The Next Generation: Jacob Kost’s Way-Too-Early Minnesota Wild Mock Draft

 

 

                Yes, yes, I know. I’m an addict. I can’t help myself. It’s only January and I’m already scouring tape, documents, and analysis about the next crop of NHL hopefuls.

                A lot is still up in the air. The Minnesota Wild could move up, or down, or get out of the first round altogether. There’s still plenty of time for the stocks of these players to rise, fall, or spin in circles. But I still think it’s important for us to tackle the subject early, so we thoroughly understand what we’re looking at when it does come to be draft day. Life moves pretty fast, sometimes. If you blink, you could miss it.

                Of course, this is an odd season regardless. COVID-19 has ravaged leagues around the world, often truncating the amount of time we’re able to watch these kids play. More than ever, teams are going to be taking gambles on talent and promise, and snagging gems in the middle rounds. It all remains to be seen.

                All that having been said, here’s my extremely-early mock draft for the Minnesota Fightin’ Wild:

 

21^st overall: Rutger McGroarty – C – USNTDP

Now I could see the Minnesota Wild going in several directions here, to be quite honest, but I just had to jump at the shot to get Rutger McGroarty in the first. In truth, I don’t expect him to be projected this deep into the first round for very long, but that’s where he sits now. The kid does absolutely everything in the offensive zone, and he does it well. That sheer versatility is what made me so intrigued by Minnesota’s own Chaz Lucius last year, and this kid is not dissimilar. He’s not small, has incredible vision, but his real asset is his shot. I’m of the opinion that the Wild need natural goal scoring types in their prospect pool at all times – we went for many years without anything of the sort – and despite having guys like Kaprizov and Fiala on the squad, the Wild need to keep the system flush. We’d be absolutely pinching ourselves to have a kid of McGroarty’s caliber in our pipeline. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him projected in the top 10 come draft day.

 

53^rd overall:  Calle Odelius – D - Djurgårdens IF/SHL

In addition to having an incredibly cool name, Calle Odelius is a kid I think would be an awesome swing on in the second round. When I look at his game, I see someone who’s got a really high floor. I know that doesn’t tend to excite Wild fans, but as a cap team who wants to be a contender for the next several years, that’s gonna be valuable. He’s an awesome skater who’s logged some SHL time this season, and his offensive contributions have really ticked upward, as of late. He’s got a wonderful pass and great breakout abilities – something the Wild could definitely use some more of. The major downside of his game is that he has no real shot to speak of, but if he’s paired with a defender who’s shot is more of his forte, they could be a formidable duo.

 

85^th overall: Cole Spicer – W - USNTDP

The North Dakotan team USA winger has flown under the radar this year due to injuries, COVID, and playing down in the always-talented Team USA lineup. However, this is a kid I’d keep an eye on, as he’s likely to be a mid-round player with real NHL potential. Great penalty killer, but is a bit of a jack of all trades in that he can play up and down the lineup. He’s committed to the University of North Dakota, where he’s expected to play a bigger role.

117^th overall: Niklas Kokko – G - Kärpät / Liiga

Listen to me – NHL teams should be drafting goalies and refreshing their netminder pool constantly. Goalies are strange, and Wild fans know how quickly that apparent-organizational-depth can wither if it’s not paid attention to. Last year, the Wild drafted the incredible Jesper Wallstedt, who’s looked fantastic. However, behind him, there’s not much reason for intrigue. Hunter Jones hasn’t looked good, and Filip Lindberg left the Wild for greener pastures. Let’s not put all our eggs in one proverbial basket, and Niklas Kokko is a great mid-round goalie to take a swing on. He’s big, and can see the ice well. There’s some in Finland who think he could play a bigger role. Time will tell?

142^nd overall: Ilya Kvochko – C - Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk / MHL

This kid’s been severely underrated by some of the other maddeningly exciting prospects that’ve been coming out of Russia the past couple years. Here’s the thing about hockey organizations: more cap money is wasted in the bottom halves of the lineup than the top half. More often than not, teams are better off filling out the bottom spots in their lineup with minor league graduates than shelling out a premium for veterans, then putting that cap space into more key spots. Which brings me to Ilya Kvochko, who’s another high-floor type player that I’d like to see the Wild add with a mid or late round pick. He’s similar to Spicer in that he can do a lot of different things really well, and has a real shot to crack an NHL lineup. He can play defense and has upside – which is something to be interested in at this spot in the draft.

149^th overall: Ben Hemmerling – W - Everett Silvertips / WHL

Ben Hemmerling has all the upside in the world, it’s just a matter of seeing it show up on the scoresheet. So far this season, it has – he’s been playing near a point per game pace so far with Everett, showcasing his speed and playmaking ability. If he’s able to continue to put it together, he could be an asset to any organization.

181st overall: Jackson Dorrington – D - Des Moines Buccaneers / USHL

Some considered Dorrington to be deserving of a spot on the United States National Development Program, something he narrowly missed out on. There’s a lot to like about him: he’s big, quick, strong, and can move the puck. I’ll be following his development closely, to see how he produces against stronger competition in the NCAA with the Huskies.

219^th overall: Tristan Sarsland – D - Benilde-St. Margaret's School / USHS-MN

Couldn’t get through this whole mock without taking a good ol’ Minnesota boy, now could I? Tristan’s committed to playing with Colorado College. The Wayzata native is an offensive defenseman who’s got an interesting shot and puck-moving capabilities, and has served time as Benilde-St. Margaret’s captain.