It’s officially one of the best weeks of the offseason for the NHL which means the 2023 NHL Entry Draft is just days away followed closely by free agency. While it’s highly unlikely the Minnesota Wild will make any big moves when free agency arrives, they may rock the boat with the draft. Currently, they have the 21st pick in the first round that’ll take place on June 28.
It’s possible the Wild could try to move up in the order if there’s a player they really want and are willing to give up others in return. Whatever happens, the important thing for fans to remember is to trust in general manager Bill Guerin and his right-hand man Judd Brackett who’s the director of the Wild’s amateur scouting. They’ve been a team the last few seasons and have done quite well on the draft floor.
Guerin’s Draft History
Guerin has been with the Wild since August of 2019 after the draft and free agency were over for that offseason. It hasn’t been long but it’s been an interesting ride with all the changes due to COVID-19. Over all this time, he’s worked to change the team for the better and while it feels like things have stayed the same, they haven’t.
Guerin went right to work clearing out some of the older players with bigger contracts that were going to hinder the future of the team, also known as the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Of course that was seasons ago and it’s affected the team in terms of cap space, but he has done well to navigate that course. He’s also done well with looking toward the future in terms of drafting.
His first draft was during the 2020 offseason and Brackett, who’d just joined the Wild in July of that season, was able to be a part of it. COVID restrictions had delayed the event to October and the team made it count. Guerin and Brackett picked Marco Rossi in the first round, and while he hasn’t hit his potential just yet, he’ll get there.
Since then the pair has drafted names like Jack Peart, Carson Lambos, David Spacek, and Hunter Haight. Rossi isn’t the only big name they’ve snatched either, the year after Rossi the Wild were able to pick up Jesper Wallstedt who is supposed to be the future of their goaltending. Last year was pretty phenomenal in the name department as well with the pickups of not only Danila Yurov but also Liam Öhgren. These players are expected to lead the Wild in the future and have a lot of expectations on their shoulders.
Guerin’s Insight
Not only does Guerin have the history of previous drafts for fans to believe in him but also his ability to see the game and what exactly the team needs and when they need it. The important thing to remember about the draft is its building for the future. The majority of the players are not going to jump right in and play in the NHL, it takes years for many of them to fully develop and be ready to show what they have.
Of course, having a first-round pick usually means that the player is already advanced and will be ready quicker, but that’s not always the case. That’s where Guerin and Brackett come in, they watch hours of these players and study them to decide who would be the best fit for their team and if it’s possible to select them for their future roster. It takes a special kind of talent to be able to study a player and plan a spot for them years in advance.
Some of the players Guerin has drafted have cracked the lineup a few times. None have found that permanent spot just yet but they’ve shown a lot of potential. Fans can trust both Guerin and Brackett’s knowledge of both the game of hockey and how players operate. They’ve proven they know what they’re doing and hopefully this next season we’ll get to see a lot more of the players they’ve drafted, especially Rossi.
Wild’s Future
The Wild have so many prospects and the future is already very bright thanks to the work of Guerin and others before him. Not only in terms of drafting but he worked to re-sign Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Matt Boldy; and is currently working to re-sign Filip Gustavsson along with Brandon Duhaime, Mason Shaw, and any others he can fit into his ever-shrinking cap space.
Related: Wild 2022-23 Report Cards: Marcus Johansson
Regardless of what unfolds this offseason, Guerin will guide the team in the best way possible for this upcoming season and seasons after. Hopefully, they can land a player that’ll be perfect for their roster and it wouldn’t be horrible if it was a talented center that could back up Rossi in the future.
