The Minnesota Wild have one of the strongest groups of young forwards in the NHL. Their ranks on the defensive side of the puck, however, are thin at best. A.J. Thelen was selected two years ago and is progressing modestly, but his future is far from a certain success after run-ins with his coaching staff at Michigan State which led to his departure from the team and the school. A respectful 2005-06 campaign suggests he could still contribute, but only time will tell. Beyond Thelen, Minnesota doesn’t have much in the defensive cupboard. Consequently, when they come up with the #9 and #17 picks in this weekend’s NHL draft, defense will be a priority for the team.

The top player and defenseman in the draft is local phenom Erik Johnson. He is expected to be selected #1 by the St. Louis Blues, though Phil Kessel could still upset that plan. Regardless, there is virtually no chance the Wild would be able to package players and picks to move up and select Johnson. Wherever he ends up, Wild fans will be able to watch him playing with the Gophers this season.

After Johnson, there are a glut of forwards projected to go high. The next highest rated defenseman is Nigel Williams, from Montgomery, Ill. Williams is an interesting kid. Some scouts compare him to Chris Pronger, but he needs to develop more before he can have a chance at reaching Pronger’s level. He has the size and speed to be good, but needs to develop his understanding of the game and hockey sense. He’ll be playing for the Badgers in 2006-07, which could create a dilemma for Wild fans if he is the pick. None-the-less, he looks like a kid who could really help stabilize a suspect Wild blue line eventually.

Bob Sanuinetti comes in third among defensive prospects. At 6-1, 182 lbs, he is considered a little small for an NHL defenseman. His ability to muck it up in the corners is a big concern for NHL clubs. He’s a guy who could slip to the Wild at #17 and will provide some scoring punch to whatever team selects him, but his defensive presence will be a concern.

Size isn’t so much of an issue for Ty Wishart, the 4th rated defenseman in the draft. At 6-4, 214, he can hold his own physically. He’s a solid, stay at home defenseman who has a blue collar attitude on the ice. Skating is a concern for Wishart, but scouts said the same of Roman Voloshenko, whom the Wild stole in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft despite a first round projection. Voloshenko has corrected his skating problems, there’s no reason to think Wishart couldn’t as well. A no-frills defenseman, he would likely be a Willie Mitchell caliber player.

Other defensemen available will include Mark Mitera, Chris Summers (who could be moved to forward), David Fischer, Ivan Vishnevsky (offensive force in the QMJHL), Joe Ryan, Dennis Persson, Yuri Alexandrov, Kevin Montgomery, David Rucizka and John DeGray. Projected later round gems include Simon Danis-Pepin and Mike Weber.

While Minnesota could use one of its first-rounders on a forward or goalie, it’s hard to imagine them neglecting their defensive holes with both #1 picks. Barring some major free agent signings on the blue line this summer, whomever they take could be on the fast track to the NHL. So the pick is critical for the Wild. Look for Minnesota to grab Nigel Williams at #9 and then take a gamble on Vishnevsky at #17. Vishnevsky is all offense. If coach Lemaire can show him how to play some defense as well, he could be a major contributor for the Wild.