A trade for Drouin won't fix the Wild

Firstly, there is the problem of position. The Wild are notoriously short on talent at center. Obviously, trading for a talented center will be tricky at best, but that is no reason to trade for a promising winger who has played some center. The plan, presumably, would be to have Coyle continue playing as a center, which is a good plan; Coyle has been effective at the pivot this season. The Wild have also experimented lately with moving Granlund to the wing in an effort to help him find his game, which is ironic as the consensus has been that he's played better of late.

This season looks to have improved, with Drouin and his line mates now scoring more than their opponent. Drouin, however, is riding a high sh% of 12%, which will regress down in all likelihood. It's true that Drouin's sh% has been high in juniors, but shooting percentages tend to be high in the QMJHL, as the focus is all on offense and defensive numbers are underwhelming.

A Cure for What Ails

The real root of the Wild's recent struggles is not a lack of talent; it may be poor coaching or motivation, but talent is not the issue.Whether Yeo is the problem, or some unforeseen locker-room-chemistry issue, the Wild have slumped every season around December and/or January. Drouin's talent- promising as it is- is not going to stop that from happening.

It's true, there has usually been some trade that has given the Wild a shot in the arm to turn them around, and perhaps Fletcher is hoping Drouin could be that. JD is by no means a bad player, and he has a very high ceiling- a trade for Drouin is not necessarily a bad idea. At the same time, hoping that trading for a young, promising winger-cum-center will turn the year around seems like wishful thinking at best.

None of this is to say that Drouin would not be a worthwhile addition to the team; he is a promising young player. At the same time, the idea that the Wild's problem is a lack of talent is preposterous (at least when Yeo doesn't sit a promising or capable player for a pilon *side-eyes Stoll*).

A trade for Drouin could be a good move for the Wild. Let's not pretend it is a panacea for the team, though. The deal may be survivable, but the cost is being underestimated by many in terms of it's affect on the Wild.