Just hours before NHL free agency officially opened, the Minnesota Wild made a bold move by acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings, aiming to boost their scoring depth.
By absorbing the final year of Tarasenko’s full contract, the Wild may have effectively removed themselves from serious contention for any of the top-tier free agents still available. While they still hold nearly $13 million in cap space post-trade, re-signing Marco Rossi (assuming he isn’t traded) remains a priority. Once that deal is accounted for, their cap space could drop into the single digits—greatly limiting their flexibility to pursue high-impact additions.
Michael Russo of The Athletic provided further insight into the Wild’s strategy following the Tarasenko acquisition.
“We knew the Wild wanted to add a scoring winger to their arsenal; we figured that would come via free agency. But players such as Brock Boeser, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mikael Granlund would have taken more term and probably dollars than the Wild wanted to invest. Adding Tarasenko and taking on his full $4.75 million takes them out of the scoring winger market when free agency opens Tuesday and allows them to solely focus on adding a faceoff-winning, penalty-killing center, perhaps Christian Dvorak, Sean Kuraly, Nico Sturm or Radek Faksa.”
There are certainly some intriguing names on the market. A Nico Sturm reunion in St. Paul would be a fan-favorite move, bringing back a familiar face with strong defensive instincts. However, if the Wild are looking to inject a bit more offense into their bottom six—particularly down the middle—someone like Christian Dvorak might be a more practical fit. He brings a solid two-way game with a touch more scoring potential, making him a realistic target to round out Minnesota’s forward group.
- Does Vladimir Tarasenko have any gas left in the tank? Looking at what he can provide as he gets into his mid-30s. [Hockey Wilderness]
- The X is no longer The X. Now, the building where the Wild play is called the Grand Casino Arena. [NHL.com]
- At the 2025 NHL Draft, the Wild played it extremely safe. [Hockey Wilderness]
Off the trail…
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