NHL Trade Rumors: One Thing Holding Wild Back From Making Moves

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

The Minnesota Wild want to strengthen their roster ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, but one major obstacle stands in their way: a lack of salary cap flexibility. 

With just $587,244 in available cap space, adding notable players will require a lot of creativity from GM Bill Guerin. 

Michael Russo of The Athletic explained, “There comes a point in every team’s process where you use picks and prospects as currency. The Wild are at that stage, but cap space is the issue.” Guerin has shown a willingness to trade assets to win now, but the financial constraints make even modest upgrades tough.

While Guerin’s bold approach has been evident in past moves—like trading for John Klingberg and top defensive prospect David Jiricek—this deadline may require even tougher decisions. 

Players with higher cap hits, such as Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, and Marcus Foligno, could free up valuable space, but their no-movement clauses complicate potential deals. 

Moving depth players like Marcus Johansson or Frédérick Gaudreau is another option, though it risks depleting the team’s playoff readiness.

Russo noted that Guerin understands the importance of making a push now, saying, “The Wild are at that point where they need to decide if this is the time to go all-in.” 

With young talent like Jesper Wallstedt, David Jiricek, and Marco Rossi in the pipeline, the Wild have pieces for the future, but without cap flexibility, their ability to make big moves this season remains in question.

Photo Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images



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