Wild has two first-round picks in Thursday's first day of NHL draft

The salary-cap pinch that's already purged 30-goal scorer Kevin Fiala from the Wild isn't going away.

Over the next three seasons, the team will be in a crunch that'll only get tighter.

That makes prospects who reach the NHL on affordable contracts essential to the Wild, and the team has an opportunity to bolster its pipeline with eight picks in the draft, including two during the first round on Thursday, at Bell Centre in Montreal.

"The number of picks [and] the quality of the picks is incredibly exciting," said Judd Brackett, the Wild's director of amateur scouting.

This is the second straight year the team has a pair of firsts.

Aside from its own selection at 24, the Wild secured No. 19 from Los Angeles last week in the trade that sent Fiala to the Kings. Add in two second-rounders, and the team has four picks in the top 56. Rounds 2-7 are Friday.

"We have a list for a reason, and we'll stick to it," General Manager Bill Guerin said. "You take the best player available."

When the Wild is on the clock, that could mean a forward or a defenseman.

Unlike last year when the team nabbed goalie Jesper Wallstedt at 20 before defenseman Carson Lambos with No. 26, this year's class doesn't have the same pedigree between the pipes. But it does boast a range of talented skaters, beginning with the start of the draft.

Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky and Gophers commit Logan Cooley are expected to make up the first three picks, which Montreal, New Jersey and Arizona have in that order.

By the late teens and early 20s where the Wild is, centers like Nathan Gaucher, Frank Nazar and Noah Ostlund could have their names called as well as wingers Isaac Howard, Liam Ohgren and Chaska's Jimmy Snuggerud. Same with defensemen Ryan Chesley, who's from Mahtomedi, Denton Mateychuk and Owen Pickering.

"This draft has a little bit of everything," Brackett said. "You've got high skill. You've got elite skaters. You've got puck movers. You've got power-play defensemen.

"It's exciting and for us, I think we're going to get two quality players in the first round. But we're going to have to be patient about it and see how it unfolds for others first."

Last time, the Wild moved up to take Wallstedt, and Brackett mentioned the Wild exploring that possibility again if the chance arises; he also said the team could trade down.

With two first-rounders, the Wild has options and might "take a bigger swing," as Brackett put it, with more picks waiting in the wings. And unpredictability is still on the draft menu because of the interruption of COVID-19 in recent seasons.

"We're still evaluating the way we typically do," Brackett explained. "But in the back of our mind, we're cognizant of the missed time."

Although this is the point in the offseason when NHL rosters usually start to evolve, the Wild could stay future-focused at the draft.

There's always the possibility of trades, especially with GMs back for an in-person draft after the previous two were virtual, but the team's must-have is clear after it signed defenseman Jake Middleton on Wednesday to a three-year, $7.35 million contract: to fill out its goaltending tandem.

After acquiring Marc-Andre Fleury at the trade deadline, the Wild wants to bring back Fleury, but the netminder is a soon-to-be free agent and could merit interest from different corners of the league. As for Middleton, he was a restricted free agent who'll return after a solid debut in which he played on the top defensive unit alongside captain Jared Spurgeon while contributing a goal and four assists in 21 games. Middleton, 26, joined the team in a deadline-day trade with San Jose that sent goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to the Sharks.

If the Wild can't keep Fleury, it can explore free agency or the trade market for an alternative to team up with Cam Talbot. Regardless, the team has less than $5 million in cap space to work with.

Such is the reality of the Wild when it has little flexibility in its budget, almost $13 million of which is eaten up by the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts.

Again, that math underscores how young players on team-friendly contracts could sustain the Wild coming up, and the draft is a perfect place to stock up on candidates.

"We do our homework, whether it's talking to skills coaches, their coaches, billets, anything that we can get some information on and find out who the guys are that are dedicated and working at it and are going to take the biggest steps," Brackett said. "That's what we're looking for."