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  • Wild Deal Calen Addison To Sharks


    Image courtesy of © Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
    Thomas Williams

     

    Calen Addison's time in Minnesota is over.

    First reported by ESPN's Kevin Weekes and later confirmed by The Athletic's Michael Russo, the Minnesota Wild have traded defenseman Calen Addison to the San Jose Sharks for a fifth-round pick in 2026.

    Addison, 23, was acquired by the Wild in a deal that sent Jason Zucker to the Pittsburgh Penguins, all the way back in February 2020. Since then, he has developed as a stellar offensively gifted defenseman in junior, and then shaped his craft as a playdriver in the AHL. 

    Being a defenseman that cares more about offense has led him down a tricky path in Minnesota. His place on the roster has never felt secure and he has gone through the process of head coach Dean Evason scratching him consistently and never truly given a massive opportunity to shine during many games.

    This insecurity has now caused Addison to be dealt for almost nothing to a team that is projected to finish at the bottom of the league standings.

    For the Wild, this could be just giving the young blueliner a new opportunity and not getting buried by the depth chart. With the returning Jared Spurgeon, and the emergence of Brock Faber in his first full regular season with the Wild, the right side of the blue line is stacked fairly high with talent. To have another puck-moving defenseman on the bottom pairing must feel like overkill for a Wild front office and coaching staff that prefers simple hockey over anything fancy.

    Dakota Mermis and Daemon Hunt have provided what they want from that bottom pairing -- tough, physical, able to be just good enough in all three zones -- and with Jon Merrill and Alex Goligoski available as well, Addison has been easily lost in the shuffle.

    Why for just a 2026 fifth-rounder, though? The salary cap is tight around the NHL, and even though Addison has shown flashes of brilliance, he still isn't anything certain. The 23-year-old would need to pass through waivers if he were to be sent down to the AHL, so if it doesn't work out, then why would his theoretical new team pay handsomely for the player that they could lose for nothing?

    The Sharks are able to part ways with some minimal value and give him loads of opportunity on a bad team to rejuvenate his career.

    The writing was on the wall for Addison. A demotion to the second power play unit, not being trusted to play in the top-four consistently, a history of healthy scratches -- it was either going to be a mountainous improvement by the player to make the Wild's coaching staff trust him, or continue his career elsewhere.

     

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    1 minute ago, Pewterschmidt said:

    What draft pick did we get along with Addison in the Zucker trade?

    It was a conditional 2020 first rounder that Pittsburgh had the option of deferring to the following year if they chose to keep it.  They used it to acquire Kasperi Kapanen from Toronto, so it became a non-conditional first for 2021.  We used on pick on Wallstedt that year and used Pittsburgh's pick on Lambos.

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    Ok we can start grading BG’s early moves. 
    zucker : love or hate him he had considerable market value

    addison: bust

    lambos: tbd, unless lambos is faber 2.0 this trade was a fail.  Lambos getting cut from team Canada doesn’t bode well for BG

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    I'm a little surprised it wasn't at least a 3rd or 4th rounder, but if they were ready to be done, I guess something is better than nothing...and the Sharks pick could be at the start of the 5th.

    With the number of solid defensive prospects that started in Iowa this season, I guess it's not shocking that it was only a matter of time.

    Not sure Mermis and Hunt are good right now, but the Wild have seemed to average fewer goals allowed the more they limited Addison's ice time.

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    Let's not forget Addy's $825,000 salary hit. That is way too much cap allotment for a non-producing player. If Goose stays on LTIR that is a defacto retirement. Merrill can be placed on waivers and sent down or lost for cap recovery. Lots of moving parts still available.

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    8 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

    Ok we can start grading BG’s early moves. 
    zucker : love or hate him he had considerable market value

    addison: bust

    lambos: tbd, unless lambos is faber 2.0 this trade was a fail.  Lambos getting cut from team Canada doesn’t bode well for BG

    Yeah, and they got a 1st for him and a player that was drafted in the 2nd round.  When you trade for picks and young players, you gamble on the future.  Addison didn't quite seem to become what they hoped he would.  It's way too premature to say Lambos isn't going to work out.  He seems promising overall.

    You also have to remember that we didn't have much for prospects back then so refilling that pool was necessary so draft picks/prospects are what we needed.  A 1st and a 2nd round prospect seems like an even trade for Zucker given the circumstances.

    That, and teams are reluctant to draft goalies high because they take longer.  I don't think we take Wallstedt if we didn't have two 1sts.  We needed a lot of prospects.  You have to put everything in perspective.  It's not just this-for-that.  The conditions and needs come into play more.

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    16 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

    I'm a little surprised it wasn't at least a 3rd or 4th rounder, but if they were ready to be done, I guess something is better than nothing...and the Sharks pick could be at the start of the 5th.

    With the number of solid defensive prospects that started in Iowa this season, I guess it's not shocking that it was only a matter of time.

    Not sure Mermis and Hunt are good right now, but the Wild have seemed to average fewer goals allowed the more they limited Addison's ice time.

    A lot of teams are up against the cap.  A team trading for Addison would have to want to use him on their NHL team over other players they might have.  This limits the team's willing to trade for him and lowers what you will get in return.

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    Weird, right as I say it's kinda looking grim for him here, it just happens.  

    As far as the Zucker vs. Addison/Lambos thing, there's a lot to unpack.  Zucker was injury prone in Pittsburgh for a while, so whether we dodged a bullet or got great value when it mattered most, who knows.  He's a Top 6 winger.  Addison had every opportunity to prove what it could have been, but didn't.  It was telling that all they wanted from him was, "Stop fucking up," and he wouldn't, then Faber and even Mermis outplayed him...well, whatever.

    Young potential or not, it isn't the Wild's problem anymore.

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    13 minutes ago, Skolwild said:

    NHL.com say Adam Raska and a fifth

    Looks like Adam Raska is a mediocre 5'9" Czech league player who is already turning 29 at the end of this month. I don't foresee him suiting up in the NHL.

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    1 hour ago, raithis said:

    You also have to remember that we didn't have much for prospects back then so refilling that pool was necessary so draft picks/prospects are what we needed.  A 1st and a 2nd round prospect seems like an even trade for Zucker given the circumstances.

    Grading a trade based on the draft position of the return misses the point.

    If we'd traded Zucker (a productive top 6 pro, drafted late 2nd or 3rd rd) for Nail Yakokpov (Oilers first overall bust) and Benoit Puliot (Wild's 4th overall bust) would you say we won the trade?

    The trade is judged based on what the prospects turn into in reality.  Success in that department depends on a scouting depts ability to assess talent and more importantly identify promise in a player before it becomes obvious to the rest of the hockey world.

    Addison is on BG because he had insider knowledge of Addison and obviously liked what he saw (while he was part of Penguins org when they drafted him).  I have to admit i liked Addison offensive abilities, but BG should have figured out Addy had a bit of an Addytude.  Lambos is on Judd.  We'll see.  Rossi appears to be on a development path we'd hoped for (feels good to be able to say that thru 11 games this year), so I'll give Judd benefit of doubt.

    Edited by Pewterschmidt
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    4 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

    Russo reported the Wild traded a 2025 7th for Bogosian from the Lightning.  So yes, another trade happened.

    Some aged beef for the blueline.  Might portend more trade activity for our blue line, unless this is simply to offset loss of Addy

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    46 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

    Looks like Adam Raska is a mediocre 5'9" Czech league player who is already turning 29 at the end of this month. I don't foresee him suiting up in the NHL.

    NHL has him as 22 but with him playing for San Jose's AHL team can't imagine his projected ceiling is high.

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    1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

    The trade is judged based on what the prospects turn into in reality.  Success in that department depends on a scouting depts ability to assess talent and more importantly identify promise in a player before it becomes obvious to the rest of the hockey world.

    Until last season, Zucker never scored more than 10 goals for Pittsburgh across 2.5 seasons... 

    It'll be up to Lambos, but neither side got a great return as it currently stands. 

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    1 hour ago, Citizen Strife said:

    Russo reported the Wild traded a 2025 7th for Bogosian from the Lightning.  So yes, another trade happened.

    It's all making sense now. Addison was simply too young for the Wild. Old-Bag-osian was drated by the Atlanta Thrashers! My God how old is he? Faber is gonna have to tie his skates! 

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    36 minutes ago, B1GKappa97 said:

    Until last season, Zucker never scored more than 10 goals for Pittsburgh across 2.5 seasons... 

    It'll be up to Lambos, but neither side got a great return as it currently stands. 

    Zucker's results post trade are irrelevant.  Zucker's value at trade time is what the return is measured against.  If Lambos becomes a second pair D I'd say we still lost the trade.  Lambos becomes Jon Merrill, BG shit the bed.

    IMO it's harder to find a top 6 forward than it is to find a competent D.

    Edited by Pewterschmidt
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    1 hour ago, Adamada said:

    NHL has him as 22 but with him playing for San Jose's AHL team can't imagine his projected ceiling is high.

    Damn, I didn't see that the next player listed on my search was also named Adam Raska. Both have played in the Czech league, but the 5'10" 22 year old certainly seems like a little more of a prospect. As a 7th round pick, I don't have high hopes, but I guess he has seen NHL ice with the Sharks in 8 games since 2021, no points.

    He has also played in World Juniors back in 2020 and 2021, tallying 1 assist in 9 games there.

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    31 minutes ago, Been There Done That said:

    Old-Bag-osian was drated by the Atlanta Thrashers!

    3rd overall in the 1st round, so you know he's good!

    Maroon is working out pretty well from Tampa, and he's older, so maybe this Bogo trade won't be so bad.

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    4 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

    3rd overall in the 1st round, so you know he's good!

    Maroon is working out pretty well from Tampa, and he's older, so maybe this Bogo trade won't be so bad.

    Put him on a line with Rossi and Boldy and we'll get: ROBOBOGO

    Reminds me of a lawyer i know named Bob Lawbla.  Say that three time fast

     

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