Detroit’s scouting trail kept rolling Sunday, with assistant general manager Kris Draper taking in the Boston Bruins-Vegas Golden Knights game the night before as the Red Wings continued to keep tabs on multiple teams.
One of the names drawing attention around the league is Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported that Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell confirmed he is taking calls on Voronkov, who is a pending RFA with a $4.18 million cap hit.
“There’s some interest, but nobody is making any offers,” Waddell said. “We’ll keep talking about it.
I talked to a few teams already (Sunday) morning. We’ll keep talking.
“He’s got so much to offer. A change of scenery for a lot of guys can be really beneficial. But we’re not close enough on anything where I’d say we’re ready to pull the trigger.”
If Columbus does move Voronkov, the return could come in the form of prospects and/or draft picks, while also creating some salary cap relief. The Blue Jackets’ situation on defense is also worth watching.
With Ivan Provorov back from injury, the blue line is a little crowded, and the club may look to move a defenseman. Carson Soucy is in the AHL as insurance if that happens.
Elsewhere, Minnesota’s situation with Quinn Hughes came up on The Sheet with Jeff Marek. Michael Russo was asked whether there’s any scenario in which the Wild keep Hughes past the trade deadline without an extension in place.
Marek asked, “Is there any world in which, even if Quinn Hughes doesn’t sign, they just keep him?
Russo replied, “You know, if you think that this team has a legitimate chance once (Brock) Faber’s back, and what other business Bill does in advance of the trade deadline. Maybe it’s Larkin, maybe somebody else.
If you think you have a chance in this, in this conference in particular, to get to the Final and then actually win the Cup. I think that you do take that, that chance and maybe that changes its mind.”
In Other News...
Joel Eriksson Ek Is Forcing A Wild Debate Fans Didn't Expect
Joel Eriksson Ek is giving the Wild exactly the kind of center play they have spent years trying to stabilize, and he is doing it at a time when the conversation around Minnesotas future down the middle is getting louder. Through 16 games, he has produced five goals and 14 points while driving play at both ends, with the underlying numbers backing up what has been obvious on the ice: he is creating chances, finishing them and handling the hard minutes that come with being the teams top center.
What makes the discussion more interesting is that Eriksson Ek does not fit the classic mold of a flashy No. 1 pivot, which is part of why his value can be easy to underestimate. His game is built on defense, puck pressure and getting to dangerous areas, and that all matters even more as Minnesota continues to look at bigger-name options like Dylan Larkin. For now, the Wild have a center playing his best hockey, and the question is how much that changes the way they think about the position moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Fabers Return Is Closer Than Wild Fans Realize
Brock Fabers path back has moved past the most frightening stage, even if the Minnesota Wild are still being careful with the rest of it. The defenseman, who fractured his skull in a preseason game and needed surgery, has now cleared the return-to-play protocol and begun light skating, a meaningful step for a player whose absence has lingered over the blue line since early in the season.
The Wild have managed to keep things steady without him, but there is still a difference between skating on your own and being ready for the pace of NHL practices. Minnesota is taking a cautious approach, and Faber still has to rebuild his game shape before he can fully rejoin the group, which means his comeback is getting closer even if the final stretch remains unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Wilds David Jiricek Miss Is Still Hurting Bill Guerin
When the Wild went out and got David Jiricek from Columbus in November 2024, it was supposed to be a bold move for a blue line that needed help and a front office trying to accelerate the timeline. Minnesota paid a real price to make it happen, betting that the young defenseman could become part of the solution rather than just another piece on the board.
Instead, the fit never really took hold, and Jiricek was moved again in March. For Bill Guerin, the miss still lingers because it did more than cost the Wild a player who did not stick. It also chipped away at the kind of draft capital and roster flexibility that can make bigger trades possible later, which is the part of this story Minnesota is still feeling now. [Read more 🡒]