With the 24th pick, the Minnesota Wild select...

The 23rd pick.

Yes, the Wild made a bold move, and jumped up one spot. Was it really a bold move? Possibly... the team seemed to think that the player they wanted (defenseman Tyler Cuma) would be gone at 23 either way, so they wanted to secure that pick. Of course, New Jersey (the team that we pulled the trade with) ended up taking a winger, so we can't be positive.

How does this draft shape up for the Wild? It will be interesting to see, and we may not know for a couple of years. Cuma could be a very good fit, especially with a defensive corps that includes Burns, Schultz and the new addition of Bergeron. Marco Scandella (the Wild second round choice) could make an impact down the road. Sean Lorenz (round 4, and future Notre Dame defenseman) has size, and just needs some experience. Eero Elo, the only non-defensemen selected by Minnesota, hails from Finland, and we know how the Finns tend to fit into the Jacques Lemaire system (Koivu and Backstrom have flourished as of late... Nummelin is headed back across the pond). The 18-year old could be an offensive threat down the road.

But what about what was happening outside of the draft? The Olli Jokinen sweepstakes had to take a toll, as the Wild eventually lost out to Phoenix and a couple defensemen. What about putting Pierre-Marc Bouchard up as trade bait for Jokinen? Florida obviously didn't want to deal with two talented restricted free agents, but what does this mean for Butch this season? If the Wild can't get Rolston signed, we'd expect a renewed focus on signing Bouchard (and getting an extension on Gaborik) before too long. If Rolston signs, we can see the team trying to ship Bouchard away. Possibly for someone like Metropolit or Ribiero?

This is going to be a long off-season, and, while the Wild have done some work to shore up their defense for the future, they've still got some holes to fill. And they've got the unanswered questions with regards to renewing or extending contracts.