The Minnesota Wild may have kept a low profile on the opening night of the 2026 NHL Draft, but they made a strategic move on the second day that could pay off in spades. Without a first-round pick, thanks to last season's blockbuster trade for star defenseman Quinn Hughes, the Wild had to bide their time. Vancouver, in turn, used that pick to draft Adam Novotný.
The absence of a second-round pick also left Minnesota on the sidelines, a result of their earlier trade for Gustav Nyquist. That pick changed hands a couple of times, eventually landing with the Montreal Canadiens, who selected Timofei Runtso.
But Saturday brought a change of pace for the Wild. They traded up from the 89th to the 83rd spot, sweetening the deal with pick 153, to select Adam Andersson. Now, the Los Angeles Kings hold those picks as a result of the trade.
Andersson, a Swedish center standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 218 pounds, made a significant impression at Leksands IF U20 with three goals and 17 points in 30 games. Ranking 8th in league scoring, he caught the eye of many, including THN's Tony Ferrari, who had him pegged at 40th on his board.
Known for his physicality and prowess at the faceoff dot, Andersson is described as a relentless worker by Wild's Director of European Scouting, Ricard Persson. "He's heavy, hard to play against, and understands the game on both ends of the ice," Persson noted.
With three more picks remaining in the draft (121, 137, and 185), the Wild are poised to continue their strategic approach, looking to bolster their roster with promising talent.
In Other News...
Wild Just Made A Familiar Minnesota Hockey Move With Bigger Stakes
The Iowa Wild are turning to a familiar face with deep roots in Minnesota hockey, giving the organization a coach who knows the state, the league and the developmental grind that comes with running an AHL team. The move was announced by Wild president Bill Guerin and Iowa Wild general manager Matt Hendricks, a pairing that shows how much internal confidence there is in the hire and how closely the parent club is tied to what happens in Des Moines.
Stu Bickel brings a coaching resume built over five seasons as an AHL assistant, along with stops at the University of Minnesota and with the Minnesota Magicians, so this is not a leap into the unknown. He also has the kind of playing background that tends to carry weight in these rooms, with NHL experience and a past connection to the Wild organization itself, which makes this feel like more than just a standard affiliate hire as Iowa keeps feeding the pipeline for Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Guerin Just Made Wild Fans Sweat About Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes is now in the final year of his current deal, and Bill Guerin has already started to ease Wild fans into the idea that this is not necessarily a one-day, July 1 kind of process. The Minnesota general manager said a new extension may not get announced immediately, but the expectation is that something should come together before training camp, which at least gives the team some breathing room as it heads into a busy summer.
Still, the calendar matters here because the real stress point would be if Hughes is sitting there without a new contract once camp opens. Minnesota is juggling plenty at the same time, from potential free-agent additions and draft moves to its pursuit of Dylan Larkin, but Hughes remains the name that will define how loud this offseason feels around the Wild. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Rumors Hint At A Franchise Changing Decision In Net
The goaltending market has been one of the leagues busier storylines, and Buffalo keeps showing up in the middle of it. Edmonton seriously explored a move for Devon Levi before it fell through, while the Sabres have also been linked to a potential swap with Winnipeg around Connor Hellebuyck, a sign that teams are still trying to reshape the position before the next round of roster decisions really sets in.
For Minnesota, the ripple effect is harder to ignore because of the unsettled feeling around its own summer plans. Mats Zuccarello is said to be pretty ticked about how things have unfolded and plans to test free agency, which only adds to the sense that the Wild are navigating a tricky stretch with veteran pieces and cap decisions hanging over the roster. Elsewhere around the league, the trade and signing market keeps moving, but the bigger question for Minnesota is how much more movement it can afford before its own situation turns from complicated to costly. [Read more 🡒]