker and a great example of how we want our
student-athletes to carry themselves on and off the ice," Lucia told USA Today.

Like Anas, he went undrafted and signed a two-year contract with the Wild near
the end of the 2016-17 season.

After finishing his senior season as a Gopher, Kloos played in 9 games with
Iowa, scoring one goal. His coach has appreciated Kloos'; game from the start.

"The hockey sense is there as is the compete level. He is making plays,"
Lalonde said in April 2017.

Justin Kloos' first professional goal tied the game at 2-2 in the second
period! #CHIvsIA pic.twitter.com/i8XRvta8rC

- Iowa Wild (@IAWild) April 15, 2017

In his first full season with Iowa last season, Kloos finished fourth in team
scoring with 19 goals and 50 points. It';s the most points scored by a rookie
in Iowa Wild history.

He got into one game with the Wild last year, playing Oct. 24 against
Vancouver.

"It';s something you think about when you';re young and throughout your whole
career this is where you want to be to get this opportunity," Kloos said before
 the game. "Excitement, obviously a little bit nervous. I think going through
all levels of hockey you';re a little nervous every next step you take so this
is nothing different."

Minnesota head coach Bruce Boudreau was eager to see Kloos play.

"He';s a guy with good speed. The reports are, he';s playing good down there,"
said Boudreau. "We';re big on the reward system up here; if you';re playing
good and you deserve it you';re going to get a chance."

Kloos got his chance, finishing the game with a penalty in just over eight
minutes of ice time. While he didn';t register a point, there';s a good chance
he will have more opportunities this year.Wild Impact

The development of Anas and Kloos has impacted Iowa';s success overall, too.

In the 2016-17 season-Anas';s first as a pro and mostly without Kloos-the Wild
posted a 36-31-9 record. Last year with both of them full-time members, the
team posted a similar 33-27-16 record.

The difference, however, lies in the offense. In 2016-17, Iowa scored 182
goals. That number soared to 232 last season, with the pair contributing 45 of
those goals. They spent quite a bit of time last season on the same line in
Iowa, and fans can expect to see that again this year.

The youngsters will need to continue to develop and take steps forward this
season, but all signs point to that happening based on past numbers and
progression. Both players should expect to see some NHL time at some point this
 year, but it';s a guarantee Iowa will be a better team with them on the
roster. For a pair of undrafted kids, Anas and Kloos are making their mark on
the organization.

The post Iowa Wild Forwards Anas & Kloos Making Their Mark appeared first on
The Hockey Writers.

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