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The Minnesota Wild enter the NHL trade deadline with significant needs due to injuries. Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Karpizov are both out but are expected to return before the playoffs. That makes the cap management part of Friday more difficult for GM Bill Guerin but does not mean a deal cannot be reached. What are the Wild's dream and nightmare deadline scenarios? And how does Minnesota native Brock Boeser play into them?
The Wild made a massive trade early in the season, picking up defenseman David Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets. They sent picks in the first, second, third, and fourth-round picks to get the deal done. That drains their trade assets but they do have prospects and other picks they can deal. If they were to sell, pending UFAs Marcus Johansson and Jon Merril would be the targets. But do not expect those important pieces to be traded before Friday.
How will the Wild handle this NHL trade deadline? Can they afford to add Brock Boeser before Friday?
Dream scenario: The Wild add and extend Brock Boeser
Boeser is an elite goal-scorer and his contract with the Vancouver Canucks is expiring after this year. If he hits the open market in July, the Wild will be among the favorites to land him. With all of the turmoil in Vancouver this year, he may look to head back home and play for a true contender. But they can get ahead of it now by trading for him at this deadline.
Because Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are likely coming back before the playoffs, this will have to involve roster players. Guerin said they are dollar-in, dollar-out at this point but that can be done. Boeser has a $6.65 million cap hit, which can be retained twice before it gets to Minnesota. That would bring his price down to $1.66 million. Johanssen makes $2 million, so that can be done.
For one of their top scorers at 50% retained, the Canucks would get the Wild's 2026 first-rounder. Minnesota would also have to give up mid-round picks to Vancouver and the third team to facilitate the deal. And top prospect Zeev Buium could be on the table. This is a monstrous trade but it is a player that fits their needs and could be there for the rest of his career.
Nightmare scenario: No moves from Minnesota on Friday
The Wild have to do something to keep up in the Central Division. With new assets coming to every other team and the Jets way ahead of the pack, they could easily fall to the Wild Card spot. And that would mean a trip to either Vegas or Edmonton in the first round, which could be a quick exit for this team.
The Wild should be looking to spend a lot of money in free agency this offseason. With the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter contracts coming off the books, they will have a ton of it to spend. But that does not mean they should sit on their hands this year. They have a Kirill Kaprizov contract to figure out soon and there is no guarantee they'll be able to afford Marco Rossi going forward. Even in a stacked Western Conference, this is the year they should press all of the buttons and go for it.
