Team - Wild
Need(s) - Top Line, Goal Scoring Center
All positions are currently filled with quality prospects:
LW: Öhgren, Beckman, Lorenz, Milne
C: Rossi, Khusnutdinov, Bankier, Haight
RW: Yurov, Walker, Petrovsky, Novak
LHD: Lambos, Peart, Hunt, O'Rourke, Benoit
RHD: Faber, Spacek, Healey, Masters
G: Wallstedt
We also have quality in our current roster that we've locked up for the next 2 to 4+ years:
LW: Kaprizov, Johansson, Foligno, Shaw
C: Hartman, Eriksson Ek, Gaudreau, Dewar
RW: Zuccarello, Boldy, Sundqvist, Duhaime, Reaves
LHD: Middleton, Brodin, Merrill, Goligoski
RHD: Spurgeon, Dumba, Klingsberg, Addison
G: Fleury, Gustavsson
Furthermore, we should have enough cap space to retain Johansson, Gaudreau, Shaw, Duhaime, and Gustavsson. Addison as well but we'll most likely trade him for assets this offseason as we aren't comfortable committing to 3 undersized defensemen down our righthand side -- Spurgeon (5'9"), Faber (6'), Addison (5'11"). Especially given the lack of size on our current roster and within our farm system.
Rossi will pair nicely with Kaprizov on the first line but we need a top quality center that:
a. can drive our 2nd line
b. can score goals to take pressure off of Kaprizov & Boldy
c. posses some athletic advantage, like size and/or speed
Khusnutdinov is killing it in the KHL but is allergic to the net. I see him as Granlund 2.0. Which is fine on it's own; however, we have an abundance of passers on the current roster & farm. It's unlikely Bankier PPG play in the WHL will translate into the NHL. Same with Petrovsky. I have high hopes for Haight but his ceiling is still unknown at this point.
Other than a franchise center, we don't need anything else. Maybe a goalie prospect to replace Gustavsson years down the line as the backup to Wallstedt since Hunter Jones doesn't seem to be working out.
Judd Brackett is in charge of our drafting decisions which means we'll to continue to draft BPA, with a preference towards players that score high on skating, compete, character, leadership, and hockey IQ.