Article: The Wild Had Better Trade Targets Than Nyquist

[Robert Brent]

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[Citizen Strife]

If the Wild traded tons for Laughton (30-40 pt player ceiling), it would have been railed on way harder than even Nyquist is.  At least with Nyquist, you know if it doesn't work, he's gone after the season.  Gourde might have been an option, but he's only played 35 games.  

There were risks regardless if the team was able to aim high or low.

[Citizen Strife]

*forgot to edit*

The less players the Wild have for next year's roster, the better chance Yurov (if healthy) solves that center problem anyway.  They seem utterly allergic to putting Rossi or Yurov at wing to make either situation work, so the idea might be to stick with the Nelson plan and start Yurov at 3C and see if he can blossom into a a better top 6 scoring option the same way Rossi took to things pretty quickly.  Taking a Laughton would have put another person in front of Yurov or Khusnutdinov yet again.  I bet you'd THAT'D go over well...

If the Isles sign Nelson, they sign Nelson.  Hardly any different than the situation the Wild find themselves in now.

Edited March 3 by Citizen Strife

[Enforceror]

For a short term bump to a lineup that desperately needed a little offense without sacrificing two-way ability (plus another PK option), I'll position myself on the side that thinks this is a decent move. I know, this isn't going to rocket us into another atmosphere but with cap issues, I just don't see too many possibilities for playoff contention without sacrificing some key players (yes I think Spurgeon is still a key player). 

I'm not too worried about the 2nd round pick given our contention window. The salary retention was a must. This gives us the following lines for playoffs, contingent on injuries.

Some mix of Ohgren ($887), Trenin ($3.5), Khus ($925), Lauko ($788), Vinnie ($775), Johannson (2m)

Next year, we should be adding Yurov to the mix ($900k?)

We'll be carrying 3-4 too many roster spots with potential fall-off/trade or retirement of Zucc, Nyquist, Lauko, Vinnie, Nojo. 

I like Khus but Vinnie has out-scored him in 6 games and is even LESS money. Some AHL time might not be bad for the 22 year old.

Ohgren is in a similar place. Probably too good for AHL but not quite an impact in the N yet. 

Lauko has great energy, grit and speed but has not showcased much in the skill dept apart from some nice breakaways. 

Big questions:

Is Zucc planning to stick around? He'll be 38 at the start of next season. Is Nyquist the contingency plan?

Can Yurov immediately slot into line 2?

Do we continue on with Trenin's 3.5m?

Does management still have a thing for Nojo?

All-in-all, I think we have some cleanup to do which could save us 3-5mil in cap space and after signing KK and Rossi, leave us with a bit to make an off-season change to beef up the lineup where needed based on the answers to the questions above. 

Ok, done rambling 😉

[RedLake]

NoNo to Nojo!

[5HOLE]

Nyquist is ok... but why a wing when they need a center?  Don't understand that thinking.  The Mild obviously don't have a trustworthy center on the farm otherwise they would've been brought up.  

[FredJohnson]

The Wild Had Better Trade Targets Than Nyquist

Good writing Robert. You got all the pertinent facts and called out the 'what ifs' with the situation. A subheading to your heading (I pasted above) could be "But Could They Afford It?" Thanks for generating this!

[SkolWild73]

Yes, we had other targets, but I wouldn’t say they were any better.  Pretty much anyone we could have gotten for a draft pick only was going to have some warts. 

[1Brotherbill]

They really don't have many options available.  Am I happy with Nyquist?  No.  But there was no improvement in the roster available that they could afford.

Brock Nelson is not an improvement, either is Brock Boeser. 

[Burnt Toast]

Well I sure liked what I saw in Nyquist’s first game. Dare I say without him we lose? He was a difference maker 100%. If you look at what the Wild have done with this trade, made the team better, IMMEDIATELY,  at reasonable cost. What’s not to like? He’s fast, smart, tough. I hope he gets extended. He fits the team’s play style quite nicely. I think all these small moves are adding up to make a low cost difference. 

[Lern2spell]

I'm tired of hearing the Wild can't afford anybody. MOVE SOME PLAYERS! Core forwards on the roster include Kaprizov, Rossi, Boldy, Ek, and (maybe) Foligno. Everyone else is expendable. Unfortunately, trade clauses up and down the roster limit moving most this season, but Trenin, Gaudreau, and Chisholm could free up $6.6M. Edmonton is known to be looking for a top 4, right shot defensemen, so how about shopping Spurgeon and possibly send him back to his hometown? The good teams make gutsy decisions. The Wild need top 6 scoring. Freeing up some cap space and packaging some assets makes sense to fill that need. Oh, but what about disrupting 'the Room'? Keeping 'the Room' on March 7th doesn't mean jack-squat on April 20th if they aren't in the playoffs. Hartman, Trenin, Gaudreau, and Spurgeon should be moved before next season. Harsh? Maybe, but if you take off the homer glasses, you'll see it needs to happen.

Edited March 4 by Lern2spell

[Citizen Strife]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6172036/2025/03/04/wild-trade-deadline-proposal/

Hoo boy.  Here we go.  Joe Smith, and unnamed executive, and a sprinkle of Russo go over a lot of weird trades.  For Tkachuk fans, this one is for you.

Edited March 4 by Citizen Strife

[MNCountryLife]

I'm not a fan of this trade.  We lost a 2nd rounder and Nyquist will not be around next year.  This team is not going to the cup finals.  We will be lucky to get out of the 1st round with this horrendous PK.  It is basically lost value. 

About the only thing it does is moves Nojo out of the top 6 when everyone is healthy.... I do like that.

[mnhockeyfan03]

1 hour ago, Citizen Strife said:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6172036/2025/03/04/wild-trade-deadline-proposal/

Hoo boy.  Here we go.  Joe Smith, and unnamed executive, and a sprinkle of Russo go over a lot of weird trades.  For Tkachuk fans, this one is for you.

Thanks for sending. Absolutely no to anything with Cozens, Boeser, Marchand, OReilly.  A couple of the Brady T ones I would do. 

[Dis-allowed display name]

"Weesa gotten no nutin moolah to trade"-   Jar Jar Binks

 

Can't pay anybody we would trade for.

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, MNCountryLife said:

We lost a 2nd rounder and Nyquist will not be around next year. 

I'd bet that Guerin's plan is to have Nyqzy in the middle six for three more years (nothing more than 3 BG.  Don't be dumb).  He replaces Nojo, and eventually Zuc too, and is a clear upgrade in the Wily Veteran category which every team needs.  That's why i'm ok with this deal so far.

Now if Nyqzy walks in off season and we gave up a 2nd so that we could limp into the playoffs and achieve an add'l 0.15 goals per game thru our first round exit, then this is another mismanagement of assets.

But P-Kraine, our pool of can't miss prospects is so deep we won't have the cap space for this second round pick.  Yah, I'm not sure Khuz and Ogzy are going to be driving up their market value anytime soon.  I know Yurov and Z Boo are going to be Mackinnon and Makar but let's see that first before we start throwing away draft capital.

[Will D. Ness]

37 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

I'd bet that Guerin's plan is to have Nyqzy in the middle six for three more years (nothing more than 3 BG.  Don't be dumb).  He replaces Nojo, and eventually Zuc too, and is a clear upgrade in the Wily Veteran category which every team needs.  That's why i'm ok with this deal so far.

Now if Nyqzy walks in off season and we gave up a 2nd so that we could limp into the playoffs and achieve an add'l 0.15 goals per game thru our first round exit, then this is another mismanagement of assets.

But P-Kraine, our pool of can't miss prospects is so deep we won't have the cap space for this second round pick.  Yah, I'm not sure Khuz and Ogzy are going to be driving up their market value anytime soon.  I know Yurov and Z Boo are going to be Mackinnon and Makar but let's see that first before we start throwing away draft capital.

I don't think Nyquist is a rental either.  I was thinking 2 years but you are probably right at 3 years.

I have high hopes for the young guys, but it's crazy to think they are already penciled in.  Marat and Ohgren are a year or two away.  Buium and Yurov?  Who the F knows?  

I just hope the Wild give them opportunities and don't fall back to a player seniority type bullshit that kind of seems like a Heinz coaching style to me.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

The players named in the article don't excite me at all, particularly if those teams want to hold out for a 1st round pick. The Wild needed immediate help and were able to get that in a player they've already evaluated up close.

Nyquist was one of the most dynamic players on the ices in his short stint with the Wild 2 years ago, then put up a fantastic 1st year in Nashville. He has speed and passing. He should help the Wild get more goals and more points down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Gourde hasn't been anything special in his 30s. He already appears to be in decline at 33. Laughton has topped out at 43 points in a season. I have doubts that he'd be better than a motivated Ryan Hartman. He's certainly not worth waiting on while the Flyers try to leverage a 1st round pick.

[MrCheatachu]

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

I'd bet that Guerin's plan is to have Nyqzy in the middle six for three more years (nothing more than 3 BG.  Don't be dumb).

But P-Shooter, GusGus is 35 years old on a season where his production has fallen off a cliff.  To SillyG, that's 5+ years with full movement protection AT LEAST.  You know, because he's good for the room or something.  

I was against GusGus because his stat line this season is literally a mirror to your boy MoJo (GusGus is -20 though...) Who looks at this roster and says 'WE NEED ANOTHER MOJO STAT'.  Sample size of 1 game, I'm OK with it because this team is treading water here, I mean, when a guy you picked up off waivers is your hottest player right now any port looks good in a storm.

If a 35 year old GusGus is anything BUT a rental, I'll start to question what SillyG is trying to do with this roster...we don't need another 35+ contract when we've got already got a Zucc/Foligno/Hartzy at home.

Edited March 4 by MrCheatachu

[Pewterschmidt]

17 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

we don't need another 35+ contract when we've got already got a Zucc/Foligno/Hartzy at home.

While I don’t 100% disagree with you here, the alternative to Nyqzy is another:

1) Fred g

2) Tyson jost

3) zeke luchinni

type player.   I’ll take an old nyqzy over more grist from the mill

[MrCheatachu]

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

While I don’t 100% disagree with you here, the alternative to Nyqzy is another:

1) Fred g

2) Tyson jost

3) zeke luchinni

type player.   I’ll take an old nyqzy over more grist from the mill

But Pea-Pod, those players COMBINED dont command what GusGus is getting paid.  In the offseason, we're finally going to have the budget to make a move, guys who command $3M+ are a different caliber of player than guys surfing around on league minimum.

I'm just begging not to sign another 35+ year old to a long contract with movement protection.  SillyG has a problem with falling in love with who a player was, not who a player is.

 

[Pewterschmidt]

19 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

Pea-Pod

lol'ing

[OldDutchChip]

7 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6172036/2025/03/04/wild-trade-deadline-proposal/

Hoo boy.  Here we go.  Joe Smith, and unnamed executive, and a sprinkle of Russo go over a lot of weird trades.  For Tkachuk fans, this one is for you.

russo is a moron if he thinks Wild need to add to a deal for Matthew Tkachuk. Kaprizov, Zuccy and Chissy..... riiiiiiiight all for Parise on steroids. No wonder some wild fans think Kap is just ok. 

Sorry Citi but you are included in this for obv reasons. Nasek = Kap. 

 

 

[Citizen Strife]

What is a Nasek and what does that have to do with me?

[OldDutchChip]

7 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

What is a Nasek and what does that have to do with me?

Necas Nasek = whatever

Let's not backtrack - you stated what you think of Kap pretty clearly (your response in full is below in regards to Kap). Guess Kap hasn't earned that admiration yet from you and Russo. I guess, it's good that you put him ahead of previous Wild superstars like Koivu and Gabby. 

Necas played like a world beater for a month and he fell off too.  Streakiness happens.  I don't put much stock in Kap's early run as a full season's worth.  We know he is great, but best forward or best player is a stretch.

Is he the best player the Wild has had?  Sure, but he needs 1-2 more seasons like that before I even have him anywhere in the conversation.

Edited March 4 by OldDutchChip