A few different names are floating around the rumor mill in Seattle, Ottawa and Minnesota, and the common thread is clear: teams are already lining up their next move.
In Seattle, Shane Wright appears to be one of the players drawing interest. Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast - The picks are in episode, “I think Seattle’s got Shane Wright out there.
I think there’s a few teams looking at that. As I mentioned, Seattle still trying to do something big.”
Ottawa’s Arthur Kaliyev may be headed for a reset. Friedman said on the same podcast, “Someone told me that 40 goal scorer in the American Hockey League, Arthur Kaliyev won’t be staying in Ottawa, he’ll be a free agent.
Tough year for Kaliyev. Cleared now by the NHL.
See if he gets a fresh start somewhere.”
The biggest list of moving parts belongs to Minnesota, where the Wild are working through both trade targets and possible roster exits. Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported that the Wild are eyeing Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, though Steve Yzerman hasn’t liked the offers Minnesota has put on the table so far. Even so, the Wild are expected to keep trying.
That pursuit matters because Minnesota may also be staring at some openings in its top nine. Mats Zuccarello, Vladimir Tarasenko and Marcus Johansson are all possible losses, and the three combined for 53 goals and 150 points. Tarasenko is looking for more money than the Wild are willing to pay.
There also appears to be some distance between the team and Zuccarello. The sense is that Minnesota is fine with moving on, and sources say Zuccarello is unhappy with how things have gone. The Wild, meanwhile, want Kirill Kaprizov to get away from Zuccarello’s East-West hockey and start building chemistry with other players.
If Zuccarello is out, Minnesota has a few names in mind. Patrick Kane would be a fit as a replacement, and Claude Giroux is another possibility. Jaden Schwartz and Anders Lee are also among the potential UFAs.
Should the Wild land Larkin, Danila Yurov would likely be part of the trade package.
Minnesota is also shopping Yakov Trenin, who has two years left at $3.5 million, and Nico Sturm, who has one year left at $2 million. If either one moves, the Wild could look to bring back Nick Foligno at a reasonable price.
Other possible trade pieces include Ryan Hartman at $4 million, Jonas Brodin at $6 million and Jared Spurgeon at $7.575 million. Jake Middleton at $4.35 million and Marcus Foligno at $4 million both have no-trade clauses after July 1st.
The Wild would also like to re-sign Zach Bogosian.
In Other News...
Wild Just Made A Familiar Minnesota Hockey Move With Bigger Stakes
The Iowa Wild are turning to a familiar face with deep roots in Minnesota hockey, giving the organization a coach who knows the state, the league and the developmental grind that comes with running an AHL team. The move was announced by Wild president Bill Guerin and Iowa Wild general manager Matt Hendricks, a pairing that shows how much internal confidence there is in the hire and how closely the parent club is tied to what happens in Des Moines.
Stu Bickel brings a coaching resume built over five seasons as an AHL assistant, along with stops at the University of Minnesota and with the Minnesota Magicians, so this is not a leap into the unknown. He also has the kind of playing background that tends to carry weight in these rooms, with NHL experience and a past connection to the Wild organization itself, which makes this feel like more than just a standard affiliate hire as Iowa keeps feeding the pipeline for Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Guerin Just Made Wild Fans Sweat About Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes is now in the final year of his current deal, and Bill Guerin has already started to ease Wild fans into the idea that this is not necessarily a one-day, July 1 kind of process. The Minnesota general manager said a new extension may not get announced immediately, but the expectation is that something should come together before training camp, which at least gives the team some breathing room as it heads into a busy summer.
Still, the calendar matters here because the real stress point would be if Hughes is sitting there without a new contract once camp opens. Minnesota is juggling plenty at the same time, from potential free-agent additions and draft moves to its pursuit of Dylan Larkin, but Hughes remains the name that will define how loud this offseason feels around the Wild. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Rumors Hint At A Franchise Changing Decision In Net
The goaltending market has been one of the leagues busier storylines, and Buffalo keeps showing up in the middle of it. Edmonton seriously explored a move for Devon Levi before it fell through, while the Sabres have also been linked to a potential swap with Winnipeg around Connor Hellebuyck, a sign that teams are still trying to reshape the position before the next round of roster decisions really sets in.
For Minnesota, the ripple effect is harder to ignore because of the unsettled feeling around its own summer plans. Mats Zuccarello is said to be pretty ticked about how things have unfolded and plans to test free agency, which only adds to the sense that the Wild are navigating a tricky stretch with veteran pieces and cap decisions hanging over the roster. Elsewhere around the league, the trade and signing market keeps moving, but the bigger question for Minnesota is how much more movement it can afford before its own situation turns from complicated to costly. [Read more 🡒]