General manager Paul Fenton had eight picks to work with in his first NHL draft with the Minnesota Wild. Instead of packaging them in a blockbuster trade, Fenton opted to keep every pick and used them to select six forwards and two defensemen. Read up on every member of the Wild’s 2018 draft class below:<doc-sep>And just like that, the 2018 NHL Draft has come and gone. Needless to say, it was a dismal one. Besides the Calgary-Carolina trade bomb that occurred Saturday, it was a very quiet draft. The next big day for the NHL comes July 1st. The start of free agency. On our walk with us on this FIRST SUNDAY OF SUMMER, is an all time classic song meant to be blasted through radio and boat speakers. Wild News Centermen take center stage for Wild on Day 2 of 2018 NHL Draft | NHL.com Everything you need to know about the prospects drafted by the Wild over the weekend Wild’s questionable first-round pick drags down draft class – The Athletic Corey Pronman breaks down the Wild's selections in the 2018 NHL draft. Russo: What comes next as the real work begins to reshape the Wild roster – The Athletic After restocking the prospect pool with eight draft picks, all eyes now turn to the current roster rebuild likely to ensue. Minnesota Wild 2018-19 depth chart – The Athletic A look at the Wild's roster, updated throughout the season as transactions go down. Sr. VP of Hockey Operations Brent Flahr recaps the 8 #mnwild draftees in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/EtkEKPD3wx — Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) June 23, 2018 #mnwild GM Paul Fenton recaps the #NHLDraft weekend and discusses the players selected. pic.twitter.com/dFot178kGm — Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) June 23, 2018 On the frozen pond 10 Minnesotans got their named called over the weekend. Here they are. I mean, come on, it’s only fitting the Wild drafted a kid from Minnesota With the 210th overall pick, #mnwild drafted a Minnesotan. Congratulations Sam Hentges! pic.twitter.com/v4BxstgikG — Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) June 23, 2018 Off the trail Miss any of the picks? Here is all 217 of them 2018 NHL Draft The winners and losers of the Draft. Winners and losers from the 2018 NHL Draft – ProHockeyTalk The biggest free agent out there had some big news break Saturday. Pat Brisson, agent for John Tavares, confirms that his client will use the UFA speaking period to chat with 5 teams — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 23, 2018 Those 5 teams are: the Sharks, Leafs, Lightning, Vegas, and the Stars. And then.. It’s an eight-year deal worth $88M. Also the first formal offer made to Tavares camp from Isles. https://t.co/4AEwtUPNdv — David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 23, 2018 Free agency starts July 1st. Here are some big names that could be on the move. NHL free agents 2018: Best guesses for top 15 potential UFAs The Kings' signing of Ilya Kovalchuk should spark the free agent (and trade) markets. The biggest news of the day. Guess who’s back, back again. Kovalchuk is back, tell a friend. In case you missed it, 2 NHL teams debuted alternate jersey’s on Friday We wanted to create the most beautiful jersey in the world. Then we realized, the most beautiful jersey in the world was already created. Introducing our official @adidashockey third jerseys: pic.twitter.com/Ku9RHXLBSH — Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) June 22, 2018 Grubauer signs three-year contract with Avalanche Philipp Grubauer signed a three-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Carlson close to re-signing with Capitals<doc-sep>Safe is a great word for baseball. If we were talking the Twins, I would be much happier saying it. Unfortunately, this isn’t baseball. It’s hockey, and it’s the Wild. Which calls into question why the are we using the name “Wild”? Dictionary.com’s #12 definitions is; Wild: “unrestrained by reason or prudence Applying the definition to the draft makes the name Wild seem to be in the same spirit of calling a fat guy “Slim” or a bald guy “Curly”. The management is definitely anything but Wild. Instead they consistently pick the tamest, safest pick they can. Minnesota now has, at the very best, Jonas Brodin 2.0. Not that Brodin is a bad player, but the Wild have a seemingly never ending need for a #1 center and players who can get it in the net. The last thing they needed was a defensive defenseman with a low ceiling. Insanity is commonly defined as repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Going by that definition, maybe the “Insane” or “Minnesota Loony-Bin” would be a better name? Just about every Wild fan groaned after the 24th pick. On a quiet Minnesota night in June, if you listen carefully you can still occasionally hear a “Filip Johansson?!? !” ”Why didn’t we take Bokk or Veleno?? ?” “We should have traded up for K’Andre Miller!” The first excuse is “Fenton just took over. These picks are really of the old regime”. That has one merit. To expect him to come in and make some blockbuster, I-can’t-believe-he-pulled-the-wool-over-their-eyes trade is far too high of an expectation. To be fair, he doesn’t even know exactly what he is working with yet. Sure, the NHL has pro scouts, but that can’t come close to having a player on your team in assessing their true value. Fenton deserves a chance. Not only is he new and depending on Fletcher’s people for the draft, but nobody truly knows if a prospect at any pick number will actually become an NHL player. I know many reading this are thinking, “Yeah, but I didn’t expect him to make a reach for such a low-rated, overly-safe player”. On the surface it would seem we don’t need someone who, if scouts are right, basically sounds like Brodin 2.0. After all the Wild already have Ryan Suter. The Wild only need so many defensive defensemen, no matter how high the Hockey IQ. What the Wild need is help for their limited offense. When it comes to players such as Suter and Brodin, they leave plenty to desire for offensive contribution. Watching Alex Tuch and Erik Haula play their best hockey for the Stanley Cup runner up was almost heart-wrenching. The prospect pool contained far too little even before they left for the desert, and was now looking almost as dry. Now imagine if Jonas Brodin was gone and all we had left for a solid defensive d-man was an aging Suter? Who would play it safe while Dumba tries to work his offensive magic? Suter and Spurgeon make a great top pair. Does Bruce Boudreau split them up and have Suter-Dumba and Spurgeon-Seeler lines? That would be a step down and put the Wild in real danger for depth. Maybe Fenton isn’t quite the same old foolish “safest pick” personality people already assume him to be. He might just be a sly fox dressed in a turkey suit. Make no mistake, Brodin or Dumba is going to have to go within the next couple of years. While not confirmed, there is plenty of evidence that in 2020 the Seattle expansion team is coming. Even if the evidence is wrong and it’s 2021, It’s time to prepare now. One things for sure, the Wild must avoid being caught with their proverbial pants down again. If Johansson turns out as the scouts say, the Wild can trade Brodin away. Since Johannson will have a year at best in the NHL, he will be exempt from the expansion draft solving the extra d-man issue. The rest of the draft was an attempt to increase size, speed, as well as possibly replace 2 other trade candidates, Charlie Coyle, and Jason Zucker. The size and style of players match up very close. Charlie Coyle 6’3” 221 pounds Originally a center but plays mainly right wing. Replacements? Jack McBain 6’3” 201 pounds Listed as center but plays wing as well. Shawn Boudrias 6’4” 197 pounds Plays the same position at RW Jason Zucker 5’11” 187 pounds (LW) Speedy shooter that has developed some playmaking ability Replacements? Alexander Khovanov 5’10” 198 pounds Playmaking forward with good vision Connor Dewar 5’10” 170 pounds Speedy, but not strong. Damien Giroux 5’9” 170 All 3 play center, like Zucker they are quick, tenacious, undersized, shoot left, and can score. The last pick was just the typical late round homegrown attempt at talent. Worst case scenario this draft was a horrible first round pick followed by a very nice bargain pickups, with a solid chance at finding some better talent than expected. Best case is the Wild did exactly what they set out to do. Suter can help mentorthe new defenseman. They can trade players knowing they have replacements that may meet or exceed the current ones. The 2 most promising on day #2 are; McBain has a decent pedigree and will provide some size and toughness. He just needs to work on his skating. Khovanov could turn out to be a real steal. There are several reports on how he missed half the season and came back sluggish. Well Duh! He had Hepatitis-A! Ten to fifteen percent of cases last 6 to 9 months and the number #1 symptom is extreme tiredness followed by muscle aches and pains. It’s curable, it’s now over, and he may end up being the best pick.<doc-sep>With three third round picks, and none in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL entry draft, the Wild could afford to reach down a little bit and so they did. They picked Connor Dewar at 92nd overall despite his draft rankings being at highest 117 (NHL Central Scouting) and that was only North American skaters. Future Considerations and McKeen’s had Dewar around 150. Despite being a bit of a reach at 92nd, Dewar still has talent. He scored 68 points, including 38 goals, in 68 games last year in the WHL. Dewar is a 5’10”, 175 lbs who is listed as a Left Winger by Future Considerations and Elite Prospects, though according to Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, he is a Center. Dewar is described as a fast skater with good edge-work by Future Considerations. He has a June 1999 birthday, so he’s an over-ager for this draft but has improved his offensive game a lot since last draft. His improvement on offense can be seen as he jumped from 30 points to 68 this year, while also playing less games. Dewar also had a good post-season with 12 goals and 26 points in 22 games. Dewar’s shot is described to have a quick release and good accuracy. Future Considerations also describes him as a “trusted defensive figure” and says that he is willing to forecheck and play physically despite his size. You can easily see why the Wild scouting staff would like Dewar. He has potential and fits the model for a modern day NHLer. He has speed, he has offensive talent but is also solid defensively. He could very well turn out a good modern-day bottom-6 forward who can provide depth scoring. Even if Dewar never plays a single NHL game it wouldn't be too bad as third round picks don’t have that high of a chance to turn out NHL players. Maybe you could pick for some more upside with this pick, but with no clear Kirill Kaprizov-esque players on the board, a player like Dewar is still better than a grinder. Connor Dewar stats Season Team League GP G A TP PIM Season Team League GP G A TP PIM 2013-2014 Parkland Rangers Bantam AAA WBAAA 32 35 31 66 48 Parkland Rangers Bantam AAA Provincials 2 0 1 1 4 2014-2015 Team Manitoba CWG 6 1 3 4 2 Parkland Rangers Midget AAA MMHL 43 15 22 37 60 2015-2016 Everett Silvertips WHL 72 11 7 18 24 2016-2017 Everett Silvertips WHL 71 14 16 30 37 2017-2018 Everett Silvertips WHL 68 38 30 68 47 Dewar is a high-character kind of guy that allowed him to be named captain of his team. Silvertips head coach Dennis Williams raved about Dewar in an article on the Everett Silvertips website: “He brings remarkable character, a tireless work ethic, and proven abilities to the table. His dedication and the example he sets every day was vital to the success we enjoyed this past season, and makes perfect sense to be the next in line to wear the ‘C’ as a Silvertip.” The Silvertips captain skated in the Toronot Maple Leafs prospect camp last summer, and he tied third round pick of the Capitals Riley Sutter in points in the post-season. For being a smaller guy, he’s got power with a low center of gravity. The hope is that hard work and determination can help the kid find his way to the NHL someday.<doc-sep>
It’s clear what the Wild were after in this draft. Defensemen, which they used a first round pick to acquire, and center. Hentges is another center. All draft long the Wild scouts and general manager loaded up on those two positions. However, after two days of drafting, there’s question on how much skill they acquired. In Sam Hentges at pick 210, he’s got the hands, and feet to be successful, but requires some development with tougher competition to make his dreams of playing in the NHL a reality. “I’m a good skater. One of my strengths is my skating and speed.” That’s what Fridley, Minnesota native, St. Cloud State University commit, and now newest draft pick of the Minnesota Wild Sam Hentges said about his own game. Hentges scored 32 goals and 21 assists with Totino-Grace High School last season before moving on to the USHL Des Moines Buccaneers. His high school head coach had lots of praise for the three-time letterman for the TG Eagles: “Great hockey sense, great hands, great vision and does all of the little things above most players at that level,” said Mark Loahr, who retired after 35 years as coach of the Eagles. “He shoots the puck well. ”The other thing he’s got a lot of is desire. He wants to be a better player and wants to improve.” Hentges will need to get bigger and stronger as he develops, but SCSU is a program that’s in an uber-competitive Division-I conference. Many players in the NCHC are draft picks and have high aspirations for the NHL someday. He’ll have to continue his development if he wants to have the success he had as a captain in high school. He’s got a knack for finding the net with speed and his good vision allows him to find teammates. He needs to develop the defensive side of the puck, and skating under new SCSU head coach Brett Larson, formerly the assistant of UMD, and a former defenseman. You can bet that Larson will coach him up. the big questions are if Hentges has the ceiling high enough for an NHL future. That remains to be seen. In the video above, Hentges is number 11 and these highlights show his skating well.