Where are They Now? Wild Draft Picks 2001

Glad you are enjoying the series. Hope you are enjoying the tape-delay, split channel, late night Olympic hockey as well.

After the jump, of course.

We'll jump right into it today:

Result: Huge Win. Huge.

Round 2: Kyle Wanvig - As we will see as we go through this, the second round was hit or miss during the Dark Ages. Wanvig became a journeyman AHLer, not something you look for from a second round pick. He had 12 points in 51 games for the Wild in 2005-06, along with 64 PIMs. Again, not exactly what you want to use your second round pick on.

Result: Bust

The best part of this pick? He Who Shall No Longer be Mentioned traded the fifth round pick to move up from 79 to 74 to make it.

Result: Ahem, BUST.

Result: This is a hard one. I'll say Neutral. He played well, but his role was not what it should have been. He eventually left for no return.

Round Four: Tony Virta (RW) - Eight games with the Wild in 2001-02, then a season and a half with the Aeros before going back to Finland to play, where he remains today.

Result: Bust.

Round Five: No Pick. Traded away.

Round Six: No Pick. Unsure why.

Result: Win.

Round Eight: Jake Riddle (LW) - Never made it out of the ECHL for extended time. Currently in the CHL.

(Note that tat rounds after the eighth were eventually eliminated)

Result: Bust.

Summary: Hard to fault a draft that brought Mikko Koivu to town, but this draft was a sign. Trading picks left and right, giving up picks to move up five spots in the third round, and willingness to draft players that did not fit the system. With a stud like Koivu being chosen, this draft should be an easy A. I'll give it a solid C. Too many mistakes weighing down the selection of Koivu.

-Buddha

(Author's note: If anyone can figure out why the Wild did not have a sixth round pick, you earn extra credit.)

H/T to History of NHL Trades Awesome site. Great info, in easy to find format.