Vibe Check on the 2024 Minnesota Wild Draft Picks – Minnesota Wild

NHL vibes were high this weekend. The 2024 Draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas? Brilliant. Honestly, it should be there forever. There was so much to see visually. And the Trade Horn? Brilliant. Every time it went off, everyone had to buckle up.

The Minnesota Wild had 6 draft picks and once again they cooked. Almost every prospect they picked up was a player who had fallen further down the draft board than anyone expected. And the Wild know not to look a gift horse in the mouth. It doesn't matter why other teams passed them up. What matters is that the Wild's scouting department is top notch and knows what they like.

Everyone talks about the stats because it's easy to reference when evaluating a player. But let's spin the tables and look at the vibes of each draft pick, because we all know how important vibes are to the Wild organization.

Zeev Buium

Buium made a splash last season when he helped the University of Denver win a national championship. Interestingly, he expressed his joy by accidentally swearing not once, but twice on national television during an interview with his brother, who also played for Denver.

Buium is already familiar with Minnesota, having spent time at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault. He has already purified himself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka, where he spent an entire summer.

It feels like Buium will feel right at home next to Brock Faber on the blue line. If Faber brings Golden Retriever energy, Buium brings Border Collie energy, making them delightfully different in the most wonderful way.

Ryder Ritchie

Ritchie is incredibly babyfaced, which makes sense considering he’s not even 18 yet! Despite his young age, he’s one of the highest-scoring players in the 2024 class. Ritchie fell to the 45th pick after missing a significant chunk of last season. But the Wild still wanted him, and Ritchie looks ready to pay them back by bringing as much offense as possible.

With a father who was also a professional hockey player, Ritchie showed some nerve by pointing out that he was not only taller, but also more offensively gifted than his father. Unlike his father, however, he has not yet taken up fighting.

Aron Kiviharju

Kiviharju produced the Wild’s most viral moment of the draft when he made a bold move while shaking GM Bill Guerin’s hand. Kiviharju pulled Guerin toward him, assuring the GM that he had just stolen the draft by picking him and promising to make sure he saw it. Kiviharju was also coming off a rough season that saw him miss long stretches. He was projected to be at the top of the draft in the preseason, but he steadily fell until the Wild picked him in the fourth round.

Not much more needs to be said. Saying something like this when you first meet your boss says a lot about the amount of vibes Kiviharju brings to the organization.

Sebastian Soini

Can the Minnesota Wild really go wrong with a Finnish player? It's worked out pretty well in the past!

Pursuit Wutzke

The Wild added another goalie to their organization when they took Wutzke in the fifth round. Wutzke grew up in a small towngraduated in a class of less than a dozen students, and had to drive two hours to play hockey. The boy is dedicated.

Through an unexpected twist of fate, Wutzke becomes part of theMtis Nation.Calen Addison and Connor Dewar were also part of the Mtis. Although they have both moved on, the Wild maintain their connection to the Mtis.

Stevie Leskovar

Leskovar is already 6’3″ tall. Hopefully he’ll help stop the whiners from complaining about the undersized D-men the Wild currently play. Better yet, he’ll make checks and answer the bell when needed. That should be a perfect fit for the tough Wild team.

Overall, this draft class has everything going for it, from good stats to great vibes.

Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill in the blanks this shape.