Certain NHL player types are only obtainable through the draft. Otherwise, you might have to overpay for a player you don’t really want. Take the Minnesota Wild’s pursuit of a center as an example. They have had very few top-line-quality centers, relying mostly on drafting Mikko Koivu and Joel Eriksson Ek, and hoping for success with Marco Rossi and Danila Yurov. They once lucked out with an aging Eric Staal in free agency, but that’s about it. In free agency, the Wild have struck out consistently, and trades haven’t been an option since their GMs were unwilling to part with their wings and defensemen to get a pivot.
This scarcity is why Bill Guerin and Judd Brackett aggressively targeted centers in the 2023 Draft, selecting Charlie Stramel, Rasmus Kumpulainen, and Riley Heidt with their first three picks.
Similarly, big defensemen who are mobile and physically imposing are hard to come by unless you draft them. If you don’t draft these players, you either end up overpaying for mediocre options like Jake Middleton, who the Wild are considering extending for four years despite him likely being a bottom-pair defenseman on a strong team, or you shell out massive amounts for limited players like free agent Tyler Myers.
Knowing the Wild’s strategy of targeting premium positions, 2024 is an ideal year to focus on the blueline. According to Elite Prospects’ 2024 Consolidated Draft Board, seven of the top-20 players are defensemen, all over 6 feet tall. Names include Anton Silyaev (6-foot-7), Sam Dickinson, Carter Yakemchuk, and Adam Jiricek (all 6-foot-2). Another promising prospect is Stian Solberg from Norway, known for his mobility and hard-hitting style.
The depth continues into the second round, presenting Minnesota with a prime opportunity to bolster their defense. So, what if the Wild aggressively targeted big defensemen in the 2024 Draft, as they did with centers the previous year?
To explore this, let’s simulate the first two rounds using Draft Prospects Hockey. We’ll use Bob McKenzie’s rankings, increase the randomness slightly, and adjust the team need factor. How does the draft board look?
Predictably, the top defensemen are taken early. Columbus selects Silayev at fourth overall, Montreal picks Artyom Levshunov at fifth, Utah takes Zayne Parekh at sixth, Zeev Buium joins Seattle at seventh, and Sam Dickinson goes to Buffalo at eleventh.
This leaves the Wild with a tough decision. With top offensive talents like Tij Iginla and Berkly Catton still available, choosing a defenseman at this point might attract criticism, similar to the 2023 scenario when they passed on Gabe Perreault for a big center. What should they do?
