Taking a look at the Minnesota Wild's Latest Trades

[wild.source]

The Minnesota Wild have made some big trades so far in the offseason. One in particular I didn't like.

 

1st: Minnesota trades a 2021 Conditional 7th Round Pick to the Penguins in exchange for Nick Bjugstad.

 

2nd: Minnesota trades Eric Staal for Marcus Johansson

 

3rd: Minnesota trades Devan Dubnyk and a 2022 7th Round Pick for a 2022 5th Round Pick

 

4th: Minnesota Wild trade Luke Kunin and a 2020 3rd Round Pick for Nick Bonino, 2020 2nd round pick, and 2020 4th round pick

 

https://www.theupdawg.com/post/taking-a-look-at-the-minnesota-wild-s-latest-trades

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Some of my takes and observations:

 

In the short term, no, these don't look good...but looking at the big picture, I think they were all ok to good.
And I think this isn't even close to being the final roster shakeup....what you have posted about looks like just the beginning of a long reshape.

1st:

Wild lost literally NOTHING in trading a 7th for Bjugstad. Not saying 7th rounders are worthless, but I think we can all agree that the likelihood of getting an impactful NHL player (even a bottom sixer) is pretty low in the 7th. And the pick is conditional anyways.

Bjugstad, at least, has a chance to try and rebuild himself, his value, and help the team a bit if he can stay healthy and perform.
But more importantly, the Wild aren't on the hook with him long term, and if he doesn't work out, then he walks....in the meantime, he is someone on the team playing, while Minnesota figures out the rest of what they want to do down the road.

2nd:
Eric Staal is older than Johansson, so the team just got younger there by 4 years. Both are going to be UFA's, but it is pretty clear Staal is not in the long term plans of the Wild.
Is Johansson? Who knows.

Like Bjugstad, this could be an audition time for him...if he does well, we can see where he fits in, if not, he can walk too. Again...someone on the roster filling in time in a season where the Wild really aren't serious picks to make the post season.

3rd:
Duby also wasn't going to be part of the long term solution...he had his run, and a good run it was....but it is time to move on from him, he is aging out and likely will be done in hockey by the time the Wild are ready to compete in the post season again.
Plus, Minnesota upgraded from the 7th to the 5th round with this trade.

What better way to fuel a rebuild than to stockpile picks or improve the pick standings you have? Minnesota did that with this trade.
They DO sign Cam Talbot to a questionable contract, but that is a whole other thing for a whole other thread...and not something you wrote about, but it is strange nonetheless.

 

4th:
Kunin and a 2020 3rd, for Nsh's 2020 2nd and 2020 4th.
Ok...this one I can see why maybe some fans may not have liked.
Kunin is young (22), has potential, and showed flashes of what he could do.

But, again, Wild are looking long term....and would it be beneficial to the team AND Kunin to have that player be around lots of losing and hoping he doesn't get frustrated?
Probably not.....not when you can trade him, like Minnesota did, and upgrade, again, your 3rd to a 2nd rounder....plus get an extra 4th in the process.

If we were talking giving away Kunin for nothing, or getting a lower pick for some reason, I could see this being awful.
And in that case, Kunin would have been better for the team staying on and being part of the rebuild.

But the Wild got upgraded and more picks for a guy who wasn't going to be impactful right away (wish him well and perhaps he does become a real player later on in his career).
So at the end of the day, that trade doesn't look bad at all either.

Just the tip of the iceberg, as they say.
Wild still have some players who aren't going to be part of a rebuild and I think this is Guerin's way of 'showing them the door' while not exactly kicking them out, if you catch my drift.

So yea, short term, this is gonna suck arse.
I want to root for a winner every year! But I also know there comes a time when it just needs to be rebuilt from just about scratch.
We are there for the Wild.

[wild.source]

This article was written before the talbot signing

[IllaZilla]

I’m still not against the Talbot signing. Three years for $3.6M isn’t terrible, but more importantly, no NTC/NMC. I’m guessing that’s why he got three years. He gave up the NTC/NMC for an extra year. 
 

This team is long overdue for a rebuild but just kept limping along hoping Koivu, Parise and Suter we’re going to lead them to the promised land. The only place that trio led the team was into a desert filled with “wait ‘til next year!” mirages...

[TonyOday]

Love the tear down, this off season will be the best ever if we can get rid of Suter, Parise and Zucc but if Bill Guerin can do that he will be the best GM ever.

[EmptyShelf]

16 hours ago, TonyOday said:

Love the tear down, this off season will be the best ever if we can get rid of Suter, Parise and Zucc but if Bill Guerin can do that he will be the best GM ever.

My thoughts EXACTLY

[lynxrattle]

We might need to pay quite a bit of the salaries of the troublesome triad to get rid of them, given the corona virus changed economy situation of the teams. We can only hope that Mr. Leipold has the means, and sees value in paying our way out of the dead end. They sold Gretzky, as they say. Maybe the impossible will happen here too.