Wild sign Dexheimer, Lorenz, send both to Iowa on tryouts

Minnesota did not wait for next fall to get its hands on Ben Dexheimer and Rieger Lorenz. Both prospects signed entry-level contracts on April 15, 2026, then headed straight to Iowa on amateur tryouts, a move that turns the final stretch of the AHL season into a live audition for the Wild’s next wave.

Dexheimer is the cleaner fit on the back end. The 23-year-old defenseman finished his Wisconsin career with 13 goals and 84 points in 149 games, then capped his college run by leading Big Ten defensemen with 28 points in 39 games this season. He also piled up 80 shots and 56 blocked shots, proof that he was not just a puck mover but a defender who could survive the hard minutes and still drive offense. Wisconsin’s captain delivered one of the biggest goals in the country when he scored the overtime winner against Michigan State in the NCAA regional final, sending the Badgers to their first Frozen Four since 2010.

That kind of résumé should matter immediately in Des Moines. Iowa gets another mobile, responsible blue-liner who has already worn a captain’s letter and handled pressure games, which means Dexheimer can be slotted into a depth role right away and pushed into tougher minutes if he earns them. His arrival also gives Minnesota a chance to see whether his game translates quickly enough to challenge for a regular pro spot next season, not just a training camp look.

Lorenz brings a different kind of value. The Wild drafted him 56th overall in 2022, and now the 6-foot-2 forward arrives after a championship run at Denver that included 35 points in 43 games, a plus-25 rating, three game-winners and two power-play goals. He served as an alternate captain, played 169 career games, the most ever by a four-year Pioneer, and scored in both of Denver’s recent national championship games. He also made his professional debut against Grand Rapids on April 15.

That matters because Iowa does not need another anonymous depth body. It needs players who can handle the pressure that comes with the spring schedule, and Lorenz has already done that in college hockey’s biggest moments. He is the bigger-bodied forward who can slide into middle-six or matchup duty, and his presence could squeeze other fringe forwards down the lineup chart as the Wild staff sorts out who can help in playoff hockey and who is only filling a seat.

The bigger message is simple: Minnesota is not treating these signings like paperwork. By getting Dexheimer and Lorenz to Iowa now, the organization is using the AHL postseason runway as the real evaluation window, where development and depth planning overlap and every shift has a little more weight.