It’s been a busy few weeks leading up to the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline around the league, and the Minnesota Wild were no exception. They’ve made a few deals leading up to deadline day, but nothing monumental like everyone has been expecting. That doesn’t mean something won’t happen, but as time continues to go by, more and more doubt creeps in.
Regardless of whether they make a move or not, the Wild have a solid team, and depending on what they would have to give up, sometimes the big trade isn’t worth it or could hinder a team. General manager Bill Guerin isn’t afraid to make a move if it’ll benefit the team, but he’s also not going to make a move just to make a move. In this article, we’ll look at why fans should trust Guerin, regardless of what happens, starting with the moves he’s already made.
Wild Are Confident
Two words show that Guerin has confidence in the team he has, and they are Quinn. Hughes. The Wild have had a pretty solid group, but they have always been missing certain pieces, and they remedied some of that with Hughes. After last offseason passing pretty quietly, many wondered if Guerin had it in him to get this team to where they needed to be. However, after bringing in Hughes, those questions started to disappear.
Again, while they’ve brought some players in before the deadline, many hoped or expected a bigger move, especially in the center position. While it could still happen, if it doesn’t, there is a lot of confidence in this group to get it done. They did pull themselves out of a giant slump to start the season and have been pretty consistent since.
“Yeah, I’m confident in this group, I really am…When we put it together and play our game and our style and…we’re executing, I really believe in this group, I have a lot of confidence. Can we tweak certain things and get better in certain areas, probably yeah, but again we’re an extremely competitive team right now, and I have a lot of confidence in this group,” said Guerin in his press conference prior to the Wild’s loss on Sunday, Mar. 1, against the St. Louis Blues.
Wild Will Move Only If It’s Right
Something Guerin has been adamant about from the beginning, and that fans should be happy with, is that the Wild will not make a move if they don’t see it benefiting the team. Of course, that seems like common sense and something every team should be doing, but sometimes teams are a little too eager and regret the decision later. Now, it can backfire the other way too if you wait too long and get beat but that’s not Guerin’s style.
When he has a strong team as he does right now, he doesn’t want to do anything that could disrupt it, and bringing in the wrong player just because he was available and fit some check marks on their list, but not all of them, could do that. It’s taken quite some time to get here, but now that they have a team that could do it, they want to move ahead carefully.
“No real preference, we can handle either, I mean, see what the scenarios are out there, and again, like (a) younger player with term, you gotta pay a little bit more, and (a) guy that could be a rental may be a little cheaper, we’ll see, but just as long as the person will help,” Guerin said to the media when asked if there was a type of player he preferred.
“…Yeah, I know what you’re saying, like, are we willing to pay more now? Yeah, yeah I can’t tell you what the line is, it depends who it is, it depends what the ask is, it depends on a lot… I know exactly where we are and how good we are and how good we can be, and if something can help make us better, you have to, you have to pay the price,” said Guerin when asked during the same press conference what the line would be for the Wild to pay too much or pay more for a certain player now than if the team was doing worse.
Wild Still Need a Center
The Wild did add a center, but not the one everyone was expecting, and while Michael McCarron is a strong addition, he’s more depth than scoring. If they could still get a number one center for the right price, that’s still on the table. Early on, it was believed that Jesper Wallstedt would be the player who was on the trade block, but now that seems to have cooled, and it’s for the better, as having two strong goaltenders going into the postseason is a great thing.
The main players in the trade circle now have been Charlie Stramel and, at times, Danila Yurov. Stramel is a strong option, but some teams may not be impressed by his performance since it’s only been one season that he’s been really strong. Yurov would be a prized pick for many teams, but his potential is something the Wild shouldn’t give up. It’s only his first season, and while he hasn’t been spectacular, he’s been steadily improving and providing more than offense.
Guerin was upfront with the need for a top center and for their centers to improve as well. It has to be both; getting a true number one center can help fix some of their issues, but not all. It has to be a tandem effort with everyone involved.
“Yeah our faceoffs, our center position is extremely important I think, not in the generating offense area, I think more just, we could do a top-six or we could do a bottom-six, we could do either or but I think our current guys have to be better in the faceoff circle no matter what…that has to change but we could also look to getting somebody that can help us in that department too,” said Guerin to the media when asked about what needs to be improved and getting a number one center.
“…Yep, but you still have to keep pushing them, you don’t just settle and just say, ‘oh hey this is what’, no I think they’re capable of better and it goes game in and game out, some nights we’re really good….but we have to find that consistency,” Guerin said when asked about if his centers are already as good as they’ll get.
Wild Have Options
It’ll be interesting to see what happens on deadline day, as there’s always some chaos mixed in, but that’s what most fans live to see. There’s also some heartbreak, as sometimes fan favorite players are moved, and the business side of hockey comes out. The Wild have options, and while everyone is hoping that the top center will manifest, they have to be careful not to give up too much.
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Hopefully, if the Wild do make a move or don’t, it will all work out in their favor, and regardless of what happens, fans can refocus as the team has a game that night against the Vegas Golden Knights, and could extend their win streak to two games.
