Minnesota Wild Sign “Monster” 2026 Draft Pick

By    |  
Updated:
Follow Us
Filip Ruzicka - Minnesota Wild 2026 draft pick
Credit: Allan Walsh (@walsha - X)

The Minnesota Wild selected only three players during the 2026 NHL Draft, and the first one did not come until round three, when they selected center Adam Andersson (Leksands IF – Sweden) with No. 83 overall pick.

They drafted another forward in the fourth round, Kaden Lemire (Prince George Cougars – WHL), before taking massive 6’8″ Czechian goalie Filip Ruzicka in the fifth round with pick No. 137.

Minnesota Wild sign 5th Rd draft pick Filip Ruzicka

While Ruzicka may have been the last of the three 2026 Minnesota Wild draft picks selected on day two of the NHL Draft last week, he became the first to sign a contract Tuesday, a three-year entry-level deal.

Related: Minnesota Wild Ink Remaining RFA’s

Ruzicka, 18, played in 42 games last year with the Brandon Wheat Kings, of the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he posted a 3.19 GAA and .906 save %.

In four playoff games last year, Filip Ruzicka stepped up for the What Kings in a big way, holding opponents to 2.47 goals per game while posting an impressive .936 save percentage.

In 2026, the 5th round pick will return to Brandon for his second season in net for the Wheat Kings, according to Michael Russo (The Athletic) before he and the MN Wild discuss the youngster’s next steps as a professional hockey player.

Mentioned in this article:

More About:

0What do you think?Post a comment.

Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google.Google preferred source