The Minnesota Wild will be aggressive in a search for a No. 1 center this year. But if nothing materializes or they have to settle for a free-agent pivot, ESPN’s Erik Johnson believes that Connor McDavid could be an option for a blockbuster trade.
“I think one of Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid will be on the Minnesota Wild in three years. That’s my hot take,” Johnson said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “...They need a center. That’s Minnesota’s clear Achilles’ heel. They need a No. 1 center. I think Bill Guerin finds a way to get Matthews or McDavid in Minnesota to push them over the edge. I really do.”
While getting Matthews would be great, McDavid would be an ultimate fantasy and Johnson’s hunch may lead Wild fans to fantasy book the superstar’s path from the Edmonton Oilers to Minnesota in the coming years.
Wild’s path to Connor McDavid blockbuster may not be as crazy as it seems
If you’re hoping that McDavid shows up WWE-style for the Wild on the opening night of the 2026-27 season, you’re going to be disappointed. McDavid signed a two-year, $25 million contract extension with the Oilers before the start of last season and the deal has a full no-movement clause without player approval according to Puckpedia.
Unless things really hit the fan this summer, McDavid will be staying in Edmonton for the 2026-27 season. But things could change if they come up short again in their quest for a Stanley Cup.Â
The Oilers allowing McDavid to enter the final year of his contract without another extension would be similar to the Wild’s situation with Quinn Hughes. While the Wild could let Hughes play out the final year of his deal, it would run the risk of letting the best player in hockey leave town without anything in return and a truckload of backlish for any general manager to deal with.
If the Oilers decide that they can’t build a contender around McDavid entering the 2027-28 season, they could open up trade discussions. With McDavid’s NMC and likely request for a new contract, things may be a little difficult. But if he becomes available, it will be an arms race for Guerin to make the deal happen.
Per Puckpedia, the Wild still own their first-round picks in the 2027 and 2028 seasons, but do not have a second-round pick in each of the next three drafts. Wild owner Craig Leipold also coined the term “keeping the powder dry” when discussing Guerin’s philosophy on trading for big names before the start of last season and if they don’t see a name they like, they could wait until a bigger name, like McDavid or Matthews becomes available.Â
To that point, Guerin also told reporters this week that “nobody is untouchable” as they head into the offseason and that could help recoup some of the draft and prospect capital they lost this past season by trading established veterans this summer.Â
In the long-term, that could also buy them time for some of their current prospects to mature.
Jesper Wallstedt is already a hot trade commodity going into this offseason. But if the Wild keep him and he turns in an even better sophomore year, he could become even more valuable or take the No. 1 goalie job away from Filip Gustavsson, which could convince him to waive his no-trade clause for a different starting job.
Danila Yurov also didn’t appear ready for a big role during this year’s playoff push. But with a full year in the NHL under his belt, it could lead to a second-year breakout that could make him a more attractive part of a package.
Charlie Stramel, Adam Benak and Riley Heidt could also improve their stock next season and if the Wild deem one of their current stars available, it could scrounge up the assets needed to make a blockbuster happen.
Even if the Wild have to deal a star to get a deal done, they still will have an attractive situation. Matt Boldy is signed through the 2029-30 season and it has been speculated that Hughes may seek a similar extension in order to sync up with his brother Jack’s contract with the New Jersey Devils. Brock Faber is signed through the 2032-33 season and Kirill Kaprizov is under team control through the 2033-34 campaign as his eight-year, $136 million extension begins next season.
If the Oilers decide to go "full Kawhi Leonard" with McDavid, the dream isn't dead. With that core in place, the Wild would be an attractive destination for McDavid to sign in free agency and be within their price range with a projected $72.4 million in cap space when McDavid becomes a free agent in the summer of 2028.
A core of Kaprizov, Hughes, Boldy, Faber and McDavid sounds too good to be true. But Wild fans may have been saying the same thing when Hughes was made available last winter. If McDavid’s situation in Edmonton goes south in the next year and the Wild’s assets appreciate in value, Johnson’s “hot take” could be crazy enough to come true.
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