Bobby Brink is walking into training camp with more than a fresh start. He’s carrying the weight of a trade chain that began with a first-round pick, three more draft selections and ended with the Wild bringing the Minnetonka native back home.
That’s the backdrop now, after Minnesota sent Daemon Hunt, a top-five protected first-round pick, a 2026 third, a 2026 fourth and a 2027 second to Columbus in November 2024 for David Jiricek. Fifteen months later, with Jiricek sitting on zero points in 25 games and back in Iowa, the Wild dealt him to the Flyers for Brink straight up.
So a package that once looked like a major haul for Columbus has become Brink, a 25-year-old winger listed at 5-foot-8 and 169 pounds, entering his fourth NHL season on a one-year, $2.75 million deal. He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer.
The Wild’s choice not to give Brink a qualifying offer this summer wasn’t a breakup. It was a financial move.
Brink was eligible for salary arbitration, and Minnesota believed an award could have pushed his next deal to around $4 million. Rather than risk that number, the Wild declined to qualify him so they could negotiate directly before free agency.
Brink’s résumé says he can help. He has 38 goals and 98 points in 214 games, and his best stretch came in 2024-25 with Philadelphia, when he posted 41 points in 79 games. Last season, though, he finished with 15 goals and 15 assists in 68 regular-season games split between the Flyers and Wild.
His transition to Minnesota got messy fast. An upper-body injury shortly after the trade deadline slowed everything down, and the coaching staff was still figuring out where he fit in a new system. By the playoffs, he was a healthy scratch for much of the run and finished with one assist in four games.
For Brink, it was a rough first taste of postseason hockey and a reminder of how quickly a role can disappear when a coach wants something different.
Still, John Hynes has made it clear Brink is in the mix for more. When asked who might get the first crack next to Kirill Kaprizov, Hynes pointed to Maxim Shabanov but said Brink would get a look, too.
“We’ll try Shabanov there. Brink, we’re going to take a look at him there, too,” Hynes said.
Hynes followed that up by putting the question directly on Brink’s development. As the Wild try to sort out how to use Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek across their top lines, Hynes said, “Can Brink take the next step? Is Shabanov ready to do it?”
That’s the issue hanging over Brink now: how much offense can he provide, and how much trust can he earn?
Hynes also said he wants to see Brink and Shabanov get chances with other players in the preseason, including possible work with Danila Yurov. That alone tells you Brink’s situation has changed.
He isn’t just trying to survive camp. Minnesota is actively testing whether he can handle a bigger job.
The circumstances around him are different now. The injury is gone.
The adjustment to a new team is over. He’s had a full offseason and now a full camp to settle into Hynes’ system.
The competition is real, but so is the opening.
And for Brink, who grew up about 30 minutes from the rink where he’s now trying to win a larger role, this season feels like the real beginning. Minnesota brought him home, but the first half-season was a mix of injury, limited ice time and a playoff seat in the press box.
Now he gets a full year to change the story.
The Wild don’t need Brink to explain every asset that once went to Columbus. They do need something back from the opportunity they’ve given him. If he becomes a dependable offensive piece and forces his way into a bigger role, the messy path that delivered him to Minnesota will look a lot easier to live with.
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Bobby Brink Just Made Minnesotas Roster Decision Much Harder
Bobby Brink gave the Wild plenty to think about in a preseason matchup with the Blackhawks, scoring twice and even dropping the gloves in a 4-3 overtime loss. For a team still sorting out its lineup decisions before the regular season, that kind of night tends to carry a little extra weight. Brink did more than just fill the box score - he showed the kind of edge and urgency that can make a coaching staff pause when it starts narrowing roles.
Minnesotas preseason is still about evaluation, but Brinks performance added another layer to a competition that was already worth watching. The Wild will keep sorting through options as camp moves forward, and nights like this can change the conversation quickly. Even in a game that ended without a win, Brink made a strong case for keeping himself in the picture when those final decisions come due. [Read more 🡒]
Quinn Hughes Just Put Pressure On The Wilds Long-Term Plan
Quinn Hughes has not rushed into the kind of contract-extension conversation that can shape a franchises future, saying those talks have not started and that he is comfortable taking his time. For the Wild, that matters because any long-term planning around a player of his caliber has to account for more than just on-ice fit. Hughes also acknowledged the appeal of playing with his brothers, but made clear he would not give up his current situation just to force that family reunion.
Minnesota has spent plenty of time thinking about its long-range blueprint, and Hughes stance adds another layer to it. He is not treating the calendar like a deadline, which leaves the Wild waiting to see whether the relationship grows into something more permanent or stays in the present tense for a while longer. For now, the only certainty is that the decision will not be driven by outside pressure, and that is the part Minnesota has to keep watching. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Young Forwards Are Giving Fans Real Reason For Hope
The Wild entered the preseason knowing the pressure on their forward group would be different this year. After losing significant scoring from the top six in the offseason, Minnesota has leaned on a wave of younger players to help show what the next layer of offense might look like, and Bobby Brink, Maxim Shabanov and Danila Yurov have all gotten an early chance to make their case.
Against the Chicago Blackhawks, Brink stood out with two goals, Shabanov added one of his own and Yurov flashed some of the quieter details that can win a coaching staff over, including his work away from the puck and in the faceoff circle. For a team trying to sort out roles before opening night, the encouraging part is not just the production, but the variety of ways these forwards are trying to earn meaningful minutes. [Read more 🡒]