Byline: MICHAEL RUSSO; STAFF WRITER
LOS ANGELES - Jason Zucker might be from Las Vegas, but he says his poker game is not as good as his hockey game.
The Wild traded its third- and fourth-round picks to the Florida Panthers on Saturday so it could acquire a third second-round pick and gobble up the gritty, super-fast left winger from the United States Under-18 program in Ann Arbor, Mich., with the 59th pick.
The highly decorated American and former IHL Las Vegas Thunder stickboy became the first Nevada-trained player to be drafted in NHL history.
'It's great for me to have the honor,' said Zucker, who scored 29 goals and 53 points in 60 games with the national team and will attend the University of Denver. 'I'm an idol to some kids, and I think it's great to get Vegas hockey on the map as soon as possible.'
Zucker, 18, was one of 14 players selected out of the United States National Team program in Ann Arbor during the two-day NHL draft. Zucker and Dallas Stars first-round pick Jack Campbell were the only two U.S. players to win three gold medals in one calendar year -- 2009 and 2010 Under-18 championships, and 2010 world junior championships.
Zucker was the youngest player on that team and came up clutch throughout the tournament.
'I was lucky to be part of that team,' he said. 'I'll talk to my [U.S.] teammates the rest of my life. Every one of those guys is a brother to me, and it'll stay like that the rest of my life.'
Born in Newport Beach, Calif., Zucker moved to Las Vegas at 2 months old. He played roller hockey until age 6 but learned to love ice hockey while playing with brothers Evan and Adam. He was so good, he moved to California at age 10 to play for the L.A. Hockey Club.
After two years, he returned home to play for the Las Vegas Outlaws AAA team before moving to Detroit at age 15 to play for Compuware.
'There I realized it could be [not] a dream but a goal to play professional hockey,' he said.
Sleeper goes early
The Wild opened the second round with the 39th pick by choosing Kelowna Rockets winger Brett Bulmer (40 points in 65 games), a Red Line Report 'sleeper' whose stock rose dramatically in the second half. He was the 164th North American skater on the NHL Central Scouting Service's midterm rankings.
'He brings an edge, he's got a little nastiness to him,' assistant GM Brent Flahr said.
Then, with the 56th pick acquired in March from Washington in the Eric Belanger trade, the Wild drafted left winger Johan Larsson from Sweden's Brynas Jr. (34 points in 40 games). Some scouts say Larsson was the best player in the world under-18 tournament.
'We want the biggest, strongest, fastest, most-skilled guys, but if a kid's got character and a kid's got hockey sense, it gives him a good chance to find a way to play,' Flahr said. 'All these guys have a number of characteristics our [scouts] found valuable.'
Team will see if top pick attends training camp
The Wild will talk to Mikael Granlund's agent to determine whether the first-round pick wants to return for the team's development camp July 12-19. While the Wild would love the Finnish center there, Flahr said Granlund has been back and forth to the United States so many times in the past month, the team won't put pressure on him to come.
Flahr said because the Finnish Elite League season starts so early, the likelihood of Granlund attending the Wild training camp might be slim. But perhaps an arrangement can be made to have Granlund join the team in Helsinki for part of its week there Oct. 1-8.
Minnesotans popular
Max Gardiner was one of 14 Minnesotans taken on Day 2. He'll join Minnesotans Erik Johnson, David Backes and T.J. Oshie with the St. Louis Blues.
'With the success of those guys, maybe that played a part in them picking me,' Gardiner said.
Other Minnesotans drafted: Centerville's Tyler Pitlick (Edmonton, 31), South St. Paul's Justin Faulk (Carolina, 37), North Oaks' Mark Alt (Carolina, 53), Minnetonka's Justin Holl (Chicago, 54), Eden Prairie's Jason Clark (Islanders, 82), Woodbury's Max Gaede (San Jose, 88), Bloomington's Joe Faust (New Jersey, 114), Bloomington's Caleb Herbert (Washington, 142), Detroit Lakes' Tanner Lane (Atlanta, 160), Thief River Falls' Zane Gothberg (Boston, 165), Chanhassen's Nick Mattson (Chicago, 180), Mahtomedi's Ben Marshall (Detroit, 201) and West St. Paul's Christian Isackson (Buffalo, 203).
The Wild didn't choose any.
'There were several Minnesota players we liked, but just the way the draft broke, we weren't able to call any names,' General Manager Chuck Fletcher said.
The four Minnesotans taken in the first round -- Derek Forbort, Nick Bjugstad, Jarred Tinordi and Brock Nelson -- tied the most ever. Fourteen Minnesotans have been taken in the first round the past five drafts -- double the amount taken in the previous five drafts.
There were 59 Americans taken in the draft, including a record-tying 21 in the first two rounds.
WILD'S DAY 2 SELECTIONS
BRETT BULMER
Second round (39th overall)
Position: RW
Ht./wt.: 6-2, 175 pounds
Age: 18 (April 26, 1992)
Hometown: Prince George, B.C.
Team: Kelowna (WHL)
JOHAN LARSSON
Second round (56th overall)
Position: LW
Ht./wt.: 5-10, 210
Age: 17 (July 25, 1992)
Hometown: Lau, Sweden
Team: Brynas Jr. (Sweden)
JASON ZUCKER
Second round (59th overall)
Position: LW
Ht./wt.: 5-11, 174
Age: 18 (Jan. 16 1992)
Hometown: Las Vegas
Team: USA Under-18
JOHAN GUSTAFSSON
Sixth round (159th overall)
Position: G
Ht./wt.: 6-2, 194
Age: 18 (Feb. 28, 1992)
Hometown: Koping, Sweden
Team: Farjestad Jr. (Sweden)
DYLEN MCKINLAY
Seventh round (189th overall)
Position: RW
Ht./wt.: 5-11, 162
Age: 18 (April 20, 1992)
Hometown: Langley, B.C.
Team: Chilliwack (WHL)
MICHAEL RUSSO
MINNESOTA CONNECTION IN THE DRAFT
A look at the Minnesotans and those playing in Minnesota last season who were selected in the NHL entry draft this weekend:
Rd (pick), Team, Player, Pos., Hometown, 2009-10 team
1 (15), Los Angeles, Derek Forbort, D, Duluth, U.S. Under 18
1 (19), Florida, Nick Bjugstad, C, Blaine, Blaine HS
1 (22), Montreal, Jarred Tinordi, D, Burnsville, U.S. Under 18
1 (30), N.Y. Islanders, Brock Nelson, C, Warroad, Warroad HS
2 (31), Edmonton, Tyler Pitlick, C, Centerville, MSU Mankato
2 (37), Carolina, Justin Faulk, D, South St. Paul, U.S. Under 18
2 (53), Carolina, Mark Alt, D, North Oaks, Cretin-Derham Hall HS
2 (54), Chicago, Justin Holl, D, Minnetonka, Minnetonka HS
3 (69), Florida, Joe Basaraba, RW, Fort Frances, Ontario, Shattuck-St. Mary's
3 (71), St. Louis, Max Gardiner, C, Minnetonka, Minnetonka HS
3 (82), N.Y. Islanders, Jason Clark, C, Eden Prairie, Shattuck-St. Mary's
3 (88), San Jose, Max Gaede, RW, Woodbury, Woodbury HS
4 (114), New Jersey, Joe Faust, D, Bloomington, Bloomington Jefferson HS
4 (118), Tampa Bay, James Mullin, C, Cincinnati, Shattuck-St. Mary's
5 (142), Washington, Caleb Herbert, C, Bloomington, Bloomington Jefferson HS
6 (160), Atlanta, Tanner Lane, C, Detroit Lakes, Detroit Lakes HS
6 (165), Boston, Zane Gothberg, G, Thief River Falls, Thief River Falls HS
6 (180), Chicago, Nick Mattson, D, Chanhassen, Indiana (USHL)
7 (201), Detroit, Ben Marshall, D, Mahtomedi, Mahtomedi HS
7 (203), Buffalo, Christian Isackson, RW, West St. Paul, St. Thomas Academy
