Brock Faber’s injury may have pushed the Minnesota Wild toward a bigger swing than they otherwise would have considered.
With Faber expected to miss time because of a skull fracture, Minnesota suddenly has a real problem on its blue line. He’s one of the team’s most important defenders, and losing him leaves a hole that won’t be easy to patch from within. That opens the door for the Wild to explore outside help, and the Detroit Red Wings have emerged as a possible trade partner in that scenario.
One idea that makes the rounds is a package built around Dylan Larkin and Justin Faulk. For Minnesota, that would solve more than one issue at once.
Larkin would give the Wild another experienced center and, as the source puts it, finally provide the top-line center they have been lacking during the Kirill Kaprizov era. Faulk would add a veteran defenseman who could absorb minutes while Faber is out.
Of course, that kind of move would come with a heavy price tag. Detroit would not part with Larkin and Faulk for a light return, and Minnesota would likely have to send back a significant package. The source points to roster players, future assets, prospects, draft picks, or young NHL players as the sort of pieces that could be involved, in a deal similar to what the Wild offered the Canucks for Quinn Hughes.
That’s the real question for Minnesota: how much of the future is it willing to spend to help the present? The Wild want to compete for a Stanley Cup, and Faber’s absence makes the need for reinforcements even more obvious. Faulk wouldn’t replace him outright, but he would give the club another proven defenseman to help get through the season.
There’s also the Hughes factor. If Minnesota wants to convince Hughes to stay with the organization long-term, making a major move could send a message that the team is serious about winning.
Even so, the source makes clear that this would not be a freewheeling push at any cost. A Larkin-Faulk deal would be expensive, and the Wild would have to be comfortable with what they’re giving up.
Still, with Faber sidelined, the calculus changes. Minnesota already had reasons to look for help.
Now it has another. If the Wild are intent on chasing a title right now and trying to keep Hughes around for the long haul, this is the kind of moment when they may need to pay up and strengthen the roster today.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]
Wild Opening Night Win Brought Hope And One Big Early Question
The Wild opened the season with a win over Nashville, and there was plenty to like beyond the final result. Jesper Wallstedt settled things down with key saves early, helping Minnesota survive a tense stretch on the penalty kill, while Quinn Hughes made his presence felt with a goal and a power-play assist. Bobby Brink also chipped in with an assist and looked comfortable in a role that gave the lineup a little more life.
For a team that wanted a strong start, the opener offered both the lift of a victory and a reminder of how thin the margins can be this time of year. Wallstedts calm early work gave Minnesota a chance to build into the game, and the skill pieces around him began to show why there is real optimism here. Even so, the most important early question for the Wild may be whether this kind of poise can hold when the game starts tilting the other way. [Read more 🡒]