It’s safe to say that Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin is riding quite a high, and it’s good news for fans hoping to see the USA’s Olympic success follow him back to the State of Hockey. The architect of Team USA's first gold medal since the 1980 Miracle on Ice team returns to St. Paul with fans hoping those winning vibes follow him in the form of another blockbuster trade.
One name that's been gaining serious traction is New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck. He just won a gold medal for Guerin in Italy, and it seems more likely than ever that he'll be in Minnesota before the end of this trade season.
If the Wild pull it off, it wouldn't just land them a center they badly need but could be the second time this season they get one over on the Detroit Red Wings.
Wild are a "serious frontrunner" to trade for Vincent Trocheck before the deadline
NHL reporter James Murphy noted in a post-Olympics rumor dump that the Wild are "a serious frontrunner" to trade for Trocheck and in doing so would beat the Red Wings to the punch.
Earlier this year, the Wild traded a haul to acquire Quinn Hughes, and all indications are that Detroit could have had him first if they wanted him. Depending on who you talk to, Steve Yzerman balked at the idea of matching the sort of package Minnesota sent to Vancouver, something that sent at least one radio host into an apoplectic fit of rage.
As far as getting a deal done, that's where things get a little complicated. It's not that the Wild can't fit Trocheck on the roster or under the cap, it's how much they'd have to give up to land him. Minnesota gave up a ton to get Hughes, including parting ways with its first-round pick in this upcoming draft.
There are still resources the Wild can pool to craft an attractive package. Charlie Stramel and Jesper Wallstedt are two of the top assets Minnesota can move, in addition to guys like David Jiricek, Danila Yurov, and Adam Benak.
All of those guys make up the top of the Wild prospect list, though, so the price of doing business had better be worth it.
It seems Trocheck would be exactly that. He's a veteran center who would give Minnesota the type of face-off dominance the team is missing. Trocheck is elite, posting a 56.5 face-off win percentage through 43 games this season while also being a key reason the Team USA power play in the Olympics was such a force.
A package of Strammel and a draft pick -- probably a second-rounder -- feels like a fair deal, but we'll see if the Red Wings swoop in and get a little revenge for getting beat to the punch by Minnesota on a blockbuster trade already.