Wild Lock Up Koivu for 7 Years

The Wild on Thursday signed C Mikko Koivu to an enormous contract extension. The $47.25 million pact will keep the Wild captain in Minnesota through the 2017-18 season.

This is a move the team obviously had to make. It couldn’t afford to go into the 2010-11 season with Koivu’s impending free agency hanging over them. And considering the relative dearth of talent around him, they certainly couldn’t afford to lose their second franchise player in three seasons.

To many, it probably seems like a lot to pay nearly $7 million per season to a player who has never scored more than 22 goals or 71 points (both totals were career highs a year ago), but Koivu’s contributions go far beyond the score sheet. He’s one of the best defensive forwards in the game, he’s a good faceoff guy, and by all accounts an excellent locker room presence as well. Centers with such skills don’t grow on trees, so the Wild made the right move in locking up Koivu before he had a chance to test the open market.

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In other news, the Wild signed both of their top backup goalies as well, first giving Josh Harding a one-year deal worth a reported $1.2 million, then re-signing Anton Khudobin to a two-way contract. Harding is looking to rehab his value (both as the Wild’s top backup and as a potential trade chip) after a disappointing 2009-10 season, and Khudobin is the top keeper at the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Houston. Both players are solid insurance for top netminder Niklas Backstrom

Wolves Add Beasley & Ridnour, Ditch Jefferson

As it turns out, blogging is way more difficult after you’ve added a newborn to a family that already includes a near-three-year-old who didn’t really hit the “terrible twos” until he was two-and-a-half. By that, I mean I don’t have as much time to update this blog as I’d like. By that, I mean I have almost no time. But I still enjoy writing about Minnesota sports so I’ll attempt to keep this more up-to-date as time goes on. No promises, but the little one only woke up once last night so perhaps there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.

On to business. First up, the Wolves. Much has been made of the recent wheeling and dealing being done by a General Manager who is either insane, a genius, or an insane genius. If you can say one thing about David Kahn, he ain’t afraid to put himself out there. If you can say two things about David Kahn, it’s that he probably shouldn’t compare Chris Webber to Darko Milicic. Webber came off as an ass throughout the interview, but Kahn overstepped his bounds on that one.

But you also have to give him credit for his near-masterful shedding of salary over the last year-and-a-half. I’m not exactly sure what people expected of Kahn after taking over a franchise that was in utter and complete disarray just over a year ago, but the man has eradicated nearly every onerous contract on the books, to the point that the team’s highest-paid player is making just under $6 million this year. Last year, they paid Al Jefferson $12 million and were still paying Mark Blount nearly $8 million.

In any case, arguably Kahn’s most controversial move to date was acquiring SF/PF Michael Beasley for a bag of used basketballs and subsequently sending Jefferson to the Jazz for a couple of future first-round picks and a boatload of salary cap relief.

The Beasley move was an absolute no-brainer. Just two short years ago, he was viewed as a potential superstar and franchise cornerstone. After a few off-the-court-incidents and more than a few moments of immaturity, Beasley now comes with a probably unwarranted amount of baggage. But he’s a better player now than he was two years ago, when Timberwolves fans were crestfallen to get the No. 3 pick in what was universally regarded as a two-player draft. It’s practically unfathomable that a team would give up on an extremely talented player who averaged 14.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in just his second year. Well, it’s unfathomable in the context of a world in which three of the best players on the planet can’t possibly all wind up on the same team. But it actually made sense that the Heat no longer had room for a young player long on potential who would have been woefully short on opportunity.

And since the Wolves don’t have much hope of ever luring a true star to the frozen tundra no matter how much cap space they have, Beasley is essentially a gift from heaven. The hope is obviously that he blossoms as the go-to guy on a young team this season and then chooses to reward the team that gave him the opportunity by signing on with the Wolves long-term afterwards.

With Beasley in the fold, Jefferson had to go. While I think his limitations (mostly defensive) have been overplayed in recent weeks, Jefferson just didn’t fit on a team that is obviously going a different direction. As a lead-footed low-post player, he simply isn’t cut in the same mold as the players Kahn had surrounded him with. I only wish Kahn wouldn’t have traded him within the division. Not that the Wolves are going to contend immediately, but on the off chance that they are competitive two years from now, they may regret having to face Jefferson multiple times every season.

With Jefferson gone, the challenge now is for Kurt Rambis to somehow find 30 minutes per game for both Kevin Love and Beasley. Beasley played most of last season at power forward, but can also play small forward. I would expect him to play some of each in the upcoming season, rotating with Love at power forward and Wesley Johnson at small forward. And if he doesn’t work out, who cares? He cost the team almost nothing.

The Wolves also reached an agreement with free agent PG Luke Ridnour on a four-year, $16 million contract. The move is curious because of the continued presence of backup PG Ramon Sessions on the roster. Sessions signed an identical four-year deal prior to last season and is presumably going to be traded before this year begins. Ridnour is, by all accounts, a much better fit in the Timberwolves offense, and he’s also a veteran presence on a team that employs nobody else over the age of 25. Assuming Sessions is no longer with us in October, I have no problem with this move.

Cullen Fills Void at Center

The Wild on Thursday filled their gaping hole at center by signing veteran C Matt Cullen to a three-year, $10.5 million contract. Cullen, a 33-year-old veteran and native of Moorhead, MN, has scored at least 40 points each of the past five seasons. He’s not a flashy goal-scorer, but he’s a gritty two-way center who can win faceoffs (51 percent a year ago), play short-handed and play the point on the power play.

General Manager Chuck Fletcher dubbed Cullen their No. 1 priority, and with good reason. The Wild is desperately in need of a No. 2 center behind Mikko Koivu, and although Cullen isn’t an offensive force, he is a huge upgrade over anything the Wild had on its roster prior to Thursday. In terms of producing points, Cullen isn’t an elite talent, but five of his six best seasons have come in the last five years, and he’ll be asked to play more of an offensive role with the Wild than he has with some of his previous teams. As a former Stanley Cup champ (Carolina in 2006) and playoff veteran, Cullen also offers valuable leadership and playoff experience.

There’s some risk in giving a 33-year-old a three-year deal at an average contract of $3.5 million, but Cullen is about as sure a thing as you’ll find in the NHL these days, and by the time his deal is up the Wild hope recent draftee Mikael Granlund will be ready to step into the No. 2 center spot behind Koivu.

Outside of the fact that my personal experience with Cullen is that he was an arrogant prick in high school (I played against him and still hold a grudge over the fact that he wouldn’t even shake my hand after we both read the Sportsmanship Creed prior to the 1995 Minnesota State High School State Hockey Tournament championship game – which my Duluth East Greyhounds won), this is a great signing for the Wild. Cullen is now, by all accounts, a stand-up person, a family man, and a great locker room presence in addition to being a hard worker and all-around asset on the ice. It’s certainly not the type of move that makes a non-playoff team a Stanley Cup contender all of a sudden, but throw in the hometown angle and this is a fantastic move for the Wild.

The Wild also inked former Flame Eric Nystrom to a three-year, $4.2 million contract on Thursday. A former first-round draft pick (10th overall in 2002), Nystrom is a 27-year-old who registered career highs in goals (11), assists (8), and points (19) a year ago, but he’s nothing more than a checking-line winger who will fill that role with the Wild. Three years feels like a long time to commit to such a player, but the Wild is undoubtedly hoping Nystrom will continue to build on last season, and that he’ll bring an aggressive, physical style and the occasional goal to the third or fourth line.

Who Needs LeBron? Wolves Sign Milicic, Pekovic

The Timberwolves had a busy day on the first day of NBA free agency Thursday. Unfortunately, their time was spent signing C Darko Milicic and F Nikola Pekovic, while the one high-profile free agent they were chasing (Rudy Gay) opted to re-sign with the Grizzlies for a (ludicrous) max contract. While the Gay signing may be a blessing in disguise (since Memphis overpaid him instead of the Wolves), what do we make of the players the team actually did bring in?

First, Pekovic… a 6-11, 245-pounder from Serbia who has spent two seasons as one of Europe’s best big men since being drafted by the Wolves in the second round of the 2008 draft. Pekovic averaged 14.8 points and 3.2 rebounds for Panathinaikos in Greece. As is the case with most young players, Pekovic played only 22 minutes per game for his Euro League team, and on potential alone he was considered a top-10 talent in the 2008 draft by many “experts,” but fell all the way to Round 2 because he was signed to a multi-year contract in Europe at the time. Pekovic can play both center and power forward and should add some solid depth behind Kevin Love and Al Jefferson (though his exit now seems even more imminent because of the Pekovic signing) at power forward and Milicic at center. Pekovic is a bit of an odd fit in an offense that claims to be up-tempo, however, as his strength is playing in the post with his back to the basket, and one of his perceived weaknesses is his athleticism. In any case, at just $13 million over three years, the Wolves will get to see what they have in Pekovic without breaking the bank.

Milicic, of course, was acquired on a whim late last season and immediately given the playing time he so richly didn’t deserve in any of his previous stops. But the playing time seemed to agree with the former No. 2 overall pick, to the point where Darko completely reversed course on his stance of ditching the NBA for good and instead signed a four-year, $20 million contract (only three years are guaranteed) that will pay him less than what he was making a year ago.

Opinions on Milicic range from labeling him as one of the biggest busts of all time to a wildly unrealistic belief that all he needs is playing time to reach his still-untapped potential. I’m somewhere in the middle. Milicic seemed to be a good fit last year. He gave the Wolves the long, shot-blocking defensive presence they so desperately needed, and despite being very limited offensively, he fits well in the Wolves’ triangle-based half-court offense because he can hit the occasional outside jumper and is an above-average passer for a big man. The obvious argument is that a 7-footer should pull down far more than the 5.5 rebounds Darko averaged as a Wolf a year ago, but that’s not Milicic’s game, and the hope has to be that Love, Jefferson, and Wesley Johnson can make up the difference.

According to the most readily-available advanced basketball statistic, PER, which uses a complicated calculation to determine how good each NBA player is on a per-minute basis, Milicic had a PER of 12.9 while with the Wolves a year ago. That number is consistent with Darko’s career mark coming into the year, which isn’t saying much. But at $5 million per year, the contract isn’t unreasonable for a team that has no other options (beyond Pekovic, who’s a complete and total wild card) at the position. Milicic certainly isn’t a starting center on a championship team, but the Wolves certainly aren’t a championship team with or without him.

The downside of the two deals together is that it eats into the salary cap room the Wolves could have had available for a bigger fish. But that assumes the Wolves were ever in the running for even a medium-sized fish, and since the team is obviously fixing to trade Jefferson and his $12 million contract, they can still execute a sign-and-trade deal for a player like David Lee if they can somehow convince Lee that playing for the Wolves might be a worthwhile endeavor. Lee will visit the Timberwolves on Saturday.

Wild Sign Latendresse to Two-Year Deal

The Wild on Thursday signed restricted free agent W Guillaume Latendresse two a two-year contract. Latendresse, who scored a career-high 27 goals last year, will make $5 million over the next two seasons. He tallied 25 goals in just 55 games after being acquired in exchange for Benoit Pouliot early last season.

This is a great move for both parties. I’d have preferred to lock Latendresse up long-term at a reasonable price tag, but the Wild no doubt wants to make sure Latendresse wasn’t a one-year wonder before committing to him for too many years. But Latendresse scored even with limited ice time throughout his Canadiens tenure, and I saw enough of the gritty winger last season to believe that he’s a legitimate 30-goal talent, so inking him to a four or five-year deal at a very reasonable $2.5 million per (or perhaps less) would have seemed a decent gamble. At that price tag, even a complete whiff wouldn’t have killed the franchise, and if Latendresse winds up being a 40-goal guy the team would have received a bargain. In any case, that’s nitpicking, and the cap-friendly deal leaves the team with about $9-$10 million to play with as free agency opens on Thursday. If Latendresse continues to score goals, he’ll be eligible for a much larger (and longer) contract when he hits unrestricted free agency the year after this deal expires.

NHL Draft: Wild Load Up on Forwards on Day 2

With most of the Wild’s top young prospects residing on the blue line (Tyler Cuma and Marco Scandella, most notably), the organization wasn’t finished replenishing its forward depth after selecting C Mikael Granlund in Friday’s first round. After using its own pick at No. 39 overall on RW Brett Bullmer and grabbing Sweden’s Johan Larsson with the second-rounder they acquired from Washington in last year’s Eric Belanger trade, they jumped back into Round 2 yet again by trading their third- and fourth-rounders to move up to No. 59 overall and select winger Jason Zucker from the U.S. Development team. After all was said and done, the Wild got four players in the first two rounds, which is one more selection in Rounds 1 and 2 than they’ve had in the entire last three drafts combined. Here’s a brief look at the players the Wild selected on Day 2:

RW Brett Bullmer
In 2007, Bullmer stood at about 5-7 and was barely a blip on the prospect radar when he got drafted into the WHL. Two years later, he’s still growing into his suddenly 6-2 frame and his stock continued to rise right up until draft day. Ranked as just the 164th-best North American prospect according to the NHL Central Scouting midseason rankings, Bullmer rose all the way to NO. 65 at the end of the year. Bullmer is a good skater for his size and, according to scouting reports, is physical and good at protecting the puck in the corners. He’s not an elite goal-scorer (40 points in 65 games last year), but this pick is all about upside and, if Bullmer continues to improve, he could be a very effective and physical second-line winger. And, considering that the first link that comes up when you Google “Brett Bulmer” is a link to his player profile on hockeyfights.com, it’s safe to say he has a bit of a nasty streak as well.

LW Johan Larsson
Ranked at No. 22 among International prospects, Larsson’s stock skyrocketed after he led Sweden to a silver medal at the World U-18 Championships. Prior to his offensive explosion in that event (he led the tournament with 14 points – including six goals – in just five games), Larsson was viewed mainly as a checking-line winger because of his solid defensive game but a perceived lack of offensive ability. At 6-0 and around 200 pounds, Larsson can hold his own physically and was already viewed as an excellent two-way player. Like Granlund, his physical attributes don’t jump off the page, but scouts agree that he’s extremely competitive, hard-working, and again like Granlund, he simply knows how to play hockey. Assuming he continues to build on his U-18 performance, Larsson has a very good chance to succeed as a top-6 player at the NHL level. And even if his offensive game never fully develops, he’s a good enough defensive player to be an asset as a checking-line option. Assuming the Swede is okay lacing ‘em up in a locker room full of Fins, that is.

LW Jason Zucker
For Minnesotans, Zucker might be the most exciting prospect the Wild selected during the draft. He was a member of the U.S Development team and of the gold medal-winning World Juniors team as well as the past two gold medal-winning U.S. Under-18 teams. After scoring 29 goals in 60 games for the national team, Zucker will play next year at the University of Denver, so WCHA fans will get a chance to watch him regularly during the upcoming season. Zucker, who was raised and lives in Los Vegas, is an aggressive player despite his 5-11, 175-pound frame, and he possesses soft hands, a heavy shot, and a scorers touch to go along with a style that some have described as reckless. But it’s that fierce competitiveness that makes him such an attractive prospect. He’ll benefit from at least a year under George Gwozdecky in Denver’s pro-style offense, though it’s unclear how many years he’ll spend there.

G Johan Gustafsson
Ranked as the No. 5 International goalie by Central Scouting, Gustafsson was a teammate of Larsson’s on the Swedish team that lost to the U.S. at the World U-18s. Viewed by some scouts as the best of a weak crop of International goalies, Gustafsson is a little rough around the edges but he’s a big (6-2, 195) athletic netminder with some potential. The Wild already has some solid goalies in the system – from Anton Khudobin to last year’s third-round pick Matt Hackett but it’s a position at which it’s impossible to have too much depth.

RW Dylen McKinlay
McKinlay is a smallish (5-11, 160) winger who didn’t raise many eyebrows during the first half of the season at Chilliwack in the WHL last year, but then he scored 21 points in the final 31 games. The Wild are obviously hoping McKinlay figured something out during the second half, and that he’ll continue to progress along that path. As with every seventh-round pick, McKinlay is little more than a flier pick who we may or may not ever hear from again.

Overall, I’m very happy with the Wild’s draft. They focused on an obvious area of need up front, and though Granlund was the only center of the group, their four first- and second-round picks all have a chance to wind up as top-6 forwards. Granlund and Larsson, in particular, have a chance to be stars, and if Bullmer and/or Zucker pans out this draft will be an extraordinary step forward from the usual lackadaisical efforts we unfortunately became accustomed to under the Doug Risebrough regime.

NHL Draft: Wild Grab Granlund at No. 9

With two elite defensive prospects still unexpectedly on the board at No. 9 overall, the Wild happily grabbed Finnish C Mikael Granlund with their first-round selection at the NHL Draft Friday night.

Granlund, who I dismissed peremptorily as merely “solid” in my Wild Pre-Draft Preview, may upon further review be slightly more than that. While he’s certainly not a game-breaking talent in terms of having elite speed or size, he is by all accounts one of the smartest players and best playmakers in the entire draft.

Ranked as the No. 1 European prospect by the NHL’s Central Scouting bureau, Granlund spent last season playing in the Finnish Elite League as a 17-year-old, where he more than held his own playing against grizzled veteran European pro, some of whom are nearly twice his age. Nevertheless, Granlund scored 13 goals and 40 points despite missing 15 games with a groin injury. Projecting those numbers over an entire season, he’d have been the third-leading scorer in the league. To put Granlund’s numbers in perspective, Mikko Koivu played just 21 games as a 17-year-old in the same league, logging one assist. Even after being drafted by the Wild in 2001, Koivu went on to play three more seasons in Finland. He had seven points in 48 games as an 18-year-old and topped out at six goals and 24 assists in 48 games in 2003-04, the year before he finally came to North America as a 20-year-old.

Scouts seem to compare Granlund more to Mikko’s older brother Saku, in part because he’s just 5-10 and 176 pounds. But in the highlights I saw on draft night and on the internet, Granlund isn’t afraid to throw his weight around and mix it up in the corners. And despite not featuring any one glaring physical gift (like blazing speed, an amazing shot, or size), Granlund draws rave reviews for his “hockey sense,” and was rated as high as the third-best player in the entire draft by Red Line Report.

Needless to say, if Granlund turns out anything like either of the Koivu brothers, the Wild got themselves a very promising player, and he just so happens to play a position that the Wild is sorely lacking.

Hopefully, we won’t have to wait four years to see Granlund. He’s expected to play at least one more year in Finland, but it feels pretty safe to assume we won’t have to endure three more seasons in Finland and one in Houston before watching Granlund at the X. Koivu was viewed as a project right from the start and was drafted primarily because of his physical talents. Granlund is effectively the opposite; an advanced player with experience playing in a high-level league who perhaps lacks only the physical maturity to play immediately in the NHL.

Oh No. Wolves Somehow Sink Even Lower

For some crazy reason, up until this point I’ve believed that Timberwolves General Manager David Kahn actually did have a master plan. I optimistically (and foolishly) thought he’d produce something of value out of some combination of the three first-round picks in tonight’s draft and/or players on the existing roster. Wild and blatantly optimistic rumors about acquiring anyone from Danny Granger to Chris Bosh leading up to the draft led me to believe Kahn was at least trying to do something… anything to turn this cursed franchise around. And then the draft actually happened.

First, Kahn Selected Syracuse SF Wesley Johnson with the fourth overall selection. I actually like this pick. Johnson can shoot, he’s a very good rebounder for a small forward, he’s an excellent athlete who averaged nearly two steals and two blocks per game last year, and by all accounts he’s actually a good person, which is far too rare in professional sports. On the flipside, he’s probably never going to be a transformational, No. 1-guy-on-an-NBA-title-contender type of player, and he’s already 22 years old (which seems like a pretty meaningless “negative,” but when 18-year-olds who are at least two years away from contributing anything of value are all the rage, being 22 is a bad thing). Kahn haters will forever argue that he blew it by not drafting DeMarcus Cousins, but I’m perfectly willing to let it play out for a few years before arriving at that conclusion.

Then, the fun started. With the 16th pick, the Wolves grabbed Nevada SF Luke Babbitt. At first, it seemed like deja vu from last year, when the Wolves drafted every point guard they could get their hands on. Another small forward? What’s next year’s plan? Draft three centers? Then, as quickly as Wolves fans had gotten used to the idea of landing one of the draft’s best shooters, Babbitt was traded to the Blazers, along with F Ryan Gomes, for Martell Webster. The deal was first reported as simply Babbitt-for-Webster straight up, which didn’t seem that awful. Webster is by most accounts a very underrated defender who can shoot the three-pointer. He’s versatile enough to play several positions (SG and SF), he’s still just 23 years old (really, barely older than Johnson, who turns 23 in July), and he theoretically fits well in an up-tempo offense. Unfortunately, he can’t make the three-pointer (he’s a career 37 percent shooter from downtown who finished 60th in the NBA in three-point percentage a year ago), he’s wildly inconsistent, and he’s owed good money for the next several years.

And then it was revealed that Gomes, along with a contract that is considered very valuable (in fact, rumors prior to the draft indicated the Wolves could have acquired Michael Beasley from the Heat in exchange for Gomes), is also headed to the Blazers. So, in sacrificing Gomes, the Wolves not only passed up an opportunity to see if Beasley can turn around his once-promising career at almost no risk (Beasley’s owed about $5 million this year but could be let go at the team’s option after that), they added Webster’s contract, which runs for another three years at nearly $16 million. At least Webster can play shooting guard, although the team now has a logjam of mediocre players there, with Webster battling Corey Brewer, another SG/SF combo guy, for playing time.

But the Wolves weren’t done. Not by a long shot. Next up: Pick No. 23. At 23, the Wolves picked something named Trevor Booker. Upon further review, Booker is a SF/PF tweener in the mold of former Wolf Craig Smith. Luckily, instead of keeping yet another forward, the Wolves had a deal in place to trade the underwhelming Booker to the Wizards. Unluckily, all they got for him was the 30th pick and the 35th pick.

As if to slam home the point of how inept Kahn and the Wolves truly are, the Hawks followed up pick No. 23 by selecting F Damion James and immediately trading him to the Nets… for the 27th and 31st picks! If you’re keeping track at home, the Hawks used a worse pick than the Wolves and acquired not one but TWO better picks than what the Wolves got for their higher pick.

Not only is No. 27 higher than No. 30, No. 31 is higher than 35 (brilliant, I know). No. 31 is a particularly valuable pick because it’s the first of the second round. The distinction between a first round pick and a second round pick is enormous. First-round picks get guaranteed contracts of at least two years, while second-rounders get no such guarantee. So, getting two second rounders would actually have been more valuable than getting the last pick of the first round. Oh, and it didn’t help when fan favorite Jordan Crawford (yeah, the same guy that torched the Gophers in the first round of the NCAA tournament) was picked at No. 27.

With the precious 30th pick, the Wizards selected (for the Wolves) ANOTHER SMALL FORWARD, Marquette’s Lazar Hayward. Hayward’s stock really rose after he posted some eye-opening measurements and times at the NBA’s draft combine, but under normal circumstances he might not even make the team… except that he’s now guaranteed a two-year contract.

With the 35th pick, the Wolves selected someone from Serbia who will probably never play in the NBA. I don’t think he’s a small forward or a point guard, which is nice. At this point, it doesn’t really matter does it?

This sucks.

Brett Favre Said or Did Something Newsworthy

It’s been a little over a month since Brett Favre made any noise, so it was about time the semi-unretired quarterback got back into the news.

Perhaps feeling slighted by the ongoing World Cup, the NBA Draft, and even the Wimbledon Marathon, Favre emerged from hiding with an interview with the Biloxi Sun Herald in which he says, among other things, he’d “love to beat the Saints.”

The above-linked article is nothing more than a tease for a longer story set to run in the Sun Herald’s Sunday edition. No doubt, Favre will tease his comeback without committing to anything, as usual, but it’s Reason No. 132 Why Brett Favre is Returning to the Vikings in 2010.

Wild Pre-Draft Stuff

I’m not calling these rumors since barely anyone seems to notice or care that the NHL draft is this Friday. For every 10 experts and blogs speculating about NBA picks and trades leading up to the NBA draft, there’s maybe one doing the same for the NHL festivities. In any case, there is certainly some info to glean as the Wild prepare for a draft in which they hold the No. 9 overall pick, as well as two second-rounders and four of the first 69 picks among their seven total.

Of most interest, of course, is the No. 9 selection. It’s the highest pick the Wild has owned since 2006, when they picked (gulp) James Sheppard with the No. 9 pick. Here’s a look at some of the players who are projected to be available at No. 9:

C Ryan Johansen
The 10th-ranked North American skater on the final NHL Central Scouting rankings, Johansen is a late-blooming center who scored 69 points in 71 games in Canada’s WHL a year ago (while playing on a line with fellow blue-chipper Nino Niederreiter) and is lauded for his vision and playmaking ability, as well as being a strong defensive presence. Compared to a poor man’s Joe Thornton, Johansen may go earlier than No. 9.

W Brett Connolly
The No. 3-ranked North American’s stock has been falling due to concerns about an injury-riddled season that kept him out of all but 16 regular season games for the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. Connolly ranks among the elite goal scorers in the entire draft, but the injury concerns and a less-than-stellar performance for Canada at last year’s World Juniors have reportedly caused some teams to sour on him. He could go in the top five or he could slide. The Wild lacks depth at center, but they won’t hesitate to take the best player available at No. 9, regardless of position.

C/W Alex Burmistrov
At just 6-0, 160 pounds, size isn’t the only concern in regards to Burmistrov. Teams will also have to be wary of the ongoing fued between the NHL and the KHL – Russia’s professional hockey league – which could affect the availability of the top Russian prospects. Burmistrov demonstrated his commitment to the NHL by playing in North America (OHL) last year, however, and the dynamic winger has drawn lofty comparisons to Pavel Datsyuk. Outside of the top two picks, there might not be a player with higher upside than Burmistrov, but there’s also significant risk.

C/W Jeff Skinner
It’s apparently something of a head-scratcher among scouts and draft experts that Skinner finished with a rank of No. 34 on the Central Scouting rankings. And since he scored 50 goals in 64 games for Kitchener in the OHL before scoring another 20 in the playoffs, it’s not hard to figure out why there’s some confusion. The discrepancy lies in the idea that Skinner lacks the prototypical measurables of an elite prospect (i.e. he’s not big and he’s not fast). But he’s tough on the puck, possesses a quick release, and has the rare ability to score goals despite his supposed physical limitations. Skinner doesn’t strike me as a franchise-defining centerpiece, but he might be the best pure goal scorer in the draft. Most of the mock drafts floating around out there predict Skinner will be the Wild’s pick.

C Mikael Granlund
The No. 1 ranked International player on the board, Granlund spent last season playing in the Finnish Elite League. His stats don’t look spectacular next to others who played juniors in North America, but that’s because he was playing against players much older than he was. He’s not the same type of player as Mikko Koivu, but those comparisons are inevitable given the similar path Granlund is on. There are concerns about his skating, but in terms of maturity and hockey intelligence, Granlund would be a solid selection. That said, the Wild are in need of more than “solid” with this pick, so I’d rather see them grab one of the higher upside players mentioned previously.

C/W Nick Bjugstad
The Blaine H.S. product and Mr. Hockey winner is projected by most to come off the board later in Round 1, but one can’t help but think the Wild would be a good fit for obvious reasons. The organization has made no secret of the fact they won’t reach for a local kid just because he’s local, but their selection of Eden Prairie’s Nick Leddy a year ago indicates they can definitely be swayed in that direction. At 6-5, Bjugstad is a physical specimen who projects as a wing at the next level. If the Wild trade down from No. 9 and/or use a couple of their second-round picks to jump back into the latter portion of Round 1, Bjugstad could be their target. Warraod C Brock Nelson and Minnesota State, Mankato C Tyler Pitlick could also be targets late in Round 1 or early in Round 2.

D Derek Forbort
Another local kid (sort of… Forbort played for Duluth East before moving on to the U.S. Development program last year), Forbort ranks as one of the best defensive prospects outside of a trio of elite players that are expected to be picked in the top five or six overall. There’s nothing flashy about Forbort’s game, but he’s got the size and skill to be a workhorse two-way defenseman in the NHL. What little organizational depth the Wild have is at defense so this isn’t an obvious area of need, but the team has said they’ll pick the best player on their board at No. 9, regardless of his position.

Trade Speculation
In less than a year, Fletcher has already proven he’s not afraid to pull off a trade or two. He traded down in the first round of last year’s draft before selecting Leddy, and it’s distinctly possible he’ll do the same this year if the team is targeting someone they can get later than No. 9. With a good number of early-round picks stockpiled, it’s also possible Fletcher finds a way to either move up from No. 9 or get back into the latter half of the first round.

The Wild also has some cap room and could pursue an NHL regular. They won’t spend money on an aging veteran, so it would have to be the right fit for the team to sacrifice any draft picks or prospects (or one of their franchise cornerstones like Brent Burns, but Philadelphia’s Jeff Carter is said to be on the trading block and would be a perfect fit as a No. 2 center behind Koivu. Carter will earn $5 million in the final year of his contract next season (and would consequently require a huge new contract a year from now), but he’s just one season removed from a 46-goal campaign and is still only 25 years old. The Flyers don’t exactly need NHL-ready defensemen, but Carter is undoubtedly on the Wild’s radar.

Other veterans said to be in play include centers Jason Spezza of Ottawa and Marc Savard of the Bruins. Spezza is way overpriced (at $7 million per season) for what he brings to the table and Savard carries with him a monster seven-year, $28 million contract that would be too much to swallow.