Wild own 12th overall pick in 2019 NHL Entry Draft

The Minnesota Wild fell one spot in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft lottery and will have the 12th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

The Wild had a 3% chance to move up to first overall.

U.S. national team development program center Jack Hughes and Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko are the frontrunners to go first overall.

Vancouver is hosting this year’s draft June 21-22.

Minnesota selected Swedish defenseman Filip Johansson with the 24th overall pick in last year’s draft, general manager Paul Fenton’s first at the helm.

The Wild traded draft picks frequently under former GM Chuck Fletcher.

Minnesota hasn’t used a second-round pick since 2015, had just four total picks — a first, a fourth and two sevenths — in 2016 and were without first and second-round picks in 2017.

Fenton pledged to take a different approach during a press conference Tuesday morning.