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The Minnesota Wild haven't won a playoff round since 2014-15, and they were eliminated in Round 1 once again in 2024-25. This time, they fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. As the Wild try to move forward, they need to hit the trade market to improve their roster.
The Wild have been connected to multiple free agents and trade targets this offseason, but have whiffed on most of them. There was connection to Brock Boeser, but he has returned to Vancouver. They did re-sign Marcus Johansson this summer, while also adding Nico Sturm. The Wild also traded for Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings. Minnesota also sent Frederick Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken.
While bringing in Sturm has helped the center position, and Tarasenko has helped the top-six forward group, the Wild still have needs at the forward position. The Wild do have solid cap space still available. They have just over $14 million in cap space left to sign or re-sign players. Still, there is also the issue of Marco Rossi. Rossi is a restricted free agent who could be traded. If the Wild were to trade Rossi, they would need to get a solid return in order to make it worth their while. This is a team trying to improve, so trading Rossi would need to bring back significant improvement this offseason.
There are not many places to trade a player like Rossi and get an improved or even comparable piece. The former first-round pick has played in 82 games each of the last two seasons. In the 2023-24 campaign, he scored 40 points, and he also improved last year. Last season, he scored 24 goals and added 36 assists, good for 60 total points. Still, there are options for the Wild to either trade Rossi or just improve their roster in general.
The Wild strike a trade with the Sabres
The Wild were connected to JJ Peterka as a possible option in restricted free agency, especially if they were moving their former first-round pick. He is now a member of the Utah Mammoth, though. Still, a potential trade with the Sabres is not off the table. The Sabres have made a bevy of moves in the past year. They traded Dylan Cozens away, but in exchange got Josh Norris. Buffalo also re-signed Ryan McLeod while moving away from Peterka. They could also still move Bowen Byram this offseason. While trading for the defender may not benefit the Wild as much, there are still options on the roster for the Wild to go after. The Sabres might have an interest in trading Alex Tuch.
The American-born forward was the 18th overall pick of the Wild in the 2014 NHL draft. It was six games of play for Tuch, without a point, in Minnesota before moving to the Golden Knights. He would spend the next four seasons there, playing for the Stanley Cup but falling short with the team in 2017-18. In November 2021, he was part of the trade that sent Jack Eichel to the strip.
With the Sabres, Tuch has proven to be a major scoring threat. He has scored 20 or more goals in each of the last three seasons, while scoring over 30 goals twice. This past year, he scored 36 goals, which tied his career high. Further, he added 31 assists, and his 67 total points were the second highest of his career. He is just 29 years old and under contract for next year at a cost of $4.75 million. He can also play center, which could help replace Rossi on the second line.
Another option for the Wild is attempting to go after Tage Thompson. While not as realistic as grabbing Tuch, the Wild should gladly pay a high price if they can snag the star forward. He would easily replace Rossi at the center position, and could play on the top line with Kirill Kaprizov or move to the second line behind Joel Eriksson Ek. His contract is for the next five seasons at a cost of just over $7.1 million. This is a cost the Wild can manage.
Thompson was the 26th overall pick in the 2016 draft by the St. Louis Blues. He would play just 41 games for the Blues in 2017-18 before being traded to Buffalo in the offseason. In the last four seasons with the Sabres, he has been great. He has scored 25 or more goals in every season, while also having 50 or more points. This past season, he scored 44 goals, which was the second highest of his career. Still, the allure of Thompson would be the 2022-23 campaign. That year, he scored 47 goals and added 47 assists, good for 94 total points.
While it may be difficult for the Wild to swing a trade for Thompson, he would be a major upgrade to a team trying to make a run in the Western Conference. Overall, a trade involving Minnesota for a big-name player most likely involves moving on from Rossi. Still, the Wild will gladly entertain that for the correct player. If the Sabres are trying to build for the future, Rossi could be part of that, and the two franchises could team up on a trade that benefits both sides this summer.
