The Minnesota Wild don’t have a first-round pick in the NHL Draft, but they could still wind up making headlines on draft week in their pursuit of a big fish in the trade market. Many have speculated that player could be Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings, but a surprising development popped up on Sunday night when The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported that league sources believe that the Wild made “a big offer” for Brady Tkachuk.
While the Wild were on Tkachuk’s reported list of teams he would accept a trade to, he chose to unite with his brother Matthew as part of a trade to the Florida Panthers. The move represents Bill Guerin’s first whiff of the summer. But in the end, it may have been Tkachuk saving the Wild from themselves as they search for a move that could put them over the top.
Brady Tkachuk wasn’t the answer to the Wild’s problems
In terms of star power, Tkachuk would have been a massive addition to the Wild. He was a member of United States’s teams in the 4 Nations Face-Off and Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which Guerin helped construct as general manager. He also is best friends with Quinn Hughes, who the Wild is trying to sign to a contract extension this summer as he enters the final year of his contract.
Playing with the toughness and physicality that Guerin has centered the Wild around during his time as general manager, it makes sense that Tkachuk would be a prime target. But his play on the ice also comes with some warts.
In eight seasons in the NHL, Tkachuk has only had two seasons with 70 or more points. He may have been on pace to make it a third year if he wasn’t limited to 60 games if he hadn’t suffered a fully torn ligament in his right thumb that required surgery, but availability is part of the game.
He’s also not an efficient player on either end of the ice. While he’s scored 213 goals during his time in the NHL, he owns just a 9.7 percent shooting percentage that relies on low-danger opportunities. Tkachuk’s defensive liabilities are also a problem with a minus-53 rating over eight seasons and his undisciplined play can become a problem with five seasons of over 100 penalty minutes and 821 career minutes in the penalty box.
The Wild may have thought they could take the good with the bad, but those negatives hurt a lot more considering the price Florida paid.
In addition to giving up their 2026 first-round pick (9th overall), Florida gave up the Tampa Bay Lightning’s first-rounder in 2026 (25th overall), a top-10 protected first-rounder in 2029 and a 2027 second-round pick. While the Wild may have offered their 2027 and 2028 first-rounders as part of an offer, there was likely more attached considering Tkachuk owns a $8.21 million annual average value through the 2027-28 season and the Wild have just $9.4 million in projected cap space according to Puckpedia.
With the Wild having limited assets to work with, trading for Tkachuk could have made their offseason even more difficult. Tkachuk could have filled one of their holes at wing in the top-six, but they still would have needed to acquire a center. If core players were also inserted into the deal, it could have created holes elsewhere, sending Guerin into one big game of Whack-A-Mole.
Perhaps that move is imminent given the flaws the Wild showed in the second round of the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche. But Tkachuk wasn’t the answer and his decision to spurn the Wild in favor of playing with his brother, could turn out to be a pivotal moment of the offseason.
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