Jiricek, Wallstedt Should Be Part of Wild Next Season

That’s Wild

• At the season-ending press conference, the Minnesota Wild general manager and president of hockey operations Bill Guerin said that goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt is moving up the depth chart into Filip Gustavsson’s backup with the retirement of Marc-Andre Fleury, and young blueliner David Jiricek will be on the NHL roster next season. [StarTribune]
• Jake Middleton’s playoff performance has highlighted a flaw with Guerin’s overall team building plan. [Hockey Wilderness]
• Also in that press conference, Guerin made one thing extremely clear: The team is ready to spend. [Pioneer Press]
• What we learned about the eight teams eliminated in the first round of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs (including the Wild). [The Athletic]

Off the trail…

• The biggest lessons learned in the Stanley Cup Playoffs so far, and how it might affect Round 2. [ESPN]
• After Monday night’s Draft Lottery, just about every single writer that even remotely pays attention to prospects put up a mock draft of the first 16 picks. Here’s one. [Daily Faceoff]
• Connor Hellebuyck expressed that the weight of the world is off his shoulders now after that dramatic Game 7 win by his Winnipeg Jets. [TheScore]