By Bekki Antonelli -
The Minnesota Wild has made multiple moves since the NHL’s free agency period opened on Tuesday. In recent weeks, they have acquired two new forwards, Vladimir Tarasenko and Nico Sturm, traded Freddy Gaudreau away, and placed Jonas Brodin on injured reserve.
All of these moves leave Minnesota with $10,961,835 of cap space and 3 active roster spots to fill. They now need a top-tier defenseman, a goalie, and another forward.
They needed to bolster their forward lineup, especially right-handed wingers. Marc-Andre Fleury’s retirement also created a need for another goaltender, which means Minnesota must promote Jesper Wallstedt or find a new goalie to fill the void.
Minnesota opened an additional center spot after it traded Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken for draft compensation on June 26. Brodin’s lingering upper-body recovery is a major development. Guerin believes Brodin will miss the start of next season and has placed him on IR. Both of these changes also created additional cap space.
The Wild acted quickly during free agency, trading for Tarasenko and signing Sturm on Tuesday.
Sturm signed a 2 year, $4 million contract with the Wild. He scored 7 goals and had 7 assists in 62 games last season, 47 of which he played with the San Jose Sharks before they traded him to the Florida Panthers. Sturm will recognize several familiar faces from his original tenure with the Wild, which began in the 2018-19 season. He played in Minnesota until the 2021-22 season, when the Wild traded him to the Colorado Avalanche mid-season. Sturm will likely fill a fourth-line role.
Tarasenko began his career in Russia before joining the St. Louis Blues in 2012. He had a career-high 75 points for St. Louis in the 2016-17 season. However, the 33-year-old forward’s production dropped off after 11 seasons with the Blues, and he had 33 points in 80 games last season for the Detroit Red Wings.
Still, Tarasenko has won the Stanley Cup twice during his career, which is one reason the Wild wanted him. Tarasenko is also a right wing, which will help balance out the lines. While wingers can switch sides, it helps to have players who are accustomed to that side of the ice and can move accordingly. Unfortunately, Tarasenko is left-handed, so he does not entirely fulfill that need.
Louis-Antoine Denault
If the Wild could put a literal wall in the net, they would. However, they can choose the next closest thing:
Denault is 6’8”, 205 lbs.
The 18-year-old goaltender went undrafted and hasn’t signed with anyone. However, he had a .902 save percentage in 41 QMJHL games for the Quebec Remparts last season.
Despite his size, Denault is quick to leave the crease to make a play, as he does in the clip below.
His height also makes it difficult for opposing players to screen him. However, he needs to work on rebound control and hone his technical skills.
Denault would not be an immediate replacement for Fleury, but he would be a great investment. The Wild could sign him to a two-way contract and let him develop his skills in Iowa before bringing him to Minnesota in later seasons.
Brodin took up $6 million in cap space and had 20 points in the 2024-25 season. Brent Burns could be the Wild’s solution. Burns put up 29 points last season for the Carolina Hurricanes and will bring size to Minnesota at 6’5”, 228 lbs.
Like Sturm, Burns started his career in Minnesota. He played for the Wild from 2003 to 2011, when they traded him to the San Jose Sharks. Burns has also played 925 consecutive games, not missing a single one for 11 seasons. The Wild need players with Burns’ durability to make it through the playoffs.
However, Burns’ previous cap hit was $8 million AAV, which may be out of the Wild’s price range if they wanted to sign a goalie and a forward. Burns is 40 years old and is likely willing to take a slightly lower, short-term deal to return to Minnesota. However, even if the Wild can swing it financially now, it’ll be hard to fit Brodin back in when he recovers.
Robertson is another free agent they should consider. The left winger had 22 points over 69 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season and is only 23 years old. His previous cap hit is $875,000, making him a low-risk signing. He also has a great shot and knack for finding the back of the net:
Robertson has speed and makes good reads on the ice, which helps him pull off plays like this:
While he only had 22 points last year, Minnesota can take advantage of his great shot by putting him with the right linemates who can get the puck to him.
The Wild have undergone multiple major changes in the past couple of weeks, including the signings of Sturm and Tarasenko. They’ve made an effort to bolster their forward lineup, but need to replace Brodin in the short term and find another top goalie in the long term. Denault, Burns, and Robertson could all be potential answers to the open roles in Minnesota.
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