It's no secret at this point that the Minnesota Wild are in win-now mode, but the question is how much more will Bill Guerin invest in the team to ensure it's ready to compete for a Stanley Cup this year?
Trading for Quinn Hughes, and giving up a bounty to make it happen, signaled a new approach for a team that has historically tried to chip away at its roster rather than make major changes. It was thrilling enough to see the Wild pull off a blockbuster, but all signs pointed toward it being just the first of a few moves the team would make.
Minnesota had to give up three top young players in the deal, and it sounds like another could be on his way out in order to make another splash.
It's starting to sound like the Wild could trade Jesper Wallstedt to land another key player
Michael Russo recently tossed out Jesper Wallstedt's name as one to keep an eye on as potential trade bait, and now Elliotte Friedman has backed that assertion up. On his 32 Thoughts podcast, the NHL insider speculated that if there's a player Guerin can dangle to land another big fish, the rookie goalie makes a ton of sense.
"I think that Minnesota might have tried that once already," Friedman speculated. "We all know the Wild are going to try to get another player, probably a center. We're all sitting there saying what is [Bill Guerin] going to use? I think [Wallstedt] might be the guy."
Giving up Zeev Buium and Marco Rossi, plus Liam Ohlgren and a first-round pick, was a lot, but it seemed more than fair considering what the Wild got back. Buium was still a few years away from truly realizing his potential and Rossi had been hot-and-cold, even if his upside remains high.
Wallstedt, on the other hand, would be a pretty painful piece of the roster to part ways with even in another blockbuster. There aren't many Quinn Hughes' out there and if the Wild trade away a top young goalie -- a position the team has struggled with in the playoffs before -- then it had better be worth it.
"Someone said to me: If it happens, you'll understand why," Friedman added, in reference to a potential Wallstedt trade. That's pretty cryptic but it falls in line with the idea that the Wild hunting for a big forward or a top-line center to complete its Stanley Cup caliber roster.
That's where things get interesting -- and potentially controversial.
Hughes is a no-brainer to trade a haul for; he's 28 years old, under contract through 2027, and is considered one of the best players in the league. The names being kicked around as potential trade targets at center and winger are no doubt big but have far less runway.
The New York Rangers are an obvious potential partner, with players like Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin being fits. Both of those guys are on the other side of 30-years-old, and only Trocheck is under contract beyond this season.
Minnesota could circle back to Vancouver, with the Wild reportedly being a fan of Kiefer Sherwood. He's two years older than Hughes but reuniting him with his former Canucks teammate could be something that gives Guerin his missing piece on offense.
Trocheck makes sense since he's under team control through 2028, but he has a 12-team No Trade Clause, and it's unclear whether the Wild are on or not. Even if they are, it's hard to see him not waiving it to come to a contender and escape New York, but Wallstedt is still a ton to give up and likely won't be the only thing Minnesota has to ship out east to make a deal happen.
Another big trade has been rumored ever since the Hughes deal was made, but it's starting to sound like the reality of that situation is giving up a player like Wallstedt. The good news is the Wild already have a top goalie in Filip Gustavsson who is only 27 years old and will be under contract until 2031 when his extension kicks in.
Trading Wallstedt would be a tough one for fans to swallow, but it's also a reminder that the Wild are approaching the trade deadline from a position of strength we've never seen before and that's something to be excited about.