2011 Minnesota Wild NHL Draft Picks
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft is completed, and all seven rounds are in the books. Before we look ahead to free agency in the National Hockey League, let’s take a look at a team by team synopsis of all of this year’s draft picks. Find out who they are, what to expect from them, and when you can expect to see them putting on a sweater in the NHL. Also, each team will be graded on their overall performance during the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Let’s find out who the Minnesota Wild drafted, after the jump.
Bryan Vickroy
Here are the six players drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Jonas Brodin (Rd 1, 10th overall)
| D | SWE | 6′ 1″ | 166 | SWEDEN | Farjestad |
Smooth skating, international defenseman. Won a Swedish Elite League title at only 17, competing against men nearly twice his age. Intelligent and calm, is able to defend in the zone or one on one against most players. Needs to add size to a slight frame so he can be more physical with his play.
Estimated Arrival: 2014-15
Zack Phillips (Rd 1, 28th overall)
| C | CAN | 6′ 0″ | 175 | QMJHL | Saint John |
Hard working, quick skater who can control the puck in all areas of the ice. Strong in the face off circle, and very good passer. Led Saint John in power play goals. Great vision and hands allow him to control the puck in the corners and behind the net.
Estimated Arrival: 2013-14
Mario Lucia (Rd 2, 60th overall)
| LW | USA | 6′ 2″ | 187 | HIGH-MN | Wayzata |
Son of University of Minnesota coach Don Lucia. Smart and talented playmaker who makes his teammates on the ice better. Smart and hardworking forward who excels in the offensive zone. Understands the game of hockey and what it takes to make it to the NHL.
Estimated Arrival: 2014-15
Nick Seeler (Rd 5, 131st overall)
| D | USA | 6′ 0″ | 170 | HIGH-MN | Eden Prarie |
Won a state championship at Eden Prairie. He will play for Muskegon of the USHL this season before heading to Nebraska Omaha for college. Good skater, very good passer, and willing to contribute offensively either from the point or on the rush.
Estimated Arrival: 2015-16
Stephen Michalek (Rd 6, 161st overall)
| G | USA | 6′ 2″ | 196 | HIGH-CT | Loomis-Chaffee |
Strong in international competition, as well as scholastically for a very poor team. GAA was inflated due to facing more than 1,000 shots in just 23 games. Butterfly goalie who has size and speed to move side to side efficiently. Attending Harvard in the fall.
Estimated Arrival: 2015-16
Tyler Graovac (Rd 7, 191st overall)
| C | CAN | 6′ 3″ | 179 | OHL | Ottawa |
Huge framed center who needs to add weight to be more physical. Two way player who protects his own zone first. Not afraid to go down and block shots, and should be able to make a career out of being a third line, crash the net type player.
Estimated Arrival: 2015-16
Synopsis
Minnesota GM Chuck Fletcher put most of the team’s draft work into trades, which set the Wild up very well for the future. Brodin is a long term project, but the franchise already has plenty of quality, young defenseman in the system who are ready to compete now. While the Wild didn’t have many picks in this draft, they were able to get two legitimate top prospects in the first round. They also added a few local prospects into the mix, something that former GM Doug Risebrough failed to do. For the overall weekend, the organization deserves an A+. While the talent picked might not be that of other teams, the Minnesota Wild officially showed that they are determined to become winners.
Grade: B
Bryan Vickroy has an addiction to hockey, and is willing to partake in all its forms. He is skating extra shifts for The Sports Bank, covering the Minnesota Wild, the NHL, and NCAA hockey all year long. Look for new articles throughout the week. He can be followed on Twitter at @bryanvickroy. If you’d prefer to speak in more than 140 characters at a time to him, he can be reached at bryan.vickroy@gmail.com .