This year’s NHL Scouting Combine was different for Minnesota Wild director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett.

The Wild don’t have a first-round pick (thanks to the David Jiricek trade), nor did they have a third-rounder. So there weren’t nearly as many interviews in Buffalo as they focused on who they might take as their second-rounder (No. 52).

“It’s certainly harder to predict,” Brackett said on the “Fellowship of the Rink” podcast. “Years past, when you know whether it’s 13 or a specific number, you can start to ballpark maybe four, five, six players. Forecasting 52 is way out of your control.”

The Wild feel they’ve hit on some gems in the second round in recent years, from Ryder Ritchie last year to Riley Heidt (2023) and Hunter Haight (2022). Does the fact they don’t have a first or third put more pressure on Brackett and his staff to hit on this year’s second?

“To say, ‘Is there more pressure?’ Probably not — we want to hit on all these players,” Brackett said. “Do we have less insurance in terms of if we do miss, we don’t have the backup third-round pick or didn’t already maybe hit on the first-round pick. So, yes, in that instance, yes, this second-round pick becomes our first chance at a National Hockey League Player.

“The odds, as we all know, go down as the draft progresses, so this is our best chance.”

The Wild have the No. 2-ranked prospect pool in the NHL, according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. That’s driven a lot from the top of the list, with last year’s first-rounder Zeev Buium already getting his first taste of the NHL during the Stanley Cup playoffs (then winning a World Championship with Team USA). There’s Danila Yurov, who signed his three-year, entry-level contract a few weeks ago and is expected to be part of the lineup next season.

Brackett discussed how the Wild stick to their philosophy on drafting and the characteristics they seek in players.

“There’s always biases year to year,” Brackett said. “We’ll see in a couple weeks the winner of the Stanley Cup. That blueprint might change a little bit. Is it a heavy two-way physical team that gets in your face? Or is it speed and skill? Not that you can find a guy that fast (Connor McDavid) anywhere else. The blueprint can change when teams have success. You have to be firm in your beliefs and stick to what you believe is going to be the causality behind a Minnesota Wild championship team.”

A lot of great stuff from #mnwild director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett on latest @FOTRshow.
*Approach w/no 1st, 3rd
*Team philosophy
*Any regrets?
*Insight on Rossi, Stramel, Yurov, Haight, Ohgren + more
YouTube: https://t.co/N4UNVzpJoc
Podcast: https://t.co/VVUlKFrDvd pic.twitter.com/D366RHvvfJ

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) June 12, 2025

Hindsight is always 20-20, especially when it comes to the draft. It’s an inexact science, prime for second-guessing. There was the Charlie Stramel pick at No. 21 in the 2023 NHL Draft, with Gabe Perreault going a couple picks later to the New York Rangers. Sam Rinzel and Jimmy Snuggerud went after Liam Ohgren at No. 19 in the 2022 draft (the Wild got a strong combo of Oghren and Yurov in the first round). Wyatt Johnston went three picks after the Wild took potential goalie of the future Jesper Wallstedt at No. 20 in 2021. The Wild took defenseman Jack Peart in the second round that year (No. 54). Matthew Knies went three picks later.

Does Brackett, in general, ever have any regrets?

“Always,” Brackett said. “This is an incredibly humbling business. We’re talking about 17-, 18-year-olds. This is a draft and development, much like MLB. It’s not a plug-and-play into your lineup and your scheme. It can be very humbling. What you thought might happen doesn’t. There’s always times where you love a player and someone picks them two picks in front of you. The opportunity wasn’t there to do it.

“There’s always retrospect and looking back and learning from it. I try not to name names on the record. But there are players we look back on and say, ‘Man, we were so close, or ‘We had it this way, imagine if it was one or two off?’ But you stay to your core values and stick with your staff and truly believe in the picks you make, you’re going to be thrilled with what you have and stand behind the player you picked and hope they continue to develop the way you envisioned on draft day.”

The Wild made Marco Rossi the No. 9 pick in 2020. He’s overcome a missed year of development due to COVID-19 and a subsequent heart condition. Rossi was the team’s second-leading scorer last season, though he could be moved this summer if the Wild can’t come to an agreement on a contract with the pending restricted free agent.

Brackett and the team’s brass took Rossi over the likes of Anton Lundell, Seth Jarvis.

“I think on draft day, what it was with us for Marco, outside of the 40 goals, 80 assists, the monster production, it was the detail he played with,” Brackett said. “An import player coming over that’s undersized that takes the OHL by storm, that doesn’t happen. And, you know what, more than just the production, it was the driver. It was making others better. We were steadfast that he was going to be a National Hockey League center and he would be a top-six center. His hockey sense was unparalleled. It probably was a slower roll to becoming that player, but I think Marco has become the player we thought he’d be.”

When asked what prospects Brackett is most excited about, he said the “headliner” is Buium.

“He wins another World Junior, goes to win the World Championship, gets the taste of the National Hockey League,” Brackett said. “He’s the headliner in a sense that he continues to deliver. There’s excitement about his play, the skill level. It goes without saying what he brings.

“He’s got an infectious personality. The skill level is there. This is where he wants to be. I think honestly, when he steps on the ice every night, he wants to be the best player. I don’t see that from a cocky, arrogant standpoint, he truly thinks he can and will be. That’ll continue to drive his game and I think what his future potential might be is honestly up to him.”

Brackett also weighed in on several other Wild prospects:

On Ryder Ritchie: “He’s an August birthday, still 18 years old. His age is also a part of where he is in his maturity. You see his body is still changing. He looks like he’s pushing around 6-1 right now. A player who dealt with injuries in his draft year, settled in nicely, had injuries this year with a skate to the eye, still finished with 40 goals. There’s no question about his ability to release the puck and mesh with other high-end talent. His game is still very much in its infancy.”

On David Jiricek: “The hallmark of David’s game is his compete level. You’ve got the huge, hulking frame, 6-4, right shot. Moves well enough; it’s still an area he continues to work on. But you see him off the ice, he’s still very much got pounds to put on and man strength to come. I think with that you’ll see more strength, more balance, more engagement on the ice. He plays a very assertive game, loves to pinch at the offensive blue line and get involved. He has a huge shot.

“At the time of his draft year, he already had played in a men’s league, had world junior experience, had been on the big stage and a leader for his team nationally. He’s a player we believe in. He just needs a bit of streamlining in his development path. There’s been a lot of ups and downs for him. That speaks to the caliber of player — he’s so close that, at times, you think he’s ready. But sometimes he needs a little bit more seasoning. A player we’re excited about. Great attitude, comes to work every day. It’s a really hard player to find. Right shot with that size with that pedigree. Looking at your defense for under-23 with (Brock) Faber, Buium and Jiricek, there’s a lot to be excited about.”

On Danila Yurov: “Another player who had surgery. Even if you saw how quickly he came back from the last injury, you see how much fire there is in this player. Another one of ours who won a championship. He led his team in scoring. Plays up the middle. Two-way. Can skate, handles the puck, terrific shot. I’m excited to see his integration to North America. He’s got a great personality, there’s always a smile on his face. He’s been talking about being in North America since the day we met him in Montreal. I expect him to attack it with that kind of vigor.”

On Charlie Stramel: “That was the perfect situation this year. A familiar coach, a program on the rise. A big opportunity. I think it goes without saying that Will Morlock and the strength and conditioning staff at MSU did a great job. Charlie is significantly lighter this year, moving great. I think also with (coach Adam Nightingale), his identity is very clear. He’s straight-line, he’s getting to the net, he’s making room, he’s winning faceoffs. It was fun to watch Charlie, he was enjoying hockey again. It was a tough track for him. He’s been through some things off the ice, he went in early to school, had a coaching change, maybe lacked some support as well. He had a great year and we want to see him go back and do it again and hopefully win a national championship.”

On Liam Ohgren: “For Marco and Liam, the conscientious two-way game can sometimes supersede the offensive ability. Liam can shoot the puck as well as anybody. For me, one of his strengths his draft year was his ability to forecheck. As he gets more and more comfortable and more of an opportunity to get in and pressure pucks and create turnovers, you’re going to see how strong he is at that. He’s great at angling, has a really good stick, can create turnovers down low. He can beat goalies clean from that level with his shot, which is not easy to do. He’s coming. The confidence is there. I’m excited to see how he arrives at camp. He’s built like a tank.”

On Hunter Haight: “I think a big one for Hunter is his mindset. He’s already had that first good step, quickness and speed, skill, hockey sense. But I think for a guy in his frame, part of what makes him really successful is he chose to be. He chose to engage in battles, he chose to win pucks, never takes the long route. He’s quick on pucks, he forces things and he can read and react off others. A lot of it is he decides to be as good as he is going to be. That was his choice for him to go out and make an impression (in AHL Iowa). It started at rookie camp, even amongst his peers, he wanted to stand out. It’s not always about ability, sometimes it’s also about that drive and that compete, that will to want to get there, and I think Hunter has that.”

(Top photo of Marco Rossi: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)