The Minnesota Wild have emerged as a contender in the Western Conference after acquiring star defenseman Quinn Hughes, and now they are still making some small moves to close the gap between them and the Colorado Avalanche.
On Tuesday, the Wild made a trade with the Nashville Predators to acquire center Michael McCarron in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
The 6-foot-6 center will bring a more physical presence to the Wild front line and should contribute on the penalty kill. He is someone who likes to impose his will on the ice, and currently leads Nashville with 165 hits at the time of the trade.
McCarron is also very good in the face-off circle, so he should help the Wild secure some extra possessions. Overall, the physical identity that he will bring should benefit the Wild when they get into the playoffs against teams like the Avs and the Dallas Stars, both of whom are Stanley Cup contenders in Minnesota's division.
The things that McCarron brings to the ice were clearly coveted by the Wild, as Minnesota was willing to give up a valuable future draft asset for what could amount to a rental. The soon-to-be 31-year old is in the final year of his current contract and could hit free agency this summer. Minnesota is hoping that what he brings to the ice will offset the potential risks of that.
At the moment, the Wild are down in third place in a stacked Central Division with 80 points on the season. The Stars recently leapfrogged them for second place with 83 points, while the Avs lead the way with an NHL-high 89 points in just 59 games.
As a result of a current two-game losing streak, the Wild have a lot of work to do over their final 21 games to get back in position to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. That quest starts on Tuesday night against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning.
