By Luke Sims -
With less than a week before the March 8 trade deadline, we’re starting to get some clarity on the Minnesota Wild’s plans. The Athletic recently reported that the Wild could shop Brandon Duhaime and Connor Dewar.
The Wild are six points out of a playoff spot. They were 7-1-1 before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes, but Minnesota still may miss the postseason. The Wild have not said they are ready to give up on the season and still have options at the deadline.
We just saw the Calgary Flames, a team in a similar position to Minnesota, trade Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars for a second and third-round pick and a minor prospect. It was a solid deal for both sides that signals the Flames have realized they are unlikely to make the postseason. They are five points out of the playoffs and are unlikely to go on a run if they qualify.
The Wild could also serve as brokers for a trade between two other teams like they did in the Dmitry Orlov and Ryan O’Reilly deals last season. After placing Jared Spurgeon on IR, they could be in this position again with newfound cap space.
Regardless of whether the Wild decide to buy, they have some players they are reportedly willing to move. Duhaime and Dewar seem to be on the trade block. Duhaime is not likely to re-sign in the offseason. Dewar will be an unrestricted free agent, but with all the prospects coming up for the Wild, Dewar may be the odd man out.
It looks like a seller’s market at the deadline; prices for complementary players seem to be higher. In addition to Calgary’s deal with Dallas, the Winnipeg Jets sent the Montreal Canadiens a first-round pick for Sean Monahan.
The Wild reportedly could get a nice package for Duhaime because there’s a healthy market for him. Duhaime would be a solid addition to any team's bottom six. He brings energy, works on the penalty kill, and is unafraid to drop the gloves -- a true playoff-type player.
Dewar and Duhaime are similar players. Duhaime is rougher and rowdier than Dewar, but both could fill similar roles on a playoff team. Neither are known for their scoring ability. Duhaime only has seven points on the year, and Dewar only has 12. But any team that trades for them likely isn’t looking for them to score goals.
If we look back at some comparable players teams moved at the deadline, the Wild are in a good position to receive good value for the Deweys. With the typical surge pricing at the deadline, Duhaime and Dewar could fetch more assets than similar players have in the past.
Bill Guerin got a second-round pick from the Arizona Coyotes for prospect Jack McBain, who was never going to sign with Minnesota. Guerin also got a second-rounder for Jordan Greenway. The Wild used that pick to take Riley Heidt, who leads the WHL in scoring. It would not be the first time Guerin could get surplus value from his assets at the trade deadline.
Duhaime reminds me of a lot of Sam Lafferty. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Lafferty to the Vancouver Canucks in early October. Lafferty has 21 points this season and plays mostly in a bottom-six role for Vancouver, who acquired for a fifth-round pick.
Minnesota made a similar trade with the Detroit Red Wings last year. The Wild traded a fourth-round pick to Detroit for Oskar Sundqvist, a large bottom-six penalty killer. Vancouver also traded Curtis Lazar, another bottom-six player, to the New Jersey Devils for a fourth-rounder. Lazar is good on the kill and can chip in some offense as a physical player in the bottom six.
But Brendan Lemieux may be the perfect comparable for Duhaime. Both are bottom-six tough guys who play on the penalty kill and bring speed and energy. In 2021, the New York Rangers traded Lemuiex to the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-round pick.
The Wild will likely get a fourth-round pick for Duhaime or Dewar. Maybe they could get a B-level prospect comparable to a fourth-rounder, or perhaps it’s a package like a fifth and a prospect. Either way, the price of players like Dewar and Duhaime doesn’t seem to be much more than a mid-round pick.
If there’s a large market for Duhaime and a bidding war for his services, the price could climb as high as a second-rounder. Getting more than that would be a pipe dream and a steal for the Wild.
Fans will miss the Deweys for all the fun times they brought on and off the ice, but the Wild would be wise to get value while they can. Minnesota isn’t in a position to make a playoff push. Given the proposed interest the Wild are getting for their services, they need to do what is best for their future and say some tough goodbyes.
All stats and data via Evolving Hockey, HockeyDB, and CapFriendly unless otherwise noted.
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