MINNEAPOLIS — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is widely considered the best available player in this weekend’s NHL draft.

He said he’ll be happy wherever he winds up, but all signs point to Edmonton. For the second straight year, the Oilers have the first pick. They’ve been struggling, sure, but they’ve also been accumulating young talent. So perhaps that’s not such a bad place for an 18-year-old phenom to go.

“I’d love to join them as a rebuilding team and help the ultimate goal, which is winning a Stanley Cup eventually,” Nugent-Hopkins said.

Last summer, the identity of the first pick remained a subject of intrigue right up until Taylor Hall’s name was called by the commissioner. Tyler Seguin went to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

One of the many questions posed to Nugent-Hopkins during a session with reporters Thursday was whether he’d rather be the first pick — or go second and win the Cup.

“Oh, man. Like, to any team? I’d probably go second and win a Cup,” Nugent-Hopkins said.

The first round of the draft is Friday night at Xcel Energy Center, home of the Wild.