Wild Prospects

As of today, here is my ranking of the team's best prospects:

1. Marco Scandella (D) ~ finally, finally, finally a 2nd round draft pick can play. He was arguably Canada's best defenseman in the last World Juniors and appears to be getting better every month. Pierre McGuire calls him "a monster".

2. Nick Leddy (D) ~ despite an early-season injury, he's had a good season in the WCHA. Still a few years away, but nothing he has done has diminished his 16th overall selection. McGuire calls him "a monster".

3. Tyler Cuma (D) ~ the former first round pick has disappointed so far to date, but defensemen tend to develop slowly, so I wouldn't give up on him yet. Odds are good he'll be in Houston next season.

4. Anton Khoudobin (G) ~ Houston's all star goaltender will probably be backing up Backstrom next season.

5. Colton Gilles (LW) ~ Despite playing in the NHL last season, I still label him as a prospect. He's only 20 and could someday be a gritty presence in the corners. McGuire had called him "a monster" but has since retracted that quote.

As you can see, the Wild are fairly deep with prospects on defense. I see them drafting forwards this upcoming summer.