Will Wild be buyers or sellers ahead of NHL trade deadline?

Teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs could be interested in Fleury’s services, where he would primarily be utilized in a backup role to give their regular netminders more rest in between starts. 

Furthermore, teams such as the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils may be in desperation mode when it comes to fixing their goaltending woes and may prefer Fleury to start the majority of games down the stretch.

Outside of Fleury, considering the organization will likely be nibbling around the edges when it comes to the trade market this March, it is unlikely Minnesota will consider moving either of their first-round selections in the next two upcoming NHL Drafts. They may consider moving out a thin pool of mid-round selections, but it will not be enough for the Wild to make any significant improvements to the roster.

Team Needs

1) Get Younger – Currently, the Wild ranks as the fourth-oldest team in the NHL, with the average age sitting at 29.4. Outside of the numerous overseas prospects looking to make the jump to North America next year, Minnesota has defensive prospects Carson Lambos and Daemon Hunt who are certainly on the cusp. 

Keeping in mind the stardom of goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, the Wild certainly have plenty of young talent ready to bring to the top level. Factoring in these upcoming players, they make the early extensions given to the likes of Ryan Hartman, Marcus Foligno, and Mats Zuccarello more difficult to comprehend, as their contracts are not only difficult to move out, but are blocking a few prospects from regular playing time.

2) A Right-Shot Defenseman – In the short term, if Minnesota is looking to make the playoffs in the 2023-24 season, they need to replace the lost minutes of captain Jared Spurgeon sooner rather than later. Rookie defenseman Brock Faber has certainly held his own on the right side of the top unit, but it quickly falls apart behind him. 

Last season, the team chose to acquire John Klingberg from the Anaheim Ducks to strengthen the right side of their defense, and they certainly could use another top-four defenseman within that caliber of player.