Wild Triple-Down On Center With Riley Heidt At 64th Overall

The Minnesota Wild addressed their needs for size down the middle by doubling up on centers Charlie "Big Rig" Stramel (21st overall) and Rasmus "Finnish Big Rig" Kumpulainen (53rd) with their first two picks of the 2023 NHL Draft. With two centers in the fold, the Wild had the luxury of turning their attention to another need at Pick 64, which they acquired from Jordan "Former Big Rig" Greenway.

Why not the glaring hole at center? That's what the Wild did with the last selection in the second round, scooping up a falling Riley Heidt out of the WHL's Prince George Cougars.

Stramel was a hot topic of debate, being widely perceived as the "safe" pick that fans don't necessarily dream about getting in the first round. But Heidt is the player you can dream on, with skills for days. FC Hockey had him ranked 21st in their Draft Guide. They grade his playmaking, puck-handling, and hockey sense as "High-End," with an above-average shot, to boot. 

Scouts might have been scared off by Heidt's height. He's listed at 5-foot-10 and a slight 170 pounds. Is he going to have the size to stick down the middle? That might be a concern that led to him falling one pick shy of the third round.

But guess who doesn't have that problem? The Wild. With Stramel and Kumpulainen in the fold, Minnesota has insurance if Heidt goes off to the wing. If they made the right bets on their big centers, all Minnesota has to worry about is whether or not Heidt develops into a good player instead of what position he'll ultimately land at.

Make no mistake, Heidt is a good prospect despite his tumble in the draft. He stepped into a full-time role with Prince George last year and was instantly a nearly point-per-game player, with 21 goals and 58 points in 65 games. He turned it up another notch this season, finishing tied for fourth in the WHL with 97 points in 68 games.

We'll have more on Heidt later, but this is a player Wild fans can get excited about, with no qualifications whatsoever.