No matter what the Minnesota Wild do, they just cannot find success in the postseason. The Wild have made the playoffs every season except one dating back to the 2011-12 campaign, and have only two total series wins to show for it. Obviously, that is a nightmare scenario for fans in the State of Hockey, especially after the monstrous, 13-year contracts they gave to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter back in 2012.

Both of those contracts were bought out in 2021, and although Minnesota boasts one of the league's premier players in Kirill Kaprizov, the organization just can't find a way to win when it counts. They're also in dire financial straits, with the Parise and Suter buyouts on the books for the next few years.

The Wild could use a third-pairing defenseman to shore up back end, but what they truly need is a top-six centerman, which they should target in a trade rather than overpaying for one in free agency. Minnesota needs a short-term solution down the middle, and there are much better options on the trade market than in unrestricted free agency this summer.

Here are four players who would go a long way in helping the Minnesota Wild win a playoff series for the first time since 2015.

Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

The Wild badly need an upgrade at centre if they hope to have playoff success. Although the team still has high hopes for Marco Rossi down the middle, the combination of Ryan Hartman, Joel Eriksson Ek and Frederick Gaudreau certainly leaves something to be desired.

Enter Mark Scheifele, whose time with the Winnipeg Jets seems to be coming to an end. The Canadian is a high-end 1C who would immediately become the best centreman on the Wild, and could finally give Kaprizov the elite pivot he deserves to be playing with. Scheifele had been a point-per-game player for each of the past six seasons before 2022-23, and set career highs in goals last year. He's owed just over $6 million next year, a bargain for a player of his skill set. Wild GM Bill Guerin should certainly be looking into the 30-year-old this summer.

Elias Lindholm, Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are in a very similar position to the Jets, in that they have a few key players with one year remaining on their contracts. That includes Elias Lindholm, another point-producing center who excels at both ends of the ice. The Wild are an excellent defensive team, and having Lindholm and Eriksson Ek as their top two centers would be very difficult for opposing team's forwards to deal with.

Lindholm is also massively underpaid, making just $4.85 million next season. He wouldn't come cheap in a trade, but again, he would immediately become the best center on Minnesota's roster, and for that reason alone he should be considered by Guerin. It also helps that Lindholm has reportedly already made it clear that he doesn't want to re-sign in Calgary, and maybe the Wild would have better luck at signing him to a long-term deal.

Andrew Copp, Detroit Red Wings

Andrew Copp was not at all the player Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings had hoped when he was signed to a five-year contract last summer. In his first season with the team, he scored just nine goals and 43 points in 82 games. He was primarily utilized in a second or third-line center role, a place where he might be better used in Minnesota.

With the Wings inking JT Compher to a long-term deal, Copp will likely be relegated to 3C in Michigan next year, but he could be more effective with a change of scenery. He would immediately slide into the middle six of the Wild, and could move up and down the lineup, as he can also play on both wings. He could do that on a line with Eriksson Ek or Hartman next year, and he can also win faceoffs which is a nice bonus.

It could take a player like Hartman to bring Copp to Minnesota, but it might be worth it for Bill Guerin and the team's brass to look into the 29-year-old, especially as Hartman had a down year in 2022-23.

Philip Broberg, Edmonton Oilers

The rest of the players on this list are all centers, a place the Wild desperately need an upgrade, but they could also use a third-pairing defenseman. Philip Broberg was primarily used as a 6th-7th blueliner with the Edmonton Oilers last season, and he averaged only 12:36 time on ice.

Broberg has size, a great skating stride, and is effective at moving the puck up the ice quickly. With John Klingberg gone and Matt Dumba likely to follow, Guerin should be looking to add a No. 5 or No. 6 D-man on the trade market this summer. Both the Wild and Oilers have very little cap space to work with, so a trade that might revolve around Broberg and Calen Addison would make sense for both teams.

The Minnesota Wild are continuing to try and find a way to have playoff success. They have a solid team that is a perennial playoff contender, but they need a top-end center to pair with Kirill Kaprizov and likely a third-pairing defenseman if they want to finally string together some postseason success.