3 sensible trades for the Minnesota Wild in a quest to accumulate some cap space
The 2023-24 season has not gone well for the Minnesota Wild, and they could end up as major sellers come the trade deadline.
The Minnesota Wild’s season has been a forgettable one, but it’s also a year when they can still identify what should be a remarkable core. So forget about the poor record and points total, as their lack of success may be nothing more than outliers for this hockey team when the 2024-25 season rolls around.
Instead, let’s remember just how well the likes of Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, and Marco Rossi, among other young talents, have played. Kirill Kaprisov, Joe Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman, and Filip Gustavsson should also remain part of the core.
It’s premature to claim this team is in as much of a rebuilding phase as their current points total and spot in the Central Division may indicate. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t pull off a trio of solid trades to add more fuel for more cap space, among other assets.
One player who we won’t see listed is Pat Maroon, who likely won’t be back this season after undergoing back surgery. Luckily for the Wild, there are a few players they could potentially send elsewhere.
Jacob Middleton fills a major necessity out west
Jacob Middleton is a blueliner with a manageable AAV of $2.45 million and respectable numbers to back up his abilities. While he’s not on any notable trade radar, his experience, solid play, and current salary could entice a contender looking for help on the blue line to at least inquire.
With his contract expiring in 2025, there is a chance the Wild won’t see Middleton as part of their overall core. Therefore, trading him makes a lot of sense if a would-be contender offers them the right price. But there is also a chance someone not looking to seriously contend until next season would be too happy to call up the Wild.
The Arizona Coyotes need at least one defenseman who will surely be in town for 2024-25 since there are no guarantees any of them will be there next season. Therefore, the Wild will send Middleton out west in this scenario, and they will get a third-rounder in 2024, a second in 2025, plus a developmental prospect in Ilya Fedotov.
Marcus Johansson could go for a relatively high pick in the right situation
Marcus Johansson is still a serviceable player, and just like last season, we could see the 14-year veteran on the move once more. Johansson joined the Wild last season during their playoff run in a trade with the Washington Capitals, putting up 18 points and six goals in 20 contests.
He put up another pair of goals in six playoff games and has been relatively effective in 2023-24 with 24 points in 50 contests. While his numbers noticeably dropped, it’s no different from what we have seen with the rest of this hockey team. So as with many players non-contenders could move at the deadline, Johansson could still thrive with the right team.
He’s not currently listed as a potential trade candidate, but given the current situation the Wild are in, seeing him go elsewhere shouldn’t be so surprising. Therefore, a team looking for depth, like the New York Rangers, could come calling.
For this trade scenario, the Wild would acquire a second-rounder in 2024 along with Kaapo Kakko. Although ideally, they would want more salary cap space, getting a young talent like Kakko who hasn’t quite panned out in New York gives them a young player with high upside. Things just haven’t gone Kakko’s way in New York, but it doesn’t mean he won’t at least end up as a serviceable asset.
Trading Marc-Andre Fleury gives the longtime goaltender a chance to win a final Cup
It has been a long, storied career for Marc-Andre Fleury, who we will remember as one of the best goaltenders of the early 21st century. Although the 39-year-old is in his career twilight, he’s still been a productive asset with a 2.95 GAA and an 0.897 save percentage.
No, these aren’t by any means impressive numbers, but considering how poorly the Wild have played, Fleury has made the most of his opportunities in the net. Therefore, a team looking for a veteran backup like the Colorado Avalanche would be a perfect landing spot for Fleury.
While Alexandar Georgiev is the clear-cut No. 1 in Denver, Ivan Prosvetov has been ineffective and found himself on waivers, while Justus Annunen has struggled in his first couple of games. Therefore, Fleury going to Denver in an attempt to win one last Stanley Cup works here, but it will also come down to the trade’s logistics.
The Avalanche, however, have a player in Ryan Johansen, who proved to be a horrible fit. Therefore in this scenario, they send the much-maligned center to the Wild along with a third-round pick in 2025 plus a second-rounder in 2026 for Fleury. This gives Colorado the ultimate rental in the net while Johansen can set his career back onto the right path.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 9th, salary info provided by Cap-Friendly)