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The Minnesota Wild returned to the playoffs for a fifth time in the past six seasons. Still, for the fifth time in the past six years, the Wild were eliminated in the first round. They have made it to the conference finals just once in franchise history, and never made it to the Stanley Cup Final. Now the Wild need to make moves to advance in a deep Western Conference, and trading away some players may be the best solution in this 2025 NHL offseason.
The Wild come into the summer in a solid situation. While they do not have a first-round draft pick this year, they have their next three, plus a second-rounder in this draft. Further, the Wild have $22.6 million in cap space for this upcoming offseason. The Wild also have just six free agents. One of them is Marc-Andre Fleury, who will be retiring. The team will need a new backup goaltender, but many of their other parts are in place.
The Wild will certainly be looking at negotiating with Kirill Kaprizov this offseason. He is set to become a free agent at the end of the next campaign and can sign an extension as soon as July 1. The team will also need to address some depth issues, but to do so, they will need to move some parts around.
The Wild trade Marco Rossi
Rossi may be on the move away from Minnesota in the next month. There is heavy interest in the restricted free agent, and it may make sense for the Wild to move him. To begin with, there is the issue over the value of the forward to the team, with Wild not willing to meet the contract demands of Rossi. This could be the perfect time to trade the Austrian forward to get the most value.
He is coming off his second straight season of playing 82 games and saw a major increase in his offensive production. Rossi scored 24 goals while adding 36 assists this past year, both career highs. Further, he scored seven goals and nine assists on the power play, also career highs. His creation of high-danger scoring chances also took a step forward. He was solid on the defensive end of the ice as well, seeing an increase in his shots blocked and his plus/minus rating last year.
The major reason for the trade is for the return, though. While the Wild could let Rossi go on an offer sheet, the return would just be draft pick compensation, depending on the value of the contract that was signed. Based on the current expectations, an offer sheet could bring Minnesota a first, second, and third-round draft pick in the 2026 NHL draft. Still, for a team looking to compete now, and only a handful of teams being able to make that offer with their draft picks, the best move is a sign-and-trade. Minnesota could get a new top-line center. They could also get a package for a top-six forward and draft compensation. That would help both the present and the future for the Wild.
Minnesota trades an aging forward
The Wild recently re-signed Marcus Johansson, one of their top forwards from this past season. Still, the team needs to revamp its top six scoring options. Matt Boldy led the team with 73 points, while Rossi was second. Kaprizov was third on the team with 56 points in much less games, just ahead of Mats Zuccarello. Still, the days of Zuccarello being a top-line forward are coming to a close. The Norwegian forward joined the NHL as a free agent in the 2010 offseason. He would become a top-six forward with the New York Rangers before being traded to the Dallas Stars in the middle of the 2018-19 season.
Zuccarello would then sign as a free agent with the Wild in the summer of 2019. He would hit his peak with the team in the 2021-22 season, scoring 79 points. Since then, his point production has decreased each season. Further, his advanced metrics have also continued to decline. This past year saw major drop-offs in expected goals, percentage of goals he was credited with a point when on the ice, and chances created.
With declining production, but not a complete diminishment of talent, the Wild would be smart to get a return now for the veteran. He is due $4.125 million this season and will become a free agent next summer. With the Wild needing to sign Kaprizov, they should trade away Zuccarello now and get the most value for him instead of seeing him potentially walk away for nothing.
Will Zach Bogosian be moved?
The Wild have their top four defenders all under contract. Brock Faber and Jacob Middleton lead the top rotation, while Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin lead the second group. This placed Bogosian on the third rotation this past season. The former first-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers once again saw his ice time diminish. He played the least amount since his last full season in Tampa Bay before being traded to Minnesota. He is due $1.25 million this year and is in the last year of his contract. The blueliner will also be turning 35 in July.
Minnesota has multiple solid players in their prospect pool ready to move up to the NHL ranks. This is led by Zeev Buium, who is their top-ranked defensive prospect. He may need another season before being ready for the big leagues, though. Still, third-ranked prospect David Jiricek is ready to go and has been playing great at the AHL level. Finally, David Spacek is a right-side defender, like Bogosian, and is just 21 years old. He was productive in the men's world championship for Czechia and has been getting 20 minutes of ice time per game, while also leading the power play for the AHL's Iowa Wild.
As the Wild try to keep their current core together, while preparing for the future, moves need to be made. That includes getting the most for Rossi, who may not want to be in Minnesota long-term. It also means moving on from some veterans in favor of allowing younger players to get their feet wet at the NHL level.
