Minnesota Wild Draft Position Announced in NHL Draft Lottery

The Minnesota Wild had it all in the 2023-24 season. A disappointing start, a coach firing, a coach hiring, and an overall mixed bag of results.

The team had bright moments and bad moments, and narrowly missed out on the postseason that continues now in early May.

The Wild finished out the season with a final mark of 39-33-10, their least wins in a full campaign since 2018-19.

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The team and its fans now look forward to a future that includes a top 15 pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.

On Tuesday Night, the San Jose Sharks were awarded the top draft pick, which they are likely to use on Boston U's Macklin Celebrini. The Chicago Blackhawks, who spent the #1 pick last year on Connor Bedard will pick second, while the Anaheim Ducks landed pick #3.

Here is the draft order that is finalized for now with the playoff still in progress:

The order of selection for the first 16 picks of the first round:
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. Buffalo Sabres
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. San Jose Sharks (from Pittsburgh)
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues

It's not an ideal spot, but it's the price paid for the Wild being consistently competitive in the league. In fact, Minnesota hasn't had a season finish below .500 since 2011-2012, and have made the playoffs in 10 of the past 12 seasons.

Source: ESPN.com

The Best Truck Stop Food in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota

One of the best parts of any road trip is a stop at a truck stop. Whether you call them, travel centers, convenience stores, or just a gas stations; these oases are so interesting and fun.

In the middle of nowhere, you find the island of pavement, pumps, and people; getting gas, some rest, and fuel for themselves, AKA some classic truck stop food.

I'm partial to a Love's Truck Stop. They are usually big and well-managed. And as a connoisseur of gas-station coffee, Love's is one of the best. Plus, they have some delicious hot dogs.

I'm not the only one that enjoys a stop at a truck stop for good eats. The food blog LoveFood.com dug through user reviews to find the best truck stop food in each state.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns