Tim Washe Might Be the Perfect College Free Agent For the Wild

The NHL trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, and the chance for a team to improve heading into the playoffs has mostly passed. While the Minnesota Wild made some moves at the deadline, they didn't go all the way in. Besides moves for Justin Brazeau and Gustav Nyquist, the team remains essentially unchanged and will have to rely on players returning from injury to make an impact.

Minnesota can no longer add via the trade market, but there is a route it should consider to improve the team. When the NCAA season concludes, there will soon be a pool of graduating college players who will enter the league as free agents.

The Wild could be looking at a massive addition to their roster when the college season ends if Zeev Buium joins the team. Still, Minnesota could further improve its roster by adding a college free agent. In addition to Buium, the Wild should kick the tires on Western Michigan center Tim Washe. 

According to NHL.com contributor Mark Divver, the free agent market on Washe has heated up recently, and it's easy to see why. The center possesses elite size at 6-foot-3, 216 lbs., and has the skating ability and tenacity to use it well. 

The Detroit native is a wizard in the faceoff dot, leading the NCHC in faceoff percentage each of the last two seasons while winning over 60% of his draws. He's also responsible defensively, winning the NCHC best defensive forward award this season.

Washe has always been a solid defensive player in college. However, his increased interest from NHL teams partially comes from his offensive breakout this season. Washe scored 36 points in 129 games during his first four seasons at Western Michigan. This season, he's nearly equaled that point total with 34 points in 38 games. He also already has experience scoring at the Xcel Energy Center, scoring a game-tying goal in the NCHC Frozen faceoff finale against Denver.

The Wild should covet a player with Washe's skill set. They've been trying to build their bottom six group over the last couple of years, spending assets to bring in Jakub Lauko before the season and giving Marat Khusnutdinov a chance to play a center spot in the depth-forward role. They moved those players for Justin Brazeau when that didn't work out. 

You can highlight a few attributes the Wild want their bottom six to possess from that group of players. In Khusnutdinov and Lauko’s case, they were looking for tenacious players who played a defensively responsible game. In Brazeau, they're looking for size that can provide some depth scoring. If Washe's college career is any indication, he can provide help in all of those areas.

Let's look at a few of Washe’s best plays that highlight his excellent play this year and what he could bring to Minnesota. Both the plays we'll be looking at come from the same game against St. Cloud State on March 15. Washe dominated the third period of that game, ensuring his team won. 

First, let's look at a goal.

It's a simple play in which Washe sets up in front of the net. Due to his size and strength, the St. Cloud defender cannot clear Washe from his screen. He fights off three attempts, from the initial contact to the two-handed push and, finally, to the Huskies defender trying to rotate in front of Washe. 

The big center is rewarded for his efforts with a deflection goal where Washe functions as the screen on the goaltender and gets the tip. The goal was initially credited to the Broncos defender Briam Kramer, but Washe later received credit for the goal on the deflection. Later in the third period, another high-effort play from Washe gave the Broncos another goal. 

The play starts when Washe puts the puck toward the goaltender. Despite initially missing the net, the shot provides an opportunity to create chaos in the offensive zone. Washe shows off his defensive ability to steal the puck from a pressured Husky defender and makes a nifty pass to Wyatt Schingoethe. That creates a high-danger chance for Schingoethe, primarily created by Washe's ability to wreak havoc on the forecheck. 

If that kind of game translates to the NHL, Washe has all the tools to be a successful bottom-six player. However, that’s far from a guarantee. He's a late bloomer, especially offensively, and college free agents often take a long time to make the NHL, if they ever do. 

Still, Washe is a valuable asset to employ in Minnesota. Signing the large center is an opportunity to bolster the Wild’s bottom-six group without spending any assets already in their organization. From a playstyle standpoint, he fulfills a need in the bottom six and wouldn't cost them anything but an entry-level contract to bring in. More than anything, Washe helps the Wild improve their organizational depth. 

The Minnesota Wild are currently relatively weak down the middle of the ice. They may weaken that position even more if they ever pull off the rumored Marco Rossi trade. The team has a few center prospects in the pipeline. Highly touted prospect Danila Yurov may play the pivot spot. If he ends up on the wing, the Wild potentially have Riley Heidt and Charlie Stramel to play at center. 

That prospect group leaves the Wild with a few potential options. Still, some uncertainty surrounds the group, especially Charlie Stramel, who struggled in his first two years in college. Stramel is a big center who plays physically with responsible defense and some scoring upside. His scouting report looks eerily similar to Washe's, though Stramel has a higher upside if he hits as a prospect. Bringing in Washe could be a good insurance policy for the Wild if Stramel doesn't work out or takes a couple more years to make an NHL impact. 

At 23, Washe is closer to reaching his development ceiling as a prospect. That means the team doesn't have to wait for him as long as younger players might need to develop. He fills a need on the team, wouldn't cost much, and has tantalizing physical attributes. Why not kick the tires on him when Western Michigan's season ends? The Wild should undoubtedly consider it.