Fresh off a third consecutive first round loss in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold decided it was time for a change, firing General Manager Chuck Fletcher after nine years at the helm of the team, and on May 21, 2018, Paul Fenton was hired as the new GM of the Minnesota Wild.
Right away Fenton was touted as an excellent talent evaluator, as he ran the Nashville Predators draft table as the Assistant under GM David Poile. The Predators have had a long history of drafting well, with guys like Ryan Suter, Ryan Ellis, Shea Weber and Roman Josi along with late round finds Patric Hornqvist and Viktor Arvidsson.