Rumors IV: Draft Notes – Wild, Penguins, Blue Jackets and Oilers

“There was a time when the cupboard was somewhat bare, and it seemed like all we took were forwards,” Flahr said. “Then we traded Brent Burns and suddenly we needed defensemen. So needs change quickly. If you go into the draft just looking to fill a certain position, that’s when mistakes are made and sometimes you miss the better player.”

GM Chuck Fletcher admits they have been a little leery of drafting Russians or even Czechs and Slovaks in the past due to the threat of them not coming over or returning mid contract.

“You want to make sure if you draft a kid, particularly in the first few rounds, that you have a legitimate chance to sign them and get them over here and keep them here,” Fletcher said.

Flahr swears they aren’t “anti-Russian.” Several top players, and a handful of others have already come over to North America to play in the CHL.

“We’re seeing more and more players moving this way,” Fletcher said. “There are a lot of good eastern Europeans this year. Last year, too. We’re open-minded to a player from anywhere. For a couple of years, maybe other teams weren’t as concerned as we were, but I think we’re at a different time now.”

“We could because all of those defensemen have come of age,” general manager Jim Rutherford said. “All or most of them are going to be with the big team now and at some point, you have to replenish. We have some good young goaltending throughout the organization. It won’t be as big a priority. But the other two positions, we’ll look at.”