Insiders List 5 Players Minnesota Wild Could Trade at Deadline

 The Minnesota Wild are seven points back of a Wild Card spot, with some teams to climb over first. Their odds of making the playoffs are diminishing by the day.  And with that, their chances of selling at the trade deadline go up. 

Insiders Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic have posited a number of players who could be on the way out by March 8th in order to bring in new assets going forward: 

Pat Maroon, F

The 35-year-old agitator has been mentioned lately as a player that teams looking for a more physical presence in their bottom-six might be interested in. He's strictly a rental for any team buying in, but they get leadership, and a physical presence who knows how to win, being the owner of three Stanley Cup rings.

Brandon Duhaime, F

Another fourth-liner who becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season, the hard-hitting Duhaime is only 26, but there have been no extension talks with the Wild, per Russo. He's on pace for another season with close to 200 hits, and could fetch a decent draft pick. 

Zach Bogosian, D

The veteran blueliner will also be a UFA after the season, but the former high-first rounder (3rd overall, 2008) has been fairly effective for the Wild, playing 17:30 a night, and there's still a possibility the Wild might want to re-sign him. But for a team looking for a nice depth piece on D, the 35-year-old could be an option.

Marc-Andre Fleury, G

Would the 39-year-old 3-time Stanley Cup champion waive his no-trade clause once again to try to keep his 17-season playoff streak alive? He's done it before, and Russo mentions the Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes as teams who could be interested in the veteran goalie's services.

Connor Dewar, C

The 24-year-old penalty-killer will be a restricted free agent this offseason, and if the Wild aren't inclined to give him a raise, they may want to give the former third-round pick a fresh start somewhere. He's currently on IR, having been out for a couple of week, but should return shortly after the All-Star break. 

Unless the Wild go on a frantic run after the Break, expect some of the above names to be on the move in the next month or so.

Photo: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports