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  • Predicting What the Wild Will Do Before Trade Deadline

    Image courtesy of © Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
    Thomas Williams

    By Thomas Williams -

    The NHL's trade deadline is as exciting as it gets -- sometimes -- in the hockey world for fellow transaction lovers. And already, we have gotten some juicy action that has seen talent get scattered all across the league to those who are hopeful to be lifting Lord Stanley's Cup in a couple months.

    As for the Minnesota Wild, they did end up moving gritty pending unrestricted free agent Brandon Duhaime to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, but will they be doing anything else? Maybe, maybe not. But instead of just twiddling our thumbs, we should probably just try to predict exactly what they will do for the next several hours before 2:00 p.m. CST strikes and no more trades can happen until the season is done.

    Wild trade Connor Dewar for a mid-round pick

    The writing is kind of on the wall for this one. He has been linked together with Duhaime as forwards who the Wild might end up moving, and it has been reported that Guerin might find Dewar a different home by the deadline.

    Even with being a restricted free agent, and the acquiring team having him under control for the next few years, Dewar shouldn't cost any team that much -- maybe the Wild can hope for the same return they got for Duhaime as they just keep on shedding from this current roster due to the contract extensions that were handed out earlier.

    They can't pay Dewar much more than they already are, so they might view Mason Shaw is the cheaper replacement for next season.

    Wild trade Pat Maroon for just anything

    Maroon is going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and while he is currently injured, he still holds value around the NHL as a "playoff style" player. With no strings attached and probably wanting to play some young players like the incoming Marat Khusnutdinov in this lineup, Maroon shouldn't be on the Wild's roster by the end of Friday.

    What will the Wild get for him? Absolutely anything. We're thinking a sixth-round pick or a prospect that will peak in the AHL. The classic package.

    Wild do nothing else

    Yeah, it's extremely boring to predict nothing else, but realistically, this team is not in a position to trade any assets to get in a player, and is not in a position to trade any player on any long-term deals (and Guerin himself said he will not be doing that). 

    They are in the position of possibly the most inconsequential team in the NHL this season, so why make a big splash?

    That's Wild

    • In case you missed it, or want some more details, the Wild traded Brandon Duhaime for the Avalanche's 2026 third-round pick. [Hockey Wilderness]
    • During trade deadline's eve, the Wild picked up a gutsy 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes where the team depended heavily on Marc-Andre Fleury stopping everything. [NHL dot com]

    Off the trail...

    • The Penguins dealt star winger Jake Guentzel to divisional rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes, for a package full of maybes and just potential depth players. [CBS Sports]
    • The Anaheim Ducks and Vans teamed up for a collaboration on a cool shoe. [ESPN]
    By Thomas Williams  

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    Pewterschmidt

    Pewterschmidt 2,068

    Posted (edited)

    Pewter predictions:

    1) Dewar stays another year.  One more year to see him grow into cheap middle 6r .   If not he’s dealt next year at this time (interesting to see Shaw play at a higher skill level than dewar, this really exposes dewar.  He’s further away than I thought)

     2) Midsy gets moved before 2pm.   He’s going to need a raise in a year and we’ve been heavily drafting dmen since Brackett arrived.  And he’s only skaters with market value and no protection

    3) wildcard: Gus bus.  His play this season has cratered his market value but not ruling it out

    Edited by Pewterschmidt
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    Pewterschmidt

    We now have a legit first line in Ek-Bo-Kap (talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing naseau, irritability, gassyness, or suicidal thoughts).  The rest of this lineup is TBD.  Didn’t see enough from Beckman to say he should stay or go.  That’s not great for him.  Needs to take bull by horns.  Let’s hope he gets lots of ice rest of year to figure it out.  He’s a tweener (not physical bottom 6, not scorer yet)

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    Citizen Strife

    The main needs for the Wild are depth scoring and defense.  Khusnutdinov can cover part of that for now by waltzing into Rossi and Zuccarello's line, or (more likely), doing what Rossi did and stabilizing the third line when Foligno's healthy.  Johansson and Gaudreau are what they are, but the Wild have little to play with.  You can't touch that top line or PP.  Zuccarello is a PPG on a paycut.  Moving him down off 2nd line or PP at all is foolish until proven otherwise.  Shaw is a lifer if he can stay healthy.  The Wild have stuck by him and he's proven he's good quality.  If you can get someone to swing for Dewar, get some more draft help.

    I could get behind moving Middleton if it's worth doing.  He's a solid 3rd line guy like Bogo, but he and Faber shouldn't be together.  He's probably hoping Spurgeon comes back healthy.  Bogo and Chisholm isn't a terrible third line if Middleton and Spurgeon get back to business.

    If anyone wants to take Maroon or Dewar, go for broke I supppose.

    Edited by Citizen Strife
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    Citizen Strife

    Making another post to declutter things.

    According to Capfriendly, here's the draft picks the Wild are missing right now.

    2024 3rd and 7th

    2025 4th, 5th, and 7th

    They even have multiple thirds and fifth in a couple of those years.  If getting rid of Dewar, Maroon, or Middleton opens up a depth spot or gets another draft dart board, it's not a terrible idea.  Middleton has size and is relatively young...but it's not like this defense can get much worse.  They are like 20th-21st in GA/G, but were 30th in the league or something all season till recently.  Everyone save Brodin/Faber are worth looking into options.

    Edited by Citizen Strife
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    Kelly

    Are they going to bring in Jack Peart from St Cloud once they are eliminated like they did with Faber we need defenceman badley ?

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    Will D. Ness

    If we trade Middleton, I'm guessing it will be next year TDL but it is kind of strange that they scratched him last minute last night.  

    Dewar is the guy I think will be traded today and if we got a 3rd for Duhaime then Dewar should be worth at least the same. 

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    Willy the poor boy
    52 minutes ago, Will D. Ness said:

    If we trade Middleton, I'm guessing it will be next year TDL but it is kind of strange that they scratched him last minute last night.  

    Dewar is the guy I think will be traded today and if we got a 3rd for Duhaime then Dewar should be worth at least the same. 

    Duhaime was worth a 2'nd. BG once again didn't leverage the interest or have the pot sweetened trading within the division. Dewar is for sure worth a 2'nd because he is restricted and has some scoring ability. That being said, if he goes, which I hope he doesn't, look for a 3'rd or later because, well, because BG...

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    Pewterschmidt
    36 minutes ago, Willy the poor boy said:

    4'th rounder for Dewar who is more valuable than Duhammer...

    I’m going to need some time to determine how I feel about this one

     I guess it’s a good if we’re thinking about it clearing space for incoming prospects.  I’m thinking Guerin’s logic for extensions on apathetic old core is that they’re the heir apparent 4th liners.  They just need to be pushed down line up by being beat out by incoming prospects

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    Pewterschmidt
    39 minutes ago, Willy the poor boy said:

    4'th rounder for Dewar who is more valuable than Duhammer...

    While I agree 100% with your assessment of two players it tells us size matters.  While Duhaime is no physical beast at all, the league must have decided dewar’s lack of stature will prevent him from being anything more than 4th liner, 3rd line injury sub.  

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    Dango

    looks like the Wild have no major re-signings this offseason,  maybe flower if he re-upsbut even that shouldnt be much , wish i was a cap guru and knew about how much cap space we should have next season .

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    Forrest Gump Worsley

    Masterful trade deadline week by a GM determined to neither contend nor rebuild.

    A team with the second oldest roster on Opening Day jettisoned a couple of replacement-level bodies and got virtually nothing for 24 and 26 year guys who've missed just 4 games between them, allegedly to clear room for a pair of injury magnets.

    Most lasting effect of this week will be that the over/under on Guerin's departure moves up 6 months.

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    Citizen Strife
    46 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

    I’m going to need some time to determine how I feel about this one

     I guess it’s a good if we’re thinking about it clearing space for incoming prospects.  I’m thinking Guerin’s logic for extensions on apathetic old core is that they’re the heir apparent 4th liners.  They just need to be pushed down line up by being beat out by incoming prospects

    This is the thought I had.  If Khusnutdinov, Ohgren, and Yurov play as advertised, this is exactly the scenario.  A second line spot is already open.  That said, they either need to show great chemistry with a 1st/2nd liner or beat out Zucc's PPG pace.  Beating out Hartman or Mojo's output (>30 pts in 60 games/.5PPG) should be the lowest of expectations for any of them and easily met...you'd hope.

     

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    Pewterschmidt
    On 3/8/2024 at 4:15 PM, Forrest Gump Worsley said:

    Masterful trade deadline week by a GM determined to neither contend nor rebuild.

    A team with the second oldest roster on Opening Day jettisoned a couple of replacement-level bodies and got virtually nothing for 24 and 26 year guys who've missed just 4 games between them, allegedly to clear room for a pair of injury magnets.

    Most lasting effect of this week will be that the over/under on Guerin's departure moves up 6 months.

    Great handle

     #we’slikepeasandcarrots

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    Protec
    On 3/8/2024 at 5:15 PM, Forrest Gump Worsley said:

    Masterful trade deadline week by a GM determined to neither contend nor rebuild.

    A team with the second oldest roster on Opening Day jettisoned a couple of replacement-level bodies and got virtually nothing for 24 and 26 year guys who've missed just 4 games between them, allegedly to clear room for a pair of injury magnets.

    Most lasting effect of this week will be that the over/under on Guerin's departure moves up 6 months.

    Please elaborate. Injury magnets, is that Knudi & Beckman?

    Dewar & Duhaime weren't really pushing the envelope offensively so that's hard to reconcile.

    The Wild ARE getting younger it seems. The biggest question from me is, if you keep Deweys and dump older guys, you're still pretty static in the overall ability to complete while penalized by the cap. The older players have more value to the Wild than they on the trade market. I like being grumpy about the Wild's continued failures to win a Cup. The idea Guerin is blowing it so badly is where I just don't see it...

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    Will D. Ness
    19 minutes ago, Protec said:

    The idea Guerin is blowing it so badly is where I just don't see it...

    We have had an endless assault, all year long, article after article, writer after writer, platform after platform all saying the same thing:

    The extensions by BG to the vets are a disaster.

    When you are a fan with PTSD, this sort of rhetorical bombardment overkill is going to drive you to grab pitchforks and torches.

    That is what I see... haha.

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