The Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings have connected on a trade. After an NHL Draft that lacked player movement, Detroit made a move to help their cap situation. The Wild sent future considerations to the Red Wings for Vladimir Tarasenko on Monday, per an official team release.

The Red Wings did make one of the few trades involving a player during the draft. They picked up goalie John Gibson, who is owed $6.4 million per year for two seasons. Tarasenko was on their books for $4.75 million for just the 2025-26 season, so Detroit is moving to free up cap space.

As for the Wild, they add a depth forward for nothing without preventing a Kirill Kaprizov extension. Their franchise player is eligible for an extension on July 1 that would start in 2026. Considering Tarasenko has just one year left, his cap hit does not impact their 2026 cap space.

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Tarasenko has now been on five teams since the St Louis Blues traded him at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. The Red Wings signed him to a two-year deal last offseason and have already dumped him for nothing. He scored 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games last season, his lowest full-season totals as a pro.

For the Wild, they are getting a proven veteran who can score. They needed to beef up their bottom six, and they did not give up anything to do it. This move opens up a lot for the Red Wings, however, who now have over $22 million in cap space and only two restricted free agents to sign.

Tarasenko could be a solid scorer for the Wild and help them finally make a deep playoff run. As Minnesota continues to build a contender, bringing in veterans to help the locker room and score goals is important. That's what they did with this move.

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