What does a deep NHL draft and three picks in the top 65 mean for the Wild?
Wild have the luxury of flexibility going into NHL draft
With three picks in the top 65, "We're going to exhaust options," the team's scouting chief said.
June 28, 2023 at 3:35AM
Flexibility, which the team could leverage as soon as the first round kicks off Wednesday night in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. Rounds 2-7 are on Thursday.
The Wild currently have six selections, beginning with No. 21.
"They'll be some options out there," General Manager Bill Guerin said. "But I think we'd be more than happy to just sit tight at 21 and make our pick. We'll see what materializes on the draft floor and before then.
"But, yeah, we still think no matter what if we do nothing at all and just make our pick, we get a very good player."
This draft has been buzzed about for quite some time, and rightfully so.
Connor Bedard, the undisputed top pick, is a rare talent who went on a dizzying climb through the junior and international ranks while drawing comparisons to Edmonton superstar and three-time MVP Connor McDavid.
After Bedard are other elite centers like Michigan's Hobey Baker Award winning Adam Fantilli, Swedish standout Leo Carlsson and clutch scorer Will Smith from the U.S. National Under-18 team. Chicago won the draft lottery to choose first, with Anaheim slotted second and Columbus sitting third.
But the intrigue doesn't stop at the top.
Smart centers, tall wingers and even a few right-shot defensemen are projected to fill out the first round.
If the Wild stay at No. 21, centers like Calum Ritchie from the Ontario Hockey League, Sweden Under-18 captain Otto Stenberg and his teammate David Edstrom could still be available. Same with wingers Andrew Cristall, Daniil But and Eduard Sale as well as defenseman Oliver Bonk.
Either way, this draft has depth, and the Wild could pivot in either direction.
"If moving up makes sense, then that's what we'll do if it works for us," Guerin said. "If moving back does, then we could do that. I keep an open mind with these things.
"When your pick comes along and you see who's in the vicinity and who you might get, if there's multiple players that you're happy with, then you maybe move back. If there's somebody that we really like that we feel is going to go, maybe we try to move up."
With Nos. 53 and 64 (from Vegas via Buffalo in the Jordan Greenway trade), this outlook also applies in the second round: The Wild could package those two picks to draft earlier, and or they could slide back; of their six selections, none are in the third and fourth rounds.
"We're going to exhaust options," Wild Director of Amateur Scouting Judd Brackett said.
In their evaluation, the Wild study multiple factors including a player's on-ice performance, intel they've gathered off the ice and analytical data to make their best forecast on where a player will be in five-to-seven years.
They also brought in a mental performance specialist, Aaron Bogosian, and he provides character assessments.
"I believe character is one of the biggest indicators of future success when you talk about coachability, people that are committed to their training, to their craft," Brackett said. "At this stage, at 17, 18, most of these players have been the best player, maybe haven't been through a lot of adversity at this time.
"So, getting a sense of how they're going to respond to challenges, what their work ethic is like, what their peers and others say about them, is really important."
The culmination of all that prep work will start to be revealed soon.
"It is critically important for us to continue to perform," Brackett said. "Also our development staff is excellent at working with our players and getting them through the next steps and challenges to eventually be with the big club and start paying the dividends that we envision."
After letting 135-footer bounce in early, Fleury steadied himself in 5-3 victory.
