“If we want to have some visuals, whether it’s watch video on a player, there’s still work that we can do that’s hard to do at the draft table,” Brackett explained. “When you’re at the draft table, you’re talking in code. You don’t want to use names, so in this scenario it makes it easier.”
This year’s draft class is led by Canadian defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the consensus first pick despite suffering a season-ending broken collarbone at the World Junior Championship last December.
The New York Islanders won the first overall selection in the draft lottery, with San Jose and Chicago next in line in that order, and the suspense should start with the Blackhawks.
Mind you, with the Wild not scheduled to be on the clock until Day 2, the unpredictability will especially apply to them.
“We build the list the same way, with the same conviction and support,” Brackett said, “whether it be on a character assessment, whether it be the game reports all year, the discussion we have. So, we’ll be firm in our list, and really in this situation at 52 we have to let things sort of unfold in front of us and then act when the opportunity is there.”
