Sights on the Second Half: Part One
As the Wild open the second half of our inaugural Western Hockey League season, we turn the clock ahead and examine some of the decisions awaiting the team in the coming weeks…we’ll break the conversation down into six key questions, starting with question 1:
Q: What is the draft situation for the Wenatchee Wild?
A: First, it’s important to understand where the Winnipeg ICE were over the last two seasons – in 2021-22, the ICE won 53 games and reached the Eastern Conference final. In 2022-23, the ICE won 57 games (a WHL record for a 68-game season) and a conference title, advancing to the Western Hockey League Final against the Seattle Thunderbirds, who eventually made it to the Memorial Cup championship game.
However, when teams get close to a championship, it is not uncommon to sacrifice a little of the future for the chance to make that championship run. Right now, the situation is to stop some of the bleeding from the organization’s last two seasons in Winnipeg, and the coming few seasons in Wenatchee, in terms of the team’s draft capital. Winnipeg did not have a first- or second-round draft pick in either of the last two seasons, while the short-term outlook does not include a Wild draft pick before the fifth round of the 2024 draft, the third round of the 2025 draft, or the fourth round of the 2026 draft.
This means the organization also has no ability to add to the team at the present time to bring in additional players to make a playoff run, or even to address issues like injuries that may come up. The situation right now is one of evaluation and decision: where are the Wild positioned regarding their short-term draft future?
