At pick 171, Wild select D Nick Boka

Boka is considered a good skating defenseman with the ability to carry the puck up the ice and makes a solid pass out of the zone. He does have a hard shot and with a good wrister, but misses the net a ton. He's considered responsible in his own end. He collects almost a penalty per game so his discipline and/or talent will need to develop.

Boka ranked #98 by ISS hockey and #117 among North American skaters by Central Scouting. he is committed to the University of Michigan and will play for Hall of Fame coach Red Berenson. He will play in the Big Ten conference where Minnesota hockey fans will get a chance to watch him play as they play the Gophers.

Boka is a smooth-­skating defenseman who can really push the play up ice. Makes strong passes and has the offensive mindset to slide into the slot for a pass and let go a quick wrist shot. Possesses a hard point shot with no glaring accuracy, as he consistently seems to miss the net. While he has the ability to rush the puck again and again, he needs to be smarter and much more cautious with his decision-‐making. He needs to choose his spots. He isn't the quickest defenseman when it comes to recovering from a broken rush, and he needs to be careful with his aggressiveness. He shows great gap control and once the opposition crosses the blue line, he is all over them, giving them no room to breathe. He is the type of defenseman who contributes in every aspect of the game. We like Boka's confidence and puck­‐skill, but he just needs to be smarter on when to utilize his strong skill-set. - Future Considerations