Wild leave NHL draft with some holes to fill -- and GM Bill Guerin is prepared

Jul. 25—After drafting a potential goaltender of the future, adding a bunch of defensemen to the pipeline and restocking the cupboards with a couple of centers, all the problems that existed for the Wild heading into the NHL draft still need to be addressed.

No, the Wild did not trade for polarizing superstar Jack Eichel. They still need to target a legit No. 1 center ahead of next season.

No, the Wild did not find a replacement for veteran defenseman Ryan Suter. They still need to add depth to the blue line in the coming days.

No, the Wild did not sign rising star Kirill Kaprizov. They still need to ink the dynamic Russian to a contract at some point.

That said, after selecting a total of seven prospects in the draft, general manager Bill Guerin feels good about what the Wild were able to accomplish. Truthfully, he never expected to fix everything about the current roster this weekend. As Guerin put it: "This weekend was all about the future."

And the future looks bright. There seems to be a general consensus that the Wild had a solid draft, and after things wrapped up on Saturday afternoon, Guerin lauded director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett for a job well done.

Asked about his role this weekend, Guerin said he took a step back and let Brackett and the rest of his team go to work.

"This is what they do," Guerin said. "This is why we have them here. They are the guys that are experienced in this field. It's their profession, and they're experts at it. It's not mine. I can go watch games, I can go watch players. But not to the level that they can. I don't want to know enough to be dangerous and insert myself where I'm going to make a negative impact on what they've been working on. I trust them.

While the Wild feel good about every prospect they got this weekend, it's clear getting goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in the first round was the biggest prize. He fell to No. 20 overall on Friday night before the Wild traded up to get him.

"A couple of the guys, Judd in particular, was saying we should move up, and (director of hockey analytics) Mat Sells was saying the same," Guerin said. "It turned out to be a really good move."

As for the rest of the draft class — defenseman Carson Lambos (No. 26 overall), defenseman Jack Peart (No. 54 overall), center Caedan Bankier (No. 86 overall), defenseman Kyle Masters (No. 118 overall), center Josh Pillar (No. 127 overall), and defenseman Nate Benoit (No. 182 overall) — there seemed to be a clear theme as the Wild worked to replenish depth throughout their farm system.

For the most part, though, the Wild stayed true to their big board, picking the best player available more often than not. It's important to remember that most of these players won't be around for at least a few years, so reaching for a position that's an immediate need doesn't make a ton of sense.

"We still wanted to focus on a certain caliber of player," Brackett said. "Sometimes that coincides with a position of need. I certainly feel with the last few days we have addressed both."

Now it's on the prospects to make the most of their current situation. Nobody is signing an entry-level contract anytime soon, and thus, the main focus in the interim should be on development.

"This is kind of Day One," Guerin said. "It's a big day for these kids. It's a lot of fun. It's a big honor for them. But this is when the real work starts."

This is also when the real work starts for the Wild as they attempt to fill out their roster ahead of next season. With this portion of the offseason in the books, Guerin will turn his attention to free agency, and the Wild will need to be active when the market opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

"Just wait and make sure that we've got all our lists together," Guerin said. "We have some holes to fill."

It's no secret that the Wild will need to fill out the blue line, first and foremost, followed by some depth pieces up front.

"The trade market's not dead either," Guerin said. "It's still an option."

Some notable trades from this weekend included: the Chicago Blackhawks acquiring star defenseman Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for top prospect Adam Boqvist and a hefty haul of draft picks; the St. Louis Blues acquiring winger Pavel Buchnevich from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Sammy Blais and a second-round pick next year; and the Florida Panthers acquiring winger Sam Reinhart from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a first-round pick next year and goaltender Devon Levi.

Asked about those trades and how they potentially impact things moving forward, Guerin responded, "It will always change it in a bit."

"The markets go up and down, and prices change," Guerin added. "We will see what happens."

As for the Wild, it seems likely that they will fill out their roster through free agency, then look to make a splashy move if possible.

"We have to figure out dollars and cents and what we're going to be able to pay what position and things like that," Guerin said. "Just get ready to go."