Roundtable: Predictions for Minnesota Wild trade day

Our Minnesota Wild are in a difficult situation with less than two weeks before the game NHL trade deadline. They have a couple of attractive players they could trade on the cheap, interesting prospects who should see big league ice, and plenty of cap space.

They’re still clinging to the playoffs, so will GM Bill Guerin go out and sign rental players before the cap becomes too much to handle? Or maybe they just keep quiet?

We polled the Hockey Wilderness writers and asked what they think of a trade for the Wild at the deadline.

Matt: I hate to be a huge wet blanket here, but nothing. At least I doubt they matter. I expect Matt Dumba to be shipped for a mid-priced pick, but not much else. General managers are notoriously risk-averse, and moving Jordan Greenway or making a big swing to improve the offense or middle depth just isn’t going to happen during the season.

Transfer to a cost-controlled mid-level center such as Arizona Coyotes Nick Schmaltz makes a lot of sense to me or I’ll even buy someone cheap who fits stylistically Philadelphia FlyersJames van Riemsdyk. I just don’t see this office making moves like this.

But prove me wrong Bill. If you dare.

Grace: This is not a funny answer, and I’m a queen who only wants funny answers to things like this, so apologies in advance. I think it’s entirely likely that we’ll mostly see a handful more trades like we saw this weekend. GMBG is going to hold the iron, this team isn’t good enough to buy just to make the playoffs, but it certainly isn’t bad enough to abandon any kind of playoff goals. A wild card berth is in our sights, as is an inevitable first-round exit right after. There is extra money to get some picks to play with in future drafts.

howeverrrrr Guerin needs to free up money somewhere this summer, if he gets a good deal before the trade deadline for a piece that is likely on the way anyway (Jordan Greenway, Matt Dumba), we’ll probably have a world where we see them traded, but if the game continues to improve, as it has sort of done in the last couple of games, his hand can be stout.

I think it’s unlikely that the Wild will join the fray at the trade deadline in any truly meaningful way. No blockbuster titles here.

Justin: I don’t know if the Wild will decide to buy or sell at the deadline, but I’m sure they will make more moves before March 3rd. Minnesota currently has over $10 million in pro-rated cap space ($12 million at the deadline). The salary cap and picks are two currencies that an NHL team can use to improve its roster. As evidenced by Kevin Fiala’s trade negotiations and Cam Talbot’s trade situation, Bill Guerin is very conscious of his asset management. He’s not just going to let all that cap space go to waste without improving the team — if the Wild don’t use it to try to win this year, Guerin will use the trade market to implement that cap space in drafts. With seven quality NHL defensemen on the roster and Jordan Greenway available for a trade, more moves seem inevitable.

Thomas: I think the Wild will be conservative in signing any player, but also try to squeeze all the juice out of the remaining card.

I don’t doubt Guerin will try to find homes for some players like Matt Dumba or Jordan Greenway right now, but it all depends on if teams really want to pay a price that would be worth it. Taking Dumba off the team in the playoffs is a morale killer, and Greenway has been decent in some recent games. It’s about balancing the options, and the entire management team does that.

At the very least, if they feel like they don’t want to sell anyone or even use up future assets to get a rental, they can use their cap space to preserve salaries and rack up more and more draft picks like they already have. Something happens, but not necessarily the events we want.

What do you think will happen at the trade deadline? Tell us!