The Minnesota Wild started out their 2017 by selecting players who have produced at the highest levels of Canadian Juniors in Ivan Lodnia and Mason Shaw. With players of that caliber in the fold, they’ve gone more into the unknown. First they took a flier on Bryce Misley, who was productive, but not in a major Junior league.
Then they returned to the Major Junior scene for Pick 147, selecting Jacob Golden.
But Golden isn’t a player with a track record the length of Lodnia or Shaw. Golden played with the London Knights, and while it was likely a benefit to be around a winning team like London, it had a noticeable drawback.