The Minnesota Wild didn’t make a splashy offseason overhaul, but the trade that sent Jacob Middleton to Calgary is already looking like a smart one.
Minnesota dealt Middleton, a 2029 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fourth-round pick to the Flames, and Thursday’s season-opening 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators gave the return package an immediate shine. Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta both had their fingerprints all over the opener, and the Wild looked better for having them.
Maatta set up the first goal of Minnesota’s season, finding Nick Foligno for a 1-0 lead at 9:35 of the first period. Coleman chipped in with the Wild’s first power play goal of the year and brought the kind of physical edge Minnesota wanted on its second line.
That debut made the deal feel worthwhile right away, especially with the Wild trying to reshape the roster for this season rather than waiting for long-term value to arrive.
Middleton had been a fixture in Minnesota since the Wild acquired him from the San Jose Sharks during the 2021-22 season. Over five years with the team, he played 322 games, scored 21 goals, added 82 points and finished at plus-20. He also became one of the most recognizable personalities in the room, a loud voice in the locker room and a regular source of memorable quotes.
He even earned a four-year, $17.4 million extension in the summer of 2024 after his play and presence made him a core piece of the blue line. But that deal never really got a chance to settle in. Middleton ended up moving on before it fully kicked in, with Minnesota facing a cap crunch after adding Kirill Kaprizov’s $17 million AAV in September and then trading for Quinn Hughes a few months later.
And the play that once justified the new contract didn’t quite hold up. Middleton finished last season with two goals, 16 points and a plus-2 rating in 75 regular season games.
His toughest stretch came in the second-round series against Colorado, when he was on the ice for 13 goals. With Jonas Brodin injured, he was pushed into the second line and looked slower and older, and Minnesota’s collapse after beating the Dallas Stars in the first round only sharpened the need for a different look.
Thursday showed what the Wild were after.
Maatta, elevated to the second line after Brock Faber fractured his skull in the preseason finale, looked steady beside Brodin. He did more than collect an assist; he was part of a penalty kill that shut down Nashville on all four of its power play chances.
Coleman brought his own value, too. He scored and gave Minnesota a harder edge, something the Wild didn’t have with Marcus Johansson.
He also helped on the penalty kill and is already building strong chemistry with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy on the second line. Like Maatta, he brings Stanley Cup experience to the mix.
It’s only one game, and Minnesota will want both players to keep delivering. But after Middleton posted a minus-2 rating in Calgary’s 6-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night, the Wild had every reason to feel good about how this trade looked right out of the gate.
In Other News...
Wild Fans Just Got A Much Easier Way To Watch
Wild fans who have been looking for a simpler way to follow the team are getting a helpful boost this season. Minnesota announced that its Wild+ package will put 10 regular-season games on over-the-air television through KSTP-TV, KSTC-TV and other regional stations, giving viewers a more accessible option beyond the usual pay-TV setup.
The games will come with a full broadcast crew of announcers and analysts, and the coverage will reach additional stations across the Upper Midwest as well. For fans spread around the region, it is a meaningful step in making the Wild easier to watch, and the league is still working on ways to widen Wild+ distribution even further through more cable and satellite providers. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Now Face A Costly Blue Line Decision After Brock Faber Injury
Brock Fabers injury has put the Wild in a difficult spot on the blue line, one that could ripple beyond the next few games. Losing a key defenseman at this stage forces Minnesota to weigh short-term stability against longer-term planning, especially with the roster built to stay competitive while keeping enough flexibility for future moves.
One possible answer would come with a steep price, and the kind of deal being discussed would not be a simple patch. Minnesota has been linked to Detroits Dylan Larkin as part of a larger idea to address the defensive hole, but any move that aggressive would likely cost significant assets and could affect the clubs broader efforts to keep its core intact. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Foligno's Return Already Put One Wild Bet In Focus
Nick Folignos return to Minnesota already looked like the sort of move a team can feel immediately. After signing a one-year deal and talking about unfinished business from last springs playoff loss, he was right back in the mix for the season opener against Nashville, where the Wild leaned on their fourth line for energy, edge and penalty-killing work. Foligno, Michael McCarron and Marcus Foligno gave Minnesota the kind of heavy, physical shift-by-shift presence that can settle a team in early-season hockey.
It also helped that Foligno wasted no time making his presence felt on the scoreboard, giving the Wild an early jolt in the first period. For a player who came back looking for one more run with this group, it was the kind of start that reinforces why Minnesota wanted him back in the first place. The bigger question is how much that line can keep tilting games as the season unfolds, especially if the Wild need those minutes to matter in tighter matchups later on. [Read more 🡒]