Wild mailbag; the Aeros' system, Minnesotans at next year's draft and the "X"

August 31, 11:36 AMMinnesota Wild ExaminerJoseph Gunther

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I received a few questions about the Minnesota Wild through Twitter and Facebook. I will answer those questions in this article.

With Kevin Constantine returning as the coach of the Aeros, will it still run the defensive system?

That is a good question. The Aeros system will have to change for the Wild to develop its younger players that are not ready for the NHL. Wild assistant GM Tom Thompson said that the Aeros will run a system similar to what the Wild will run this season. Running a high-tempo, more aggressive system will give Constantine a better resume to return to the NHL. That is, as long as the Aeros are successful this season. He could have successful AHL seasons in two completely different seasons.

Who will be the top Minnesotan at next year’s draft?

It is way too early to start thinking about that. Thompson said he did not want to start talking about names of high school players.

One player to watch is Danny Mattson, who will play in the USHL next season before joining the University of North Dakota. He was eligible for the recent draft, but went undrafted. The Central Scouting Service had Mattson rated as the No. 53 North American skater. He also attended the scouting combine in Toronto last summer, but finished toward the bottom in all of the tests. Thompson said it showed he did not take it seriously. He is a fine skater and puck handler. The best thing Mattson can do is work on his conditioning.

Wild fourth round pick last year Alexander Fallstrom is a good example of a player that went undrafted his first year of draft eligibility. He grew a lot prior to his final year at Shattuck-St. Mary’s and transformed his game into an effective power forward.

How long will the “X” be named the Xcel Energy Center?

Let’s just say it is a long-term contract. A source within the Wild could not give an exact length.