The Wild Should Go Get Jacob Trouba 

Minnesota Wild fans are already familiar with Jacob Trouba. He played alongside Dustin Byfuglien for the Winnipeg Jets for six seasons from 2013 to 2019. Trouba and Byfuglien physically dominated the Wild and stirred up chaos. 

Winnipeg traded Trouba to the New York Rangers for Neal Pionk and the 20th pick in the 2019 draft. Pionk has been a top-four contributor for the Jets, while Trouba has played five seasons for the Rangers (2020 to 2024). However, New York has made the former Minnesota-Duluth player from Hermantown available for trade, and general manager Bill Guerin should aggressively pursue him to keep Kirill Kaprizov healthy. 

Trading for Trouba limits teams from targeting Kaprizov

Trouba is the definition of chaos. The player needs to send a message to the opposing team that if you go after Kaprizov, he will target your star player. Star players constantly get hit, which hampers their ability to make an impact. However, teams will finish clean checks on Kaprizov when Trouba's on the ice. 

Byfuglien taught Trouba how to break games open with punishing hits. The Wild tried to sign Byfuglien, but he ended up retiring. Wouldn't it make sense for the Wild to trade for someone Byfuglien mentored? 

Trading for Trouba is a slap in the face to the Jets 

Minnesota has lousy luck facing the Jets because they love targeting Kaprizov, especially with Logan Stanley. However, if the Wild trades for Trouba, Winnipeg will see a player they drafted on the other side of the ice. Jets fans will hate this, especially because Minnesota already took Declan Chisholm off waivers from them. 

Will the Jets regret letting Trouba go? That will motivate Trouba to show the Jets why they shouldn't have traded him – the best revenge plot. He would love to eliminate Winnipeg if the Wild play them in the postseason. 

Trouba will cause chaos by throwing open-ice hits on Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers, and Mark Scheifele or Adam Lowry will instigate a fight. That will force the Jets to take more penalties. Winnipeg and Minnesota have had a bench brawl before. If anything, Trouba will create another one. 

Trouba can protect Zeev Buium 

Buium will likely sign his Entry-Level Contract (ELC) after his sophomore year at Denver University concludes. His upside is likely the equivalent of Matt Boldy as a forward. He brings additional offensive skills that will put the Wild over the edge. Now that Buium has Trouba playing by his side, he can dominate the game offensively. 

Trouba can still provide offense. He can produce 40 to 50 points when playing at his best. He can be Buium's passenger on the second pair. That’s how he'll get his career back on track and help the Wild become a contender again. Buium's rise to stardom will be thanks to having protection from Trouba so he won't develop injury problems. 

Trouba's next contract will cost less than his current one 

Trouba won't get paid $8 million for his next term; that's what Brock Faber’s making. However, Trouba can settle for anything around $5 million, which the Wild can afford and will encourage Kaprizov to sign an extension. 

Jake Middleton will make around $5 million starting in 2025-26. Trouba needs a change of scenery. The Wild can trade for Trouba, a player similar to Middleton, given how Middleton has been playing. 

Trouba keeps Jared Spurgeon fresh 

Spurgeon's health is crucial to a Wild playoff run, even if they reduce his minutes. Trouba has shown to play 20 to 22 minutes of ice time, which will give Spurgeon security to still be an effective player. Spurgeon makes the Wild deep on the right side as a third-pair defenseman and can handle playing a great secondary role. 

He will be playing with Jonas Brodin, who has been their shutdown pair. However, injuries have sidelined Brodin recently, so he may not be available. However, Declan Chisholm has been willing to play a depth role if it means the Wild have a shot at a championship. What if Brodin’s given a couple of nights off sometimes? A fresh Brodin is as important as a healthy Spurgeon. 

What will it take to acquire Trouba? Because of no-trade clauses, the Wild can't move contracts other than Yakov Trenin's at $3.5 million for the next 3 years and Zach Bogosian's at $1.25 million for one more year. 

Trouba has a $8 million cap hit, and the Wild don’t have cap space. Minnesota would need the Rangers to retain 50% of his contract. That means the Wild would have to give up a combination of a defensive prospect (not named Buium) and a 1st round pick. Daemon Hunt is likely the one who will go due to NHL readiness. Fans don't like the idea of giving up a 1st round pick. However, it's worth giving up a 1st round pick when it comes to Kaprizov’s availability to play all 82 games. 

The Wild must figure out how to protect Kaprizov. Trading for an asset in Trouba ensures opponents think twice about injuring Kaprizov. Trouba will make the Wild more aggressive regarding finishing checks and give everyone a spark. With Trenin gone, the Wild can see how Mikey Milne handles a bigger role. 

It's time for a change, and it hasn't come from within. Trouba will wear No. 8, which Wild fans remember Jordie Benn, Cody McCormick, and Brent Burns wearing for the Wild. Trouba is a combination of all these players, and he could make the Jets pay!