NHL Draft Prospect Preview: Nick Bjugstad

Continuing our march to the 25th, we here at Hockey Wilderness continue to look at who might be available and who the Wild could, would, and should take with that selection. Today we look at Mr. Hockey himself, Nick Bjugstad.

Who do you think the Wild should take? Anyone you really feel that Nathan, Buddha, JS and special guest Circular Theory should look at? Let us know in the comments.

Here is Bjugstad's NHL.com profile:

Nathan: There's a big-time forward prospect from Minnesota who will likely be available for the Wild to take in the first round you say? The Wild call Minnesota the State of Hockey, you say? Interesting.

Bjugstad is a freak. I've seen him play 15-20 times over the past two seasons, and you always notice him on the ice. He is a man amongst boys, even though he accelerated his studies to graduate a year early and head to the U of M (all comments re: Lucia and the failure to develop prospects aside). He has the build to be a prototypical power forward with excellent hands and vision. Can both make plays around the net and pick up the garbage as well as drive to the net to create his own play and finish when others set him up. He was fantastic at the combine, showing speed, strength and agility. The biggest drawback for Bjugstad is that he is at least 3-4 years away from the NHL. He'll be at the U for at least 2 seasons, then will need a year in the AHL to get up to professional speed. Would I take him at #9? Yes, but only if certain other guys were gone. He'll never last to the second round, and likely won't make it past St. Louis at 14 or Boston at 15.

Buddha: As I have said in other mock drafts I have participated in, Bjugstad is certainly a tempting pick for the Wild. For provincial Minnesota hockey fans, there is no other pick. The lunatic fringe will tell you that Bjugstad is the best thing to come out of Minnesota since Neal Broten. I disagree, but still would not be upset with his selection at nine. Do I think they take him? Not a chance.

As I stated in my piece for ProHockeyNews, there are reports of the Wild having issues with the University of Minnesota's program (reports which the Wild deny), and that is exactly where Bjugstad is headed for the next two years, minimum. He is big, of that there is no doubt. Plenty of room for growth, ability to play multiple positions, and yet somehow was completely invisible in the MN High School Hockey tournament. A first round NHL draftee would be able to walk all over the kids he played against, and yet he was shut down. That certainly raises questions.

He rocked the NHL combine, scoring highly in many different categories, comes from a high class high school (OK, it's a dump, but the hockey program is pretty good), and he will certainly go in the first round. I am sticking to my original assertion that he goes mid first round, around 15 or 16. Nothing against the kid, I just think there are better options.