Even though the Minnesota Wild are slotted to pick 7th overall in Friday's 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the temptation to trade up for a can't-miss player could prove too enticing for the organization.
But while Minnesota general manager Chuck Fletcher believes that his squad will stay firm at No. 7 and benefit from the deep draft class, the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Michael Russo could not help but notice a pair of conversations Fletcher had with Winnipeg and Toronto on the floor of Friday's event:
Talked to Chuck Fletcher a few hours ago. Thought the #mnwild would be standing pat at 7. Not moving up or down. However, ...
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) June 22, 2012
Fletcher just had conversations on draft floor with Winnipeg, which selects 2 back, and Toronto, which selects 2 ahead.
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) June 22, 2012
Innocent or not, the Maple Leafs currently own the 5th pick and the Winnepeg Jets hold the 9th spot, so there's enough merit here to question the possibilities The Wild could easily swap positions with either of these teams for a manageable price if necessary, and could conceivably pick up an added player/future pick by dropping down to No. 9 to take the guy they would've selected 7th.
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