The Wild have evolved throughout the season, mostly due to injuries, and another transformation could be on the horizon.
How much the team will change — if at all — will be one of many questions answered between now and Friday when the NHL trade deadline arrives at 2 p.m.
What will the Wild look to accomplish between now and the deadline?
President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Bill Guerin is in a unique position.
The Wild are not mathematically eliminated playoff rivalry, but they have a steep climb ahead of them to get closer to a wild-card spot. So, they don’t meet the criteria for a relief sale, but they also won’t flip draft picks for rental assistance.
They are flexible, meaning the Wild could pull some of their pending free agents or make a hockey trade that would add a new face and give the team a different look.
Regardless, each player’s situation will be assessed individually.
“I haven’t made any decisions about anyone yet,” Guerin said recently. “I’ve had many discussions about many different scenarios. But I don’t know yet.”
Will Marc-André Fleury finish the season with the Wild?
The guard told the Star Tribune last week, he wasn’t asked to be traded.
“I would rather be here with the guys and fighting,” said Fleury, who is in control of his situation.
Not only does Fleury’s contract include a no-movement clause, but Guerin said Fleury deserves the right to dictate what happens next: The future Hall of Famer and three-time Stanley Cup champion is waiting until the end of the season to decide whether he will continue playing or retire.
Does Pat Maroon’s injury keep him from being traded?
No, the Wild could still move the veteran winger.
Maroon had back surgery about a month ago and is expected to recover in four to six weeks. A late-season setback would make Maroon non-tradable, but there was none; he is in rehabilitation and has started to skate slightly.
(Last season, the Wild added an injured player, Gustav Nyquist, who didn’t return from a shoulder injury until four games into the regular season.)
A three-time Stanley Cup winner, Maroon’s experience along with his size and strength could make him an attractive acquisition for teams looking to boost their playoff chances. But these are traits that would also make Maroon valuable to the Wild going forward.
Could Zach Bogosian be traded for the second time this season?
It’s possible.
Another Stanley Cup-winning veteran, Bogosian is the type of player who draws interest ahead of the trade deadline. He has a gritty, contained style of play, and teams tend to covet more responsibility and physicality on defense heading into the playoffs.
Like Maroon, Bogosian’s contract expires after this season and he will be an unrestricted free agent.
Bogosian has been an effective defenseman for the Wild since they traded him in November, so he could have a future here.
Asked if he could see himself with the Wild beyond this season, Bogosian said: “Yeah. I like it. It’s been good. We’re a good group here. I really like it. guys. It kind of gave me a little bit of confidence.” a new chapter in my career.
“It’s been fun for me to come in and play minutes, meaningful minutes, to have a role that you enjoy as a player.”
Who else could we contact?
Brandon Duhaime and Connor Dewar are also on expiring contracts, with Duhaime set to become an unrestricted free agent and Dewar set to become an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.
Dewar has improved his game lately, scoring a goal in back-to-back games last week, and the Wild are getting calls on Duhaime because of his style: he’s fast and tough.
A new contract for Duhaime is probably too expensive for the Wild, so they could trade him before the deadline and get an asset in return instead of letting him leave in the offseason and getting nothing in return.
Duhaime, however, would like to stay with the Wild.
“It’s motivation for me to work and perform,” Duhaime said of the trade deadline. “So it’s good.”
