The second after the Minnesota Wild selected defenseman Filip Johansson with the 24th-overall pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, it was heralded as a safe pick. A pick that a team makes that just wants someone to play on their team, but with limited upside.
That became somewhat a habit for the Wild in the top end of the draft. The previous two years, with only three picks in the top-100, Minnesota selected reliable center Joel Eriksson Ek, physical forward Jordan Greenway, and college standout Luke Kunin. All three players have played for the Wild since then and have established themselves as full-time big-league players, but there’s still a little bit more value to be had in those first two rounds.