Who will the Wild draft with pick No. 45?
With the 45th overall pick, the Minnesota Wild select ... EJ Emery from the U.S. National Development Program.
Why pick him? Emery is the son of former CFL linebacker Eric Emery. He has size and is projected to become a solid defensive defenseman who plays physical. Ryan Kennedy at The Hockey News has Emery becoming like a Ben Chiarot type of player.
What the scouts say: "He's an athletic kid who can skate," one scout said. "He likes to get up the ice and is a solid defender. He has good size, stick, and reach. Hockey sense, for me, is an issue. I don't see him making plays, so I don't know how much offense is in his game. But there are definitely tools there. He's just far and needs some time."
Who are the other options? Cole Hutson should remain as a top option if he is still available at pick 45. THN has Hutson at 71 so there is a chance he is there at 45. A few other options would be Luke Misa, Maxim Masse, Kasper Pikkarainen, and Teddy Stiga.
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