Wild names Judd Brackett director of amateur scouting

When the 2020 NHL draft takes place, the Wild will have someone new in charge of its picks.

The team appointed Judd Brackett its director of amateur scouting on Thursday, bringing in the longtime scout after his departure from the Canucks organization earlier this year.

"We are excited to add Judd to this role and oversee our amateur scouting efforts," General Manager Bill Guerin said in a statement.

Not only will Brackett run the Wild's draft, but he'll also oversee an amateur scouting staff that continues to evolve.

In May, the team confirmed it wasn't renewing the contracts of co-director of amateur scouting Darren Yopyk and amateur scout Ernie Vargas. Last year, Yopyk ran the draft with PJ Fenton, the team's other co-director of amateur scouting at the time.

Brackett, 43, spent the previous 12 seasons with the Canucks, serving as an amateur scout for seven seasons before being named their director of amateur scouting in 2015. During that tenure, Vancouver drafted an impressive stable of young players – including NHLers Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes and Burnsville native Brock Boeser.

Before joining the Canucks, Brackett was the head scout and vice president of player personnel for the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League where he helped the team win two Clark Cups.

This year's draft, which was postponed in March amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, is expected to be held after the current season finishes – potentially in October.

The Wild is set to face off against the Canucks in a best-of-five qualifying matchup as part of the 24-team tournament to resume the season. If the team loses that series, it will have a 1-in-8 chance to snag the No.1 pick after the draft lottery last month awarded the top selection to a team that will be eliminated in the qualifying round.

That drawing will happen between the qualifying round and the first round of the playoffs.