LAS VEGAS — With the Wild finally back on the clock after waiting more than an hour between picks on Saturday morning at the Sphere in Las Vegas, general manager Bill Guerin decided they could wait a little longer to make their next selection in the 2024 NHL Draft.
In a move designed to add some depth to the bottom half of the lineup, the Wild traded winger Vinni Lettieri and the No. 110 pick to the Boston Bruins in exchange for center Jakub Lauko and the No. 122 pick. Though the move involved some draft picks, this is a hockey trade at its core for the Wild, who expect Lauko to be a regular for them this season.
MORE MINNESOTA WILD COVERAGE:
Pro
Check out every player the Wild selected in the 2024 NHL Draft
They continued to add to their prospect pool after selecting defenseman Zeev Buium in the first round
18h ago
·
By Dane Mizutani / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Pro
Wild acquire No. 12 pick, select Denver University defenseman Zeev Buium
In order to facilitate the trade, the Wild flipped the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, as well as a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft to sweeten the deal
1d ago
·
By Dane Mizutani / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Pro
NHL draft: ‘Patient’ Wild willing to wait their turn for player they’ll be ‘thrilled with’
Amateur scouting director Judd Brackett said trading up is always possible but that team expects to get a good prospect at No. 13
4d ago
·
By John Shipley / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Pro
Wild trade prospect Adam Beckman for AHL all-star Graeme Clarke
Clarke, from Waconia, led Utica in goals 25 and game-winning goals in 2023-24 and is a restricted free agent
Jun 21
·
By John Shipley / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Pro
Wild mainstay Darby Hendrickson relieved of assistant coaching duties
The Richfield native joined the team in 2000 as a player and was an assistant coach for 12 seasons
Jun 1
·
By John Shipley / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Pro
Wild missed playoffs, but some of their top prospects had big postseasons
Two, center Hunter Haight and defenseman Kalem Parker, will meet as opponents in the CHL championship tournament
May 22
·
By John Shipley / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Pro
John Shipley: Next season will play large role in Wild’s ability to re-sign Kirill Kaprizov
The Wild already have made the superstar a millionaire; next he must be convinced he can win a Cup here.
May 1
·
By John Shipley / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Pro
Wild rookie Faber named finalist for Calder Trophy
The blue liner joins Chicago center Connor Bedard and New Jersey defenseman Luke Hughes on the short list.
Apr 30
·
By John Shipley / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Pro
Al Shaver, voice of the North Stars, has died at age 96
His family said the broadcasting icon died after a brief illness at his home on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Apr 24
·
By JESS MYERS | Forum News Service
Pro
Wild have options to get better in 2024-25, just not a lot of them
‘We’ll look at every possible option that we have, whether that’s free agency, trades, anything we can do to improve the team,’ GM Bill Guerin said
Apr 20
·
By John Shipley / St. Paul Pioneer Press
“He fits exactly what we’re trying to do in that part of the lineup,” Guerin said. “He’s got some grit. He’s got speed. He’s tough.”
ADVERTIsem*nT
Those are things the Wild were lacking in the bottom half of the lineup at times last season. That shouldn’t be an issue with Lauko now in the mix. He played 60 games for the Bruins last season, posting 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists), and proving himself as a valuable player that understood his role.
“He brings a lot of energy,” Guerin said. “The ingredients that he brings are what we’re looking for.”
That said, Guerin promised that the addition of Lauko won’t block prospects like Marat Khusnutdinov, Liam Ohgren, or Riley Heidt, among others, from being given every opportunity to make the Wild out of training camp. The hope is that fostering a competitive environment for some of those young players will push them to make a name for themselves.
“You have to earn it,” Guerin said. “You have to beat guys out for spots.”
ADVERTIsem*nT
Meanwhile, this will be a fresh start for Lettieri, who enjoyed his homecoming in Minnesota despite the fact that it was relatively brief. He played 46 games for the Wild last season almost exclusively because of injuries. He will face an uphill climb when it comes to making the Bruins out of training camp.
The next step for the Wild is continuing to retool their roster after missing the playoffs last season. They will head into free agency next week looking to add an impact player to the top half of their lineup.
“We’re trying to make our team better,” Guerin said. “That’s really it.”
If the Wild indeed add another body in the next few days, whether that be via free agency or via trade, expect that person to come with a physical presence about him. There is a certain way that Guerin wants the Wild to play the game and he doesn’t appear willing to sacrifice that for anybody.
ADVERTIsem*nT
“I’m really more focused on the identity of the team,” Guerin said. “That’s something that we have to get back.”
______________________________________________________
This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here.
