The Minnesota Wild didn’t have a first-round pick in the NHL Draft on Friday night but they’re one of the most intriguing teams in the league as they look for a top-line center. While general manager Bill Guerin has been hard at work trying to acquire Dylan Larkin from the Detroit Red Wings, he also watched as the St. Louis Blues acquired Mason McTavish in a draft night trade with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Blues gave up the 15th and 29th overall picks to acquire McTavish and it gives St. Louis a strong center depth along with top-line center Robert Thomas and current restricted free agent Connor McMichael.
With Thomas reportedly not on the trade block, the Blues may have accomplished one of their biggest needs before the Wild and potentially put more pressure on Guerin and the rest of the front office as an important offseason continues.
Blues’ draft day trade puts more pressure on Wild to find a top line center
McTavish comes with some risk, but he could be a big acquisition for the Blues. The third overall pick in the 2021 draft, McTavish has scored 77 goals with 181 points in 304 games for the Ducks, but fell out of favor with head coach Joel Quenneville toward the end of last season. While he scored 17 goals and recorded 41 points, he was moved to the fourth line and was a healthy scratch at times during Anaheim’s playoff run last spring.
In St. Louis, McTavish should get a fresh start. At 6-foot-1 and 219 pounds, he has the size to play down the middle but also can play on the wing to give the Blues flexibility and replace Jordan Kyrou, who was traded to the Washington Capitals this week.
With Thomas on the top line, it could also take pressure off McTavish and give St. Louis the type of depth the Wild are looking to build this offseason, even if McTavish winds up being a middle-six player instead of a top-six player.
The Wild have been trying to pry Larkin away from Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, but there’s no sign that a deal is imminent. Minnesota’s lack of assets is playing a key role in why a deal hasn’t gotten done and with the Dallas Stars lurking as a threat, time may be running out for the Wild to make a deal to acquire their top offseason target.
With free agents like Mats Zuccarello and Vladimir Tarasenko also waiting on the outcome of the Wild’s pursuit of Larkin, urgency is already starting to mount. But with a Central Division rival adding a center to their lineup, the Wild’s push may have to intensify before it’s too late.
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