Despite pulling off one of, if not the biggest, trades of the 2025-26 NHL season, it seems that Bill Guerin isn’t done tinkering with his roster as the Minnesota Wild fight to keep their spot among the best teams in the Western Conference. The Quinn Hughes trade was a game-changing deal for the franchise, but it cost the Wild dearly as Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick in 2026 left the franchise. So, what is left in the cabinet for Guerin to deal if he’s going big-game hunting over the next five-plus weeks?
A year ago, The Athletic ranked the Wild second in their annual prospect rankings due to the quality of the players in the system and depth. While the deal with Vancouver cost them two of the top five players (Buium and Ohgren) there are still plenty of names on the list that other teams may covet in a deal. One can also assume that, if Buium was dealt, no one in the organization is off-limits. That should open up a wealth of options for Guerin to entice other organizations.
First off, while he sacrificed his first-round pick in 2026 for Quinn Hughes, he does still have his 2027 and 2028 first-rounders. Over the past few seasons, organizations have been more willing to accept future first-round picks in deals, especially for pending unrestricted free agents. Four 2027 firsts (Toronto, Florida, Vegas, Tampa Bay) have already been included in deals
While a 2027 first might not be enough to pry someone by itself, it could be the perfect sweetener when paired with one of the Wild’s prospects. It is also worth noting that the Wild do not have a second round pick until 2028 as their 2026 was used to acquire Gus Nyquist last year, and the 2027 pick was part of the David Jiricek deal.
As for the prospects, they can be broken up into two classes - almost NHL ready and long term. With a couple of exceptions, the most intriguing players in the system are probably a couple of years away, but a rebuilding team looking for immediate help will have a couple players they can choose from that should be ready to enter the line-up right away.
NHL Ready (or close to)
Jesper Wallstedt - Goaltender, Minnesota Wild, 23-years-old
Does Bill Guerin want to trade The Wall of St. Paul? No. Of course not. Will he trade the young goaltender? If the right deal comes along - probably. Any type of true blockbuster deal would probably involve Wallstedt, who is 12-5-4 with a 2.70 GAA and .914 SV% on the season.
The Wild could part with him and still be okay in regards to their number one netminder as Filip Gustavsson has been solid in goal this season as well. There is a huge chasm in talent after that, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Guerin traded for a back-up if he trades Wallstedt.
It’s not likely that he moves before the deadline, but for a rebuilding team that is looking for a long-term solution in net, Wallstedt would be an ideal candidate.
David Jiricek - Defenseman, Minnesota Wild, 22-years-old
Another deal that is possible, but unlikely would involve moving Jiricek just over a year after the team spent a lot of capital to acquire him. It’s been an up-and-down season for the right-shot defender who has appeared in 20 games for Minnesota without registering a point. There are nights where he shows his potential, but consistency has been an issue. Perhaps a new start on a team that isn’t fighting for a Stanley Cup could give him the space he needs to fulfill his potential.
Carson Lambos - Defenseman, Iowa Wild, 23-years-old
The 2021 first-round pick made his NHL debut this season thanks to all of the injuries on the Minnesota blueline. He’s back with Iowa where he has 5 goals, 5 assists in 37 games. He’s not one of the team’s higher-ranked prospects, but he does have the potential to eat up a ton of ice time on the blueline while providing some offense. He would be a nice ancillary piece in a larger deal.
Danila Yurov - Center, Minnesota Wild, 22-years-old
Part of the reason Guerin was comfortable in trading away Marco Rossi was the development of Yurov in his first season in the NHL. There was some question on if the former first-round pick could adapt to the NHL or if he would need some time in the AHL to acclimate to North American hockey. After 44 games with the Wild, it’s apparent that he will do just fine in this league. A team looking to build around a two-way center could be very interesting in acquiring him.
Still need some seasoning
Adam Benak - Center, Brantford Bulldogs, 18-years-old
No one in the system has done more for his future than the 2025 fourth-round pick. He had a strong training camp in the fall and has carried that into a dominating run in the OHL where he has 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists) in 31 games. Benak was also one of Czechia’s better players at the recent Under-20 World Junior Championships where he put up 8 points (1 goal, 7 assists) and displayed a 200-foot game that would make him a top prospect in any organization.
Charlie Stamel - Forward, Michigan State University, 21-years-old
After seemingly losing his game a bit at Wisconsin, a transfer to Michigan State has rejuvenated Stamel’s career. With 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) he’s on a trajectory that could keep the Hobey Baker Award with the Spartans. His former linemate, Issac Howard won the trophy last season and Stamel was a big part of that. He has something that can’t be taught -size. Coupling that with his playmaking skills makes him an intriguing prospect in a NHL world that values physical play with offensive potential.
Carter Klippenstein - Center, Brandon Wheat Kings, 19-years-old
Another big guy with offensive talent, Klippenstein is a better skater than Stamel and is on his way to a career season with Brandon. With 11 goals and 17 assists, he’s already matched his career-best 28 points, and he’s done it in only 38 games. If he can continue to provide offense as he moves up the professional ranks he could project into a solid middle-six forward.