By Kalisha Turnipseed -
Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon's No-Movement Clause (NMC) will turn into a Modified No-Trade Clause (M-NTC) this offseason, meaning the Wild have more flexibility with his cap hit than in previous years. Spurgeon is a beloved player in the “State of Hockey” who has played a top-four defense role for 14 years. Many fans feel he should be untouchable, but the Wild aren't in a Stanley Cup winning window right now. Spurgeon has three years remaining on his seven-year contract, and less term means the Wild should be more equipped to trade him.
There are a few contending teams that need a veteran top-four defenseman. However, Spurgeon is 34 and hasn't played 82 games since 2018-19. He's not going to yield that much in return, unless general manager Bill Guerin retains some of his salary. The Wild would mostly move him to create cap space. Spurgeon carries a $7.575 million cap hit, which is starting to look hefty because he has suffered injuries recently.
With that said, let's take a look around the league and try to find the most realistic trade destinations for Spurgeon with the goal of shedding cap space.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Canes will have Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov, Jaccob Slavin, and Scott Morrow under contract. Spurgeon would look good with the likes of Slavin or Orlov in Carolina’s top four. Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Tony DeAngelo, and Jalen Chatfield will be Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs) this summer. Morrow looks like a foundational player for the Hurricanes, and he’d benefit from playing with Spurgeon. Is there a way for Guerin to land goal-scoring depth in Noel Gunler, a 6-foot-2, right-shot 22-year-old winger? It doesn’t hurt to land future depth who he can call up when injuries occur.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto is always looking for defensemen. The Leafs have Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Conor Timmins, and Simon Benoit signed through 2024-25. Timothy Liljegren will be a Restricted Free Agent (RFA), and Toronto will likely extend him. T.J. Brodie, Joel Edmundson, Jake Muzzin, John Klingberg, Mark Giordano, and Ilya Lyubushkin will be UFAs who could test the market. Would Spurgeon be a better starting option over the UFAs mentioned? Spurgeon can benefit from playing a power play role in the top four. As for a return, a defense prospect like William Villeneuve, who scored 25 points in 54 games as a 22-year-old for the AHL's Toronto Marlies sounds nice.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks will have Quinn Hughes, Carson Soucy, and Noah Juulsen signed through 2024-25. Tyler Myers, Nikita Zadorov, Ian Cole, and Mark Friedman will be UFAs, freeing up a lot of cap space. Filip Hronek will be an RFA, but he recently rejected a contract offer and may leave Vancouver.
If the Canucks can’t retain Hronek, Guerin has an opportunity to flip Spurgeon for him. Vancouver has surprised the league after years of underachieving, and Spurgeon's experience and longevity can help them get to the next level. If a sign-and-trade for Hronek isn't feasible, the Wild should look at Jett Woo, a former Judd Brackett draft pick from 2018. He's a 6-foot-0, 200 lbs. defenseman who scored 31 points in 62 games for the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks.
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton will have Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Cody Ceci, and Brett Kulak signed through 2024-25. Troy Stecher and Vincent Desharnais will be UFA’s. It’ll be interesting to see what the Oilers do with Philip Broberg. Could the Wild get someone like Broberg, who needs a change of scenery? Bouchard leads the charge on the top pair, but the Oilers could use a second-pair right-shot defenseman to move Ceci to the bottom-pairing. Spurgeon should be motivated by playing on the same team as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Three of the four teams are Canadian, meaning Spurgeon will be closer to home. However, that’s not the main reason Spurgeon would agree to a trade. He wants to win a Cup, and the Wild aren’t in position to do so. How inspiring would it be for him to win a Stanley Cup for a Canadian team?
The Canucks look to be the best option for Spurgeon if they lose Hronek to another team who’s willing to pay him more than a $6.5 million cap hit. Guerin can retain up to 20%, which would mean the Canucks will be getting $6.06 million for the next three seasons, leaving the Wild with $1.515 million. That won’t interfere with contract signings and extensions. However, any of the other destinations are suitable for Spurgeon.
Could the New Jersey Devils be a trade destination? Recently, Jake Allen mentioned that the Devils were on his No-Trade list, but he had a change of heart due to how much young talent New Jersey has and getting a new opportunity. Could Spurgeon see things the same way for him? The Wild can land more defensemen (Kevin Bahl or Jonas Siegenthaler) who fit Guerin’s image of a bigger, stronger blue line. The Devils had a regression year after making the playoffs in 2022-23. However, it was mainly due to a lack of goaltending. If the Devils can get a starting goalie, would this influence Spurgeon to waive his M-NTC?
Spurgeon loves it in Minnesota. He might get his jersey retired next to Mikko Koivu's. But these next three seasons will likely be Spurgeon’s last opportunity to win it all. It’s time for him to lift the Stanley Cup, and it’s not happening in Minnesota. Guerin can use the opportunity to sell Spurgeon to a contending team while creating cap space as the Wild begin to emerge from cap hell. It's just a matter of finding a No. 46 a home.
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