Round 1 - 9th overall
Minnesota Wild - Mikael Granlund5' 10", 180 lbs - center, HIFK (Finland)
While Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley wait for letters of compassion from Brady Quinn, the draft moves on. Mikael Granlund was the top skater ranked by Central Scouting, so it’s not as if the Minnesota Wild ended up with chopped liver.
Granlund is basically the polar opposite of what people expect a Wild player to be; he’s small, slick and can make magic happen with the puck (all apologies to Mikko Koivu). It’s unclear how long it will take Granlund to make the jump to the NHL, but Minnesota is light on offensive skill so he might make an impact on their roster soon.
It’s been a pretty shocking draft once we got past the obvious Hall-Seguin combo, so stay tuned for more potential jaw-droppers.