The Minnesota Wild have plenty of objectives this offseason but one of the sneakiest may be along the blue line. With several veteran defenseman getting torched in their Western Conference semifinals series against the Colorado Avalanche, there may be several changes to the group this summer and it appears the first to go will be Jeff Petry.
According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith, the Wild are expected to move on from Petry, who was acquired from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick. While they dubbed Petry as “a good insurance policy,” they also added he “seems likely to move on especially if [Zach Bogosian] re-signs.”
Losing Petry wouldn’t be a massive loss for the Wild as they head into next season. But he could be the first in a string of dominoes that could lead to a new look along the blue line when Minnesota heads into the 2026-27 season.
Jeff Petry’s departure could be the start of a makeover on Wild’s blue line
The Wild’s top pairing is set in stone for next season with Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber. In fact, the duo could man those spots for the foreseeable future if Hughes agrees to a contract extension this summer. But the pairings behind them could be wide open going into the summer and could lead to plenty of moves.
One of the biggest questions is around Jonas Brodin. A 14-year veteran that has become one of the most recognizable faces in franchise history, Brodin can still get the job done. But his health has been a question as he’s played in 70 games just once over the past five seasons. That injury history also became a factor when he missed the entire series against the Avalanche with a broken bone in his foot and the Wild may be convinced to clear $6 million in cap space by trading him to a defensive-starved team.
The Wild could also throw in the towel on fellow veteran defenseman Jake Middleton. While he’s a favorite among fans and in the locker room, Middleton is under contract for each of the next three seasons with a $4.35 AAV and has a 15-team modified no trade clause according to Puckpedia. But his rotten playoff performance may convince the Wild to move on and clear another spot.
General manager Bill Guerin’s warning that no player is untouchable could also come into play for Jared Spurgeon. The Wild’s captain since January 2021, Spurgeon has spent his entire 16-year career in Minnesota. But he’s also approaching his age-37 season and is making $7.58 million with a 10-team modified no-trade clause which could lead to his departure.
With Zach Bogosian also a free agent, there’s a good chance the Wild could experience a changing of the guard on the blue line this summer. That could make Petry the first player shown the door, but may not be the last as the Wild look to improve their depth this summer.
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