The Minnesota Wild are all in on this season. As made apparent by the long-term contract offered to Kirill Kaprizov and the blockbuster Quinn Hughes deal, general manager Bill Guerin has made it clear that it is Stanley Cup or bust. As the trade deadline nears, the Wild are looking to improve their strength down the middle of the ice, and according to at least one NHL insider, a possiblity has emerged from within the division.
The Nashville Predators are hanging around the fringe of the playoffs, currently two points behind the Utah Mammoth for the final wild card spot. So they may, in fact, not even decide to part with some of their top names like Ryan O'Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault, and Steven Stamkos. However, if they did decide to start things over, Stamkos might be on the move.
In his latest NHL trade rumblings piece, The Athletic's Pierre Lebrun speculated on possible destinations for the two-time Stanley Cup captain Stamkos. A reunion with Tampa Bay topped the list, but Minnesota and Dallas were other possible destinations. After uprooting his life as a free agent two summers ago, Stamkos is likely only going to do it again if he has a legitimate shot at winning another Stanley Cup. What is the appeal in Minnesota?
Mainly, a role in the top-six and a legitimate shot at winning the Cup. Oh, and joining one of the league's best power plays wouldn't be a tough decision to make either.
What appeal does Stamkos have for the Wild, especially considering he's 36-years-old and has two more seasons at $8 million left on his contract? For one, his pedigree. As mentioned he was the captain of the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, a franchise that has been among the best in the league for the past decade plus.
It's not just the leadership qualities, Stamkos is still delivering on the ice. After a down year in Nashville, the right-hand shot center/winger is back to producing like he did in Tampa. He has 29 goals on the season, including 9 on the power play. He's winning 55.9% of his draws and the Predators are carrying playin in terms of scoring chances and high-danger chances when he's on the ice at 5v5.
He could fit either on the top line or second line for John Hynes, which would allow the Wild to spot rookie Danila Yurov a bit further down the line-up and control his minutes a little more. A power play of Hughes, Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Stamkos and Matt Boldy would be absolutely filthy to play against as well.
Veteran Marcus Foligno talked about any players Guerin bringing in needing to fit within the culture of the Minnesota roster Stamkos, despite all of his accomplishments, is a team-first player. He brings a quiet dignity to the locker room and would set a nice example for the the young players on the roster.
Minnesota has the cap space to make the trade work and despite the price paid for Hughes, still has plenty of assets that could entice Nashville into making a deal. Be it a mix of draft picks or prospects like Charlie Stramel and Ryder Ritchie there is enough common ground to get a deal completed.
Adding Steven Stamkos over the deadline would be another indication that Bill Guerin is fully committed to winning the Stanley Cup this season (or next). Would it be enough to propel them past Colorado in the Western Conference? Only time will tell that.