The trade deadline is approaching fast, with just a few weeks until March 8. When the Minnesota Wild were in the midst of their recent losing streak a few weeks ago, it was almost a for-sure thing that they would trade someone; it likely wouldn’t be a huge move, but something to shake things up and get them possibly moving towards next season. After the news broke about losing Jared Spurgeon, it seemed unavoidable that they’d have to make a trade.
Since then, they’ve claimed Declan Chisholm off of waivers and started a winning streak. That doesn’t mean anything has changed on the trade front, but we got our Wild writing team at The Hockey Writers together to sort out some more significant questions facing this trade deadline. Tyson McKay and Mariah Stark came up with answers to the hard-hitting questions, starting with whether the Wild will be active.
Should the Wild Be Active at the Trade Deadline?
Tyson: They should be! Unfortunately, this season it is because they need to move players out, not bring players in as they have done in the last couple of seasons. The Wild have a lot of highly talented young prospects and rookies who are vying for a roster spot as soon as next season, and there needs to be some space available for those players to fight for. If a player is not viewed as a long-term piece of the organization, move them, and open that spot to whichever prospect decides to claim it.
Mariah: Honestly, if they hope to get something for the players they will likely lose this summer, yes, they should. They have several players whose contracts expire this offseason, and letting some of them sign elsewhere during free agency is fine, but some could be valuable, like Brandon Duhaime who will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) or Connor Dewar who will be a restricted free agent (RFA). I would love for the Wild to keep everyone, but that’s based on personality and how well they fit together. Realistically, something has to be done.
If They Are, Who Should They Trade?
Tyson: There are a lot of Wild players locked into contracts with no-move and no-trade clauses, but there are still a few that can be moved out. Veteran winger Pat Maroon will fetch a decent pick for a team looking for veteran depth with a winning background. Both Marc-Andre Fleury and Alex Goligoski control their fates, but if they wish to move to a contender, they have earned that right. Finally, if there is no intent to re-sign UFA Brandon Duhaime or RFA Connor Dewar, it would be worth shopping them around.
Mariah: I answered this question early, but Duhaime and Dewar are probably their most valuable as they’re young and have shown potential but haven’t quite reached it. They could get a decent return compared to players like Zach Bogosian or Pat Maroon, who was recently injured and underwent surgery. There’s a lot of talk about Fleury, but that would have to be the perfect situation for him to want to move. I think Dewey #1 and Dewey #2 are the best options to get something in return.
Who Do You Want the Wild to Keep?
Tyson: Controversial pick here, but I like Zach Bogosian. He has been effective in an elevated role this season, but when the team is healthy, I think he is exactly what they need for a third-pair right defenseman. The fact that he has not looked completely outclassed this season while getting way more minutes than he normally should tells me that if you take him down a slot, he can be a really effective veteran defenseman with a low cap hit.
Mariah: Everyone! I like it when a team bonds as well as the Wild players typically do, but it is a business, and people have to move on to make a winning team. I’d love to see Fleury retire with the Wild, but Dewar is integral to the penalty kill. I hope the Wild keep him around; plus, he’s young, so they could have him around for quite some time.
Do The Wild Trade to Fill Spurgeon’s Slot?
Tyson: I think they already addressed the issue by acquiring Chisholm. Spurgeon is not an easily replaceable player, and to truly go out and get another player as skilled as Spurgeon would cost them a significant amount of capital in the form of prospects or picks. The emergence of Brock Faber as an elite defender means that they don’t have to get a Spurgeon replacement, because they already have one. Faber is the Wild’s number-one defender from this season on, and the gaps they have to fill are in the lower pairings, which Chisholm may be able to help with.
Mariah: When it first happened, I assumed they would, but now that things have been getting better even with Alex Goligoski and Jon Merrill in the lineup after struggling, I don’t know that they need to address it, especially after also picking up Chisholm. Spurgeon is expected to be back next season, so why bring on someone if the roster already has several players who could temporarily fill that role?
Thoughts on Declan Chisholm?
Tyson: Fantastic low-risk pickup by Bill Guerin. The 24-year-old has looked fantastic with the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League (AHL), but just never was given an opportunity to make an NHL lineup. With the Wild’s young defense corps struggling in the AHL and some of their veteran defenders in the NHL losing their touch, it is a perfect opportunity to give the young man a real shot at playing in the NHL after obviously hitting a wall with the Winnipeg Jets. Give him some games, let him play on some different pairings, and there is literally zero cost to the team if he doesn’t work out. I am excited to see what he brings to the lineup.
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Mariah: I wasn’t familiar with him, but everything I’ve heard on podcasts or read online is good. According to Micheal Russo on one of his recent podcasts with Anthony Lapanta, they both said he’s a good defenseman that Winnipeg loved and didn’t want to lose, but that happens when a player is placed on waivers. They didn’t have room to have him up on the current roster. I trust what they say and look forward to seeing what he can do once he’s on the ice.
A Non-trade Question: Do the Wild Make the Postseason?
Tyson: Nope. A lot of fans still have hope, and I commend them for sticking to a positive mindset through the entire season, but every time I watch this season’s version of the Wild, no part of their play looks like that of a Stanley Cup contender. Some pieces of the team are working, and some moments look brilliant, but there is a cloud of injury and early-season failures that hangs over them in a way that is preventing them from returning to their full potential. A top-ten draft pick, an offseason to reset, and an injection of young prospects should have them back to being competitive again next season.
Mariah: I hate this question. I’m always up for playoff hockey, but the way this season has gone, I see it coming down to the wire and them missing by one or two points. This hasn’t appeared to be their year, and watching them make the postseason and likely lose out in the first round isn’t something to look forward to. I always try to be the optimist and think they can make it all the way every season, but realistically, that isn’t the case, and this season has been so rough it’s hard to imagine them making it. The joke in Minnesota has become that the Wild can make the playoffs, but only to the first round; as much as I want that to be untrue, this isn’t the year.
Wild’s Next Few Weeks
The Wild still have a few weeks before the trade deadline, and they’re currently on a four-game win streak. They have a couple of quick home games before heading out for yet another three-game road trip that’ll include a back-to-back. Their first game will be against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, Feb. 17, and hopefully, the Wild can keep this win streak alive.
