It wasn't that long ago that the Minnesota Wild shook the entire NHL up with a blockbuster trade. Acquiring Quinn Hughes was an unprecedented move for the franchise, one that established Minnesota as a true Stanley Cup contender, and might have only been the first of a few deals the team makes.
According to Wild insider Michael Russo over at The Athletic, Bill Gurein is likely gearing up for at least one more "big swing" before the trade deadline arrives in March.
"He almost certainly wants to and plans to take one more big swing, probably for a center, and likely use more picks and prospects to do so. While it might be scary to consider mortgaging more of the future, the reality is that those picks and prospects were accumulated not just for potentially the future, but also to use them as assets if possible once Guerin felt they had the ability to create a championship team," Russo wrote. "So, whether it’s today, tomorrow, next week, or next month, Guerin will be on the prowl for what’s next.
NHL rosters will freeze during the Olympic break, during which Guerin will be focused on Team USA's quest for a gold medal. His mind will almost certainly be on what moves he can make for the Wild once league activity resumes, and especially with the trade deadline arriving on March 6th.
Wild fans have it as good as ever with rumors of another big trade on the horizon
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of what deals the Wild could make, it's worth taking a step back to appreciate the position we're all in. Minnesota sports, not just the Wild, aren't known for making splashy moves, which is why the Hughes trade remains so shocking. The fact that more moves could be on the way goes to show just how good fans have it in terms of finally having a team that wants to be serious about contending.
That's what a lot of this comes down to. There might be some trepidation about flipping future assets for a win-now mentality, but a lot of that is admittedly rooted in never having felt that feeling before. The Timberwolves acquiring Julius Randle was a big deal, but it involved trading away Karl-Anthony Towns; the Twins live in a constant state of kicking the can down the road; the Vikings have been applying veteran quarterback band-aids since the turn of the century.
The Wild gave up a youthful haul to get Hughes, but it's a trade that had already started to pay for itself. Consistent fan interest is currency the Wild have known better than any of the other franchises in Minnesota, perhaps other than the Vikings, and it quadrupled in value after landing Hughes. Even if the Sidney Crosby trade rumors surfaced half-jokingly in the aftermath, the fact that they've actually gained some traction says a lot.
Ditto for the rumblings about Jack Hughes coming to Minnesota going from being memes to legitimate talking points. The Wild are operating from a position of front office strength we've never seen before, which is why hearing that Billy G is thinking about another "big swing" is both so exciting and so realisitic.
The Wild have had championship windows in the past, but never has it been approached with this much seriousness. It might not end up working out, but at least the team is going for it and vibes haven't been this high in quite some time.