By Adam Overby -
In the ruthless scramble for Lord Stanley's Cup, NHL franchises don't just build contenders, they cultivate them. The lifeblood of this pursuit isn't limited to free agency bidding wars or blockbuster trades. The true foundation often lies years in the past, meticulously constructed through the NHL Draft. Teams secure the raw potential of future stars in the draft, young players brimming with talent and the hunger to prove themselves.
Unfortunately, Bill Guerin hasn't yielded much fruit from the draft during his tenure. Over his last five drafts (2020-2024), only one player of the 32 the Minnesota Wild drafted has eclipsed 25 NHL games: Marco Rossi, an undersized center the fanbase clings to with clenched fists of hope.
Expanding the scope to include the 2017-2019 Drafts adds only three other players, and the Wild have already moved on from Mason Shaw and Connor Dewar, who had fourth-line roles last year. That leaves Matt Boldy, a perimeter winger with good hands. There was also Jack McBain, who bolted for the Arizona Coyotes after he didn’t see a pathway to making Minnesota’s roster.
So, with the 2024 NHL Draft shimmering with an abundance of elite talent, there was an energizing buzz coursing through the league. Scouts, GMs, and sportswriters alike approached draft day with heightened anticipation.
Any given draft class could rewrite the fortunes of struggling franchises by promising core roster players, even a few outside of the top 10 picks. If an organization gets a little lucky, accompanied by great scouting, it might even scoop up a future superstar. Just ask Kirill Kaprizov, who was picked 80 spots after Yakov Trenin in the 2015 draft.
For the Wild, holding the 13th pick, this draft wasn't just another selection meeting; it was a potential turning point. Because past drafts hadn't delivered the impact they craved, this year's bounty of prospects offered a chance to rewrite their future. Would Judd Bracket and Guerin pick for need, as they did in 2023 with Charlie Stramel, or did they learn their lesson by choosing the best player available? Would they roll the dice and pass on a pure sniper, or would they just lock up their blue line for a decade?
Enter Zeev Buium, the shifty defenseman from the University of Denver, waiting just outside the top 10. A tantalizing prospect with the potential to power the entire Xcel Energy Center. With puckhandling wizardry and offensive instincts perfectly matched to the Wild's need for a dynamic force on the blue line. Buium isn't just another draft pick; it's a calculated gamble on a player poised to ignite the Wild's offense for years as they transition from the old guard of Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon.
It's a pick that was universally hailed in the hockey world, but did Minnesota botch a chance to rewrite the "boring" narrative that's dogged the franchise and paint an offensive masterpiece by claiming Cole Eiserman with the 13th pick?
An electrifying winger poised to tear it up at Boston University, Eiserman’s lethal shot and relentless puck pursuit echo the Wild's yearning for a difference-maker. Choosing Eiserman wouldn't have been a pick by the book, but a bold swing for a player with the goal-scoring chops to become a cornerstone. Eiserman could have been the missing piece, ready to unleash a scoring barrage and ignite a new era of Wild hockey.
Only time will tell if Guerin unearthed a hidden gem or missed out on a future superstar. The 2024 Draft's depth and volatility at the top guarantees years of analysis and debate. A lot of those debates will center around the potential top-five prospects that slipped to 12th and 20th in the draft, respectively.
With the 2024 Draft's dust settling and the Wild's selection locked in, the team's prospect core of Buium, Jesper Wallstedt, Danila Yurov, Liam Ohgren, Riley Heidt, and Marat Khusnutdinov. They'll soon join what the Wild are hoping will be cornerstones in Boldy, Rossi, and Brock Faber. With Kaprizov in the mix, and hopefully in this organization for the long haul, does this equal a dynasty?
Maybe, maybe not, but in either case, the 2024 Draft will likely be seen as a turning point for the franchise. If they're able to attain a championship with Buium leading the blueline, they'll be sure that they made the right call. If they end up one goal-scorer short, we'll perhaps look at passing on a potential game-changer in Eiserman with as much regret as we did with Gabriel Perreault in 2023. Which outcome will play out? We'll have to wait and see.
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