The NHL Draft continues today, but last night's first round had its fair share of surprises and trades. The Minnesota Wild had two first round selections entering the night, and stood pat, adding two offensive players to bolster the team's depth.

The picks send a clear message to Wild fans. The departure of Kevin Fiala won't be a big hole heading into next season.

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With pick #19 last night, Minnesota selected Left Winger Liam Ohgren from Sweden. Ohgren, 18, will surely fit in the mix on offense for the Wild (espn.com):

"He's more of a goal scorer than a playmaker. The Wild add a center to their mix at the position that includes Marco Rossi."

Later on last night, the Wild would select for a second time at #24 overall. Minnesota opted to take one of the two Russian-born players in the first round, and landed a talented prospect:

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"He's a strong finisher with good goal-scoring instincts, one who sees the ice well and protects the puck. Had he gotten more minutes in the KHL, and with a different international relationship with Russia, Yurov could have been a top-10 pick."

We'll have to wait and see what comes from the rest of the draft for the Wild, but it appears that they are adding to their attack early on.

The team has been pretty active this week, re-signing veteran goalkeeper Marc Andre Fleury to a 2-year deal, and also retaining defenseman Jacob Middleton on a 3-year contract.

The Wild open the 2022-2023 season on October 13th when they host the New York Rangers.

Source: espn.com

Ten Most Disappointing Minnesota Sports Seasons

The 2021 Minnesota Twins entered the season with high expectations, but unfortunately, they've made the list of most disappointing Minnesota teams of all time.

Disappointment is a common feeling for Minnesota sports fans as the years continue. Following the NBA Championship win for Milwaukee, SportsCenter was quick to point out that Minnesota has the current longest streak of seasons without a championship appearance in the four major sports (MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL). The Minnesota Lynx also chimed in on the stat after claiming four championships since 2011.

The ten teams that are on this list all follow a similar pattern. The year prior was either a great season with a playoff run or one that featured a strong core of players that appeared to have taken the next step. Offseason/preseason expectations were high with even Las Vegas oddsmakers believing in a deep run. Unfortunately, those preseason expectations fell short for the following teams. None of the teams listed below made the playoffs.


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