Midweek Stock Report: Adam Thielen gets paid
Every Wednesday, FOX Sports North takes a look at which athletes' stock is trending up and whose is trending down.
In other words, who is making a meteoric rise, and who is quickly plummeting.
With that in mind, let's "take stock" of the current sports scene in Minnesota.
Casey Mittelstadt, former Eden Prairie forward/Gophers commit
With his final shot at the state tournament behind him, it took three days for Mittelstadt to earn USHL Player of the Week honors after returning to the Green Bay Gamblers. He scored twice and added an assist in his first game with the Gamblers since November, added two more assists Saturday, then picked up his sixth point in a 5-1 win Sunday. TSN's Craig Hutton recently named Mittelstadt the No. 6-ranked prospect heading into this summer's NHL draft.
https://twitter.com/USHL/status/842924120132255744
Minnesota Duluth men's hockey
The Bulldogs won their first NCHC tournament over the weekend, surviving their fifth meeting with a resurgent North Dakota squad for a 4-3 win. Goaltender Hunter Miska shined, making 32 saves while fending off seven of a whopping 10 Fighting Hawks power play opportunities, including three 5-on-3 chances. Their reward? A trip to the West Regional in Fargo, where a potential rematch looms if UMD can dispatch No. 4 seed Ohio State.
Adam Thielen, Vikings receiver
After busting out for 967 yards and five touchdowns in his third season, Thielen is getting paid. The Detroit Lakes native and Minnesota State alum agreed to a three-year, $17 million contract with the Vikings last week that could pay out up to $27 million. A former undrafted free agent, Thielen appears to be firmly entrenched as the Vikings' No. 2 receiver following the departure of Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson in free agency.
Ricky Rubio, Wolves guard
The Wolves may not be winning, but Rubio is hitting his shots. He scored at least 20 points in four straight games snapped in the Wolves' loss to the Pelicans, but dished out 14 assists. Rubio is averaging 16 points per game in March, the best month of his NBA career.
Adrian Peterson, former Vikings running back
It's a tough time to be a 32-year-old running back. The Vikings announced their split with Peterson last week, signing Latavius Murray in his place. The Seattle Seahawks are off the table after signing Eddie Lacy, while the Oakland Raiders are apparently courting retired bruiser Marshawn Lynch instead. The cash-strapped New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers remain without a proven starter, but Peterson's options are dwindling two weeks into free agency.
Devan Dubnyk, Wild goalie
Dubnyk snapped a string of five straight losses Tuesday with a win over the San Jose Sharks, but his numbers have dipped dramatically over the last few weeks. Once the clear frontrunner for the Vezina Trophy, Dubnyk has a .900 save percentage this month, and a .876 mark over his last four starts.
Richard Pitino, Gophers basketball coach
Pitino may have orchestrated the biggest turnaround in college basketball this season, but that didn't stop No. 12-seeded Middle Tennessee State from pulling off the tournament's first major upset. Overmatched as a No. 5 seed, the Gophers struggled on both ends of the floor. Nate Mason didn't score in the first half, while Jordan Murphy and star defender Reggie Lynch got into foul trouble.