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Minnesota Wild: Franchise 5 Worst Trades of All-Time

By Cody Defoe

ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 17: A general view of the Xcel Energy Center before Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota Wild on April 17, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 17: A general view of the Xcel Energy Center before Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota Wild on April 17, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Wild
SAINT PAUL, MN – FEBRUARY 6: Anton Khudobin #35 of the Minnesota Wild defends his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on February 6, 2010 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /

#5 Minnesota Wild Trade Anton Khudobin

It took 4 seasons of sitting in the minors, waiting for his day to take his rightful spot in the NHL, before Minnesota Wild draft pick Anton Khudobin had enough waiting. The Wild obliged his demands and sent him to the Boston Bruins.

Khudobin had a 1.39 GAA and a .955 Sv% in 6 career NHL games played with the Wild. By all rights, when Josh Harding was lost for the year in 2010 Training Camp, that should have been the year for Khudobin to have a true shot at being the Wild’s backup to starter Niklas Backstrom.

Instead, Khudobin was snubbed again when the Wild opted to sign Free Agent Jose Theodore to a 1 year deal. In January 2011, Backstrom and Theodore were both hurt and Khudobin performed fantastic in 4 games, with 2 starts.

Despite that, he was sent back to Houston again when Theodore and Backstrom came back, and it appeared he had enough of the Wild coaches ignoring his stellar performances. At the 2011 Trade Deadline, Khudobin was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for prospects Jeff Penner and the rights to Mikko Lehtonen.

Penner was an undrafted free agent signing, who had played 3 years in Providence for Boston’s AHL affilliate including 2 NHL games for the Bruins prior to the trade. Penner would play 1 year in Houston, never reaching Minnesota, and then fade away and retire quietly from pro hockey.

Lehtonen had already left Providence to play in Sweden prior to this trade, having played in 1 NHL game each season with Boston. The Wild only acquired the rights to speak with him about returning to North America.

His entry level contract expired that year, and he has never come back from Europe. He has bounced around thorugh multiple European leagues, and last season played in both the Finnish SM-Liiga and the Austrian Hockey League.

This trade is a hard loss for the Minnesota Wild, due in a large part to the prospects received in return. Khudobin has bounced around the NHL, but is firmly recognized as an NHL calibre backup goalie now after signing a 2-yr $5 Million contract with the Dallas Stars this offseason.

Minnesota could have got much more on the trade market, but instead settled for trading an asset away for what amounted to nothing.

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