Boldy impressing Wild with combination of size, skill

ST. PAUL, Minn. --
Matthew Boldy
has proven to be an ideal combination of size and skill, attributes that enticed the Minnesota Wild to select the forward with the No. 12 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.

The 6-foot-2, 196-pound 18-year-old had 81 points (33 goals, 48 assists) in 64 games for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program last season and will play at Boston College this season, the first step to hopefully becoming a big part of the future in Minnesota.
"When you're here, you get to not only judge where you're at, but you can judge where the future of the (Wild) program is," Boldy said in June at Minnesota development camp. "Looking around at this locker room and being on the ice, it might only be for a short time, but I'm excited to be a part of this program."

Boldy's 81 points ranked fourth on an NTDP roster stacked with seven other first-round picks including
Jack Hughes
(No. 1),
Alex Turcotte
(No. 5),
Trevor Zegras
(No. 9),
Spencer Knight
(No. 13),
Cameron York
(No. 14),
Cole Caufield
(No. 15) and
John Beecher
(No. 30).
"Those guys are basically your brothers," Boldy said. "You're with them 24/7, so being able to see those guys go so high and succeed, it puts a smile on your face. I think we had 17 guys get picked, which is awesome and kind of shows what USA Hockey is doing over there in Plymouth (Michigan). It's a big reason I'm the player I am today, because I was out there playing and practicing with those guys."
Leading up to the draft, Minnesota general manager Paul Fenton remained steadfast that the Wild were going to select the best player available and were thrilled to be able to get Boldy.
"He's a guy that plays a lot on the left wing but can move around and play up the middle, center for us, and his size and hands are something that really excite me," Fenton said.

Boldy's ability to move the puck is something that has caught the eye of Wild director of player development Brad Bombardir.
"It's really something to see," he said. "Plus, he has a vision on the ice where he can see the first pass. And creativity, that's another thing.
"Really, he's got it all, what else can I say? There's a reason we drafted him in the first round. We're all obviously really excited to have him here."
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