As the Minnesota Wild get back to business after the Olympic break, it's hard to determine where the biggest action will be: on the ice or up in Bill Guerin's suite.
Minnesota has a chance to gain four points on the Colorado Avalanche with two big games on the schedule over the next week. That's absolutely monumental, as the playoff race tightens with just over a month left in the season, leaving so many Wild fans wondering if another trade is coming to push the team even closer to Stanley Cup contention.
A lot has been made about what could happen, from Jesper Wallstedt's name getting tossed around in rumors to Charlie Strammel now joining him. We haven't heard much from players who will be on the other end of a deal, a silence that Wild veteran and alternate captain Marcus Foligno has finally broken.
Marcus Foligno weighs in on recent Wild trade rumors with a crystal clear message for Bill Guerin
The Athletic's Joe Smith spoke with Foligno, who had a pretty clear message about what he expects if the Wild make another big trade.
“We have a great team. I think whatever move we do or don’t do, I think we’ll be just fine. If we can add, great. If it’s a big piece, that’s awesome. But Billy knows it’s got to be someone who can come into the dressing room and can jell well with the work ethic we have and take off running from there," Foligno said. “I like our team. I really like the way we’re built and the way we compete every night.”
The trade deadline is March 6th, which means Guerin and the Wild front office have just about a week to decide whether or not to make a splash. Minnesota already traded a haul for Quinn Hughes, and all signs seem to point toward someone like Vincent Trocheck or Robert Thomas being on their radar.
Foligno's point is salient; the Wild need to find another piece to the championship puzzle but can't upset the balance too much in order to make it happen.
Hughes has fit like a glove, and the vibes he brings back to the team after having played alongside Matt Boldy and Brock Faber in Italy will only help. Everything revolves around figuring out a way to convince him to sign long-term, which is why making a trade to prove the Wild are serious about being competitive is so important.
Bringing in Trocheck, who also played on with the Wild trio on Team USA, seems to be a step in that direction. Not only is he one of the best face-off centers in the league who was instrumental to a gold medal-winning power play in the Olympics, but he's signed through 2028-29 and would bring a veteran presence to a team full of young stars.
It's a great fit, but the Wild need to heed Foligno's advice and be certain that whoever the team trades for gels with what is already an elite locker room.