By Robert Brent -
Jared Spurgeon is one of the biggest success stories in the history of the Minnesota Wild. The organization gave the former sixth-round pick a chance after the New York Islanders didn’t sign him, and it’s been a magical run since. Spurgeon leads the Wild in games played (933), goals (117), and points (416).
Despite what he’s done for the franchise, the veteran defenseman is starting to show some wear and tear. The right-handed defender will turn 36 next season and has endured significant injuries in recent years.
This progression has left some wondering about his future in Minnesota. A recent poll of Wild fans in the Athletic asked what core player a fan would be most open to trading. The most common answer?
Jared Spurgeon.
(Source: The Athletic)
On the surface, it makes sense to part ways with an aging core player who makes $7,575,000 per season. However, it isn’t time to jettison the long-time stalwart yet. When you take a deeper look into what Spurgeon can provide the team, it’s easy to see that Spurgeon still has plenty left to give in St. Paul.
Spurgeon’s biggest asset is his dependability on the ice and the ability to pair with any defenseman on the Wild roster to make an effective duo. It’s something he has done throughout his entire career.
Since the 2020-21 season, Jared Spurgeon and his defence partner have led the Wild in expected goals percentage every year. In those five seasons, Spurgeon has accomplished that feat with four different partners: Ryan Suter, Alex Goligoski, Jake Middleton, and Jonas Brodin.
The most impressive display of that form came in the 2024-25 season, where Spurgeon and Brodin led the team in expected goals percentage with 59.2%. The second-best pairing in that metric was also Jared Spurgeon when he teamed up with Declan Chisholm. That pairing had a 55.3 xGoals% success rate.
Jared Spurgeon’s two most common pairings were the Wild’s best pairings, and they were also the only two on the team with an xG% above 50.
(Source: Moneypuck)
Spurgeon’s ability to form productive partnerships with just about anyone the Wild pair him with could be a handy skill this season.
Zeev Buium will make his full-time debut with the team, and fellow young defender David Jiricek will hope to do the same. Jonas Brodin is also out with an injury to start the season. That situation adds up to a Wild defense unit that could see a lot of shuffling throughout the lineup.
Throughout the natural ebbs and flows of the season, the Wild’s young defenders will gain valuable experience in multiple places in the lineup. Minnesota can be assured that those inexperienced players will be in good hands whenever they find themselves paired with Spurgeon.
While Spurgeon is an asset to bring along as a young defender, it’s a bit disrespectful to reduce him to a complementary piece. The veteran blueliner is still arguably the team’s best individual defenseman.
Spurgeon played 66 games in the 2024-25 season, which is impressive considering he missed most of the 2023-24 season due to an injury. In those 66 games, Spurgeon led all Wild defenseman in assists (25), points (32), and shots per 60 minutes (4.69).
He accomplished those offensive feats while also being the Wild’s strongest defensive presence. He led the team in key possession metrics with a 52.71% Fenwick rating. Spurgeon’s expected goals against/60 (1.97) was the lowest on the team, while his 23.24 scoring chances against/60 were the second-lowest.
Declan Chisholm, whom the Wild traded to the Washington Capitals in the offseason, was the only player to accrue a better scoring chance per 60 minutes.
One of the most consequential parts of Spurgeon’s graceful aging has been that Minnesota is getting great results by reducing his responsibilities. His average time on ice last season (20:27) is the least amount of minutes he’s played since his rookie season.
The team could give him an even easier assignment if Zeev Buium could become a power play option next year.
One could argue that all these facts make it the perfect time to trade Spurgeon. He’s 35 and will eventually experience decline, given his age and injury history. The Wild also have young defenders to take his place.
That may be true, but it still doesn’t make sense to move on from him right now. The Wild can’t go into the season assuming their young defensemen can take over for Spurgeon.
Minnesota’s two most consequential young blueliners, Buium and Jiricek, have combined for less than 20 games of NHL experience. Buium has all the promise in the world and is a highly-ranked prospect, but defenders can take a bit longer to mature in the NHL.
The Wild will be making their roster worse if they move on from Spurgeon without assurances that Buium and Jiricek are acclimated to the NHL and ready to take over roles in their top four.
Instead, the Wild should keep Spurgeon on the team for the time being. He’s a respected team captain and is still arguably their most effective blueliner.
The Wild should take a wait-and-see approach with Spurgeon. It is entirely possible that Buium and Jiricek could blossom into players who can take over his role. If they do, Spurgeon should retain his value.
Spurgeon has two years left on his contract and a modified no-trade clause that gives him the right to submit a 10-team no-trade list. That modified no-trade clause gives him some control, but that still leaves 22 teams the Wild can do business with if they decide to part ways with the blueliner.
Additionally, Spurgeon is a right-handed defenseman, a highly sought-after attribute. The league generally values light-handed defenders at higher prices than their left-handed counterparts. That trend is especially true when that defender has some puck-moving ability.
The Athletic published a piece on the phenomenon in 2024 with one team stating that the right-handedness of a defenseman “would undoubtedly raise the asking price for him in a trade.”
Because teams value right-shot defenders so highly, the Wild don’t have to rush trading their captain. Despite his age, he’s still a great player. If Minnesota is fortunate enough for him to be expendable, he isn’t going to lose value significantly in the meantime.
Jared Spurgeon is probably the Wild’s best two-way defender of all time. While he’s had some issues staying on the ice, his game continues to age gracefully. Minnesota has a lot of young talent on the blueline, which could mean they may eventually trade Spurgeon. However, they don’t need to explore that option this year.
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