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Maple Leafs Acquire Connor Dewar

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The Maple Leafs have acquired depth forward Connor Dewar from the Wild, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports. The Wild are receiving a 2026 fourth-round pick in return, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Forward prospect Dmitry Ovchinnikov is also headed to Minnesota in the deal, per an official announcement from the Wild.

Dewar has settled into a comfortable fourth-line role since making his debut in the 2021-22 season, finding an extra layer to his game this year with a career-high 10 goals, though he’s still four points shy of the 18 points he managed in 81 games last season. Last year marked the first time that Dewar spent all season in the NHL, a trend he’s continuing this year, after scoring 59 points in 105 AHL games between 2019 and 2022. Dewar was a third-round draft pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, playing in the sixth-most NHL games of any player selected after that year’s first round. While his impact isn’t too grandiose, Dewar has shown flashes of strong puckhandling and good fundamentals, helping him fit into the needs of whatever the coach’s system may be.

Minnesota swaps a depth forward for a depth prospect, bringing in Ovchinikov, who is in his first full season in the AHL after splitting the last two years between the AHL and KHL. He’s scored seven goals and 10 points in 20 games this season, adding four penatly minutes and a -1. It’s the second-most that Ovchinikov has scored at a professional level, behind the five goals and 13 points he managed in 68 KHL games last season. Ovchinikov is a slick-moving forward with good puck skills, though his game has lacked direction and poise. He will need to boost his drive to the net, and ability to work with his teammates, if he wants to climb his way up Minnesota’s depth charts.

Bruins Acquire Pat Maroon, Reassign Marc McLaughlin

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12:31 p.m.: The deal is now official, per the Wild. They’re also receiving minor-league forward Luke Toporowski from the Bruins in the swap. The 2026 sixth-rounder will transfer to Minnesota if Maroon plays in at least one playoff game for the Bruins in 2024, per CapFriendly.

11:32 a.m.: McLaughlin has been assigned to Providence, per PuckPedia. The move clears his $775K cap hit and makes the Bruins cap-compliant ahead of the Maroon trade call.

10:40 a.m.: The Bruins are acquiring veteran winger Pat Maroon from the Wild for a conditional late-round pick, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. The conditional pick is a sixth-rounder in 2026, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Maroon was on injured reserve after undergoing back surgery early last month. He’s just entered his four-to-six-week return timeframe, so while he won’t debut for Boston immediately, he won’t be out of the lineup for too much longer. Russo reported this morning that Maroon and Connor Dewar were both drawing trade interest.

The 35-year-old has settled into a comfortable fourth-line role in the later stages of his career, recording four goals and 16 points in 48 games with the Wild before landing on IR. The bruising power winger led all NHLers in PIMs last season with 150 and made four consecutive Stanley Cup Finals over a four-year run from 2019 to 2022 with the Blues and Lightning. He wrapped up his four-year stint in Tampa last summer as the second year of his $1MM cap-hit deal was traded to Minnesota for a seventh-round pick with 20% retention.

As such, Maroon will carry a slightly reduced cap hit of $800K for the Bruins. Minnesota is not expected to retain salary in this transaction.

With three Stanley Cup rings and nearly 800 games of NHL experience, Maroon provides Boston with a veteran fourth-line presence that they were sorely lacking. Jesper Boqvist, Justin Brazeau, and Jakub Lauko were staffing the Bruins’ bottom forward unit, all averaging less than 11 minutes per game. Maroon can shoulder a bit more ice time – he averaged nearly 13 per game with the Wild – and carries any intangible that a playoff contender could want.

The Bruins must assign one player to the minors to remain cap-compliant after this trade. They had only $57.5K in cap space, so one of Brazeau or Marc McLaughlin, neither of whom requires waivers, will likely be assigned to AHL Providence.

Rangers, Wild Swap Turner Elson For Nic Petan

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The Rangers and Wild have exchanged minor-league depth forwards, sending Nic Petan to New York in exchange for Turner Elson. Both players remain on assignment to their new teams’ respective AHL affiliates.

Both Elson and Petan are pending UFAs in the back half of two-year, two-way deals with $762.5K cap hits. Petan makes slightly more in the minors, earning $550K compared to Elson’s $225K, although the latter carries a $250K guarantee.

Petan, 28, has far more NHL experience than his counterpart in the deal. Once a high-flying scoring center in major junior play with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, Petan has bounced around teams and leagues since being a second-round pick of the Jets in 2013. He’s played in parts of nine consecutive seasons with the Jets, Maple Leafs, Canucks, and Wild, although he’s eclipsed the 30-game mark just once. He had two assists and a -2 rating in six NHL games this year. He’d been a point-per-game player in five straight AHL campaigns but has regressed slightly with the Iowa Wild, posting 12 goals and 40 points in 44 games.

Elson is the more veteran pro at 31 years old, but he’s played in only three NHL games – one with the Flames back in 2015-16, and two with the Red Wings in 2021-22. He carries much lower potential to factor into an NHL lineup down the stretch than Petan, posting only 12 points in 38 games with AHL Hartford. Unfortunately for him, he’s heading from a Hartford team destined for postseason play to an Iowa squad that sits last in their division.

Wild Receiving Interest In Dewar And Maroon

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  • The Wild have received interest in winger Pat Maroon and center Connor Dewar, reports The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription link). Maroon has missed the last month with a back injury that will keep him out for a couple more weeks but as a cheap gritty, experienced bottom-six forward, it’s not a surprise that there is still interest.  The pending unrestricted free agent has 16 points in 49 games so far this season.  Dewar, meanwhile, is heading for restricted free agency this summer with arbitration eligibility.  The 24-year-old has 10 goals in 57 games while averaging a little over 11 minutes a night and is a key part of Minnesota’s penalty kill.  With the rental center market being thin, the Wild could command a decent return if they decide to move Dewar as a result.

Khusnutdinov Expected To Join Team On Saturday

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  • Now over a week since the Minnesota Wild signed forward Marat Khusnutdinov to an entry-level contract, it appears the organization has found some clarity on when he will eventually make his debut with the club. Michael Russo of The Athletic is reporting that Khusnutdinov’s visa issues have been worked out with the United States, and he will join the team for practice on Saturday.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have shared that Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba will both sit out of the team’s Thursday night game for trade-related reasons. Both players have been focal pieces of Arizona’s assets this Deadline, with the team now acknowledging their chances of moving. They are both in their first season with the Coyotes, with Zucker scoring nine goals and 25 points in 51 games and Dumba totaling 10 points in 58 games. The two were previously teammates with the Minnesota Wild from 2013 to 2020, before Zucker joined the Pittsburgh Penguins for four seasons.

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Western Notes: Wild, Oilers, Podkolzin, Foudy

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The Minnesota Wild have placed forward Marcus Johansson on injured reserve with a lower-body injury suffered in the team’s Saturday game against the St. Louis Blues. Johansson has since missed the team’s last two games, and will now be out until at least Sunday. Minnesota has recalled forward Adam Beckman from the AHL in a corresponding move.

Johansson, 33, has managed nine goals and 27 points in 61 games this season. It’s his third season spending time with Minnesota, joining the team via trade last season, with Minnesota sending a 2024 third-round pick to the Washington Capitals in return. He also played 36 games for Minnesota during the shortened 2020-21 season. Johansson has totaled 117 career games with the Wild, the second-most he’s played for any team. He has 21 goals and 59 points across those games – bringing his career totals up to 480 points in 894 games.

Johansson is signed through the 2024-25 season, riding out a two-year, $4MM contract extension signed at the end of last season. The new deal will carry him through his age-35 season and carries a $2MM cap hit. His absence will make room for Beckman’s return to the NHL. The 22-year-old winger has been called up twice this season, though he’s yet to play in his first NHL game of the season. He’s instead played 48 games in the AHL, serving as an alternate captain for the Iowa Wild and scoring 29 points. Beckman made his NHL debut in the 2021-22 season, and has since totaled 12 games in the league, though he’s still searching for his first NHL goal.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Edmonton Oilers have sent young winger Dylan Holloway and veteran Sam Gagner to the AHL. Gagner had to clear waivers for the loan, while Holloway maintains waiver exemption. The pair have each slotted into a handful of NHL games this season, with Gagner scoring 10 points in 27 games and Holloway managing four points in 32 games. These moves make both Holloway and Gagner eligible to play in the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. Holloway has appeared in four AHL games this season, scoring four points, while Gagner has played in three games and scored five points.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled winger Vasily Podkolzin, after sending him to the minor leagues on Wednesday. He appeared in two games during his previous recall, recording one shot and no other stat changes while averaging roughly 10 minutes of ice time. The two games marked Podkolzin’s first NHL appearances of the season, with the 22-year-old spending much of the year in the minor leagues, where he’s put up 15 goals and 28 points in 44 games.  Podkolzin recorded 120 NHL games over the last two seasons, scoring a combined 33 points. He’ll likely serve as an extra forward for Vancouver.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have assigned Jean-Luc Foudy to the AHL, just hours after after he scored his first NHL goal. Foudy’s season started late, with the forward grappling with a lower-body injury until mid January. He’s since played in 12 AHL games, scoring six points, and one NHL game. The 21-year-old’s appearance with the Avalanche brings his career totals up to 10 games – with his first career goal also marking the first point of his career.

Avalanche Acquire Brandon Duhaime From Wild

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The Avalanche have acquired forward Brandon Duhaime from the Wild in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick, per a team announcement.

Duhaime, 26, had been drawing interest from other teams, including the Canucks, for the past few weeks. He’ll stay in the division, making him the third trade pickup for Colorado in the past two days.

In Colorado, Duhaime will fill the same role he has in Minnesota for the past three years – adding muscle to the fourth line. He has limited offensive upside, evidenced by his eight points in 62 games this season, but he’s an effective enough forechecker to shoulder slightly more ice time than the typical enforcer. He’s logged between 10 and 11 minutes per game in each of his three NHL seasons.

Duhaime is one of the more frequent hitters in the NHL – he’s one of 32 NHLers with more than 500 hits since 2021. He’s normally able to bolster his grit with solid two-way numbers, but that hasn’t been the case this season. His 44.1 CF% at even strength, as well as his 41.6 xGF%, are both career lows.

A pending UFA with a $1.1MM cap hit, there was little reason for the Wild to hang onto Duhaime as they’ve again slipped to a sub-20% chance of making the playoffs, per MoneyPuck. Even if they were still solidly in the postseason race, there was enough demand for Duhaime on the market to make it wise to trade him and create roster space for youngsters such as Adam Beckman or Marat Khusnutdinov to make their season debuts.

Duhaime, along with the Avs’ other forward pickups this week, likely forces depth players like Joel Kiviranta and Chris Wagner to a press-box role come playoff time. Duhaime was one of five Wild skaters to appear in all of their 62 games to date.

The third-round pick is the first that Colorado has dealt from their 2026 arsenal. They added a second fifth-round pick in 2026 in yesterday’s Sean Walker trade.

Michael Russo of The Athletic was first to report that Duhaime was being traded. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report that the Avalanche were acquiring Duhaime.

Minnesota Wild Extend Zach Bogosian

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3/6: The Wild have confirmed the extension paying Bogosian $1.25MM for the next two seasons.

3/5: According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Minnesota Wild are closing in on an extension with defenseman Zach Bogosian. Bogosian originally came to Minnesota this season by way of a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 8th.

Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff is reporting that it will be a two-year contract extension for Bogosian, paying the defenseman a total of $1.25MM a year. The extension will keep Bogosian with the Wild organization until his age 35 season, and offer him a $400K raise upon his current salary.

Since coming over from the Lightning, Bogosian has been serviceable for Minnesota, averaging 17:36 of ice time per night, placing him fourth on the team amongst active defensemen. Never a serious offensive threat throughout his career, Bogosian has scored one goal and nine points for the Wild this year.

Bogosian now becomes the sixth member of Minnesota’s defensive core signed beyond this season, indicating that General Manager Bill Guerin may already be planning for next season, even with the Wild currently in the Western Conference wild-card race. Nevertheless, this extension will not help Minnesota’s ability to get younger, as they are already tied for the third-oldest team in the league according to HockeyReference.

Minnesota Wild Place Vinni Lettieri, Jacob Lucchini On Waivers

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The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is reporting that the Minnesota Wild have placed forwards Vinni Lettieri and Jake Lucchini on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Iowa. Both players have spent time in both Minnesota and Iowa this season.

Both Lettieri and Lucchini have surpassed their previous records of games played during a single season throughout their careers this year with the Wild. With multiple injuries up and down the lineup for the organization this year, Lettieri and Lucchini have both had the opportunity for more playing time at the NHL level.

Letteri has suited up in 32 games for Minnesota this season, averaging just under 10 minutes a game, scoring three goals and seven points overall. Suiting up in 10 games for Iowa earlier in the season, Lettieri played very well, scoring four goals and eight points in his limited time with the team.

In Lucchini, he has spent much more time in the AHL this season as compared to Lettieri. In 30 games for Iowa, Lucchini has scored 11 goals and 23 points overall, still sitting fifth on the team in scoring. At the NHL level, Lucchini has been able to play in 21 games for the Wild, scoring one goal and one assist in total while averaging just under nine minutes of ice time per night.

Wild Hoping To Extend Zach Bogosian, Maple Leafs Have Checked In On His Availability

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  • In his latest podcast (video link), Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports that the Wild are trying to sign defenseman Zach Bogosian to a contract extension. Minnesota acquired the 33-year-old from Tampa Bay early in the season and he has held his own on their third pairing, logging over 17 minutes a night while recording nine points and 80 hits in 43 games.  If they can’t get a deal done, however, Johnston reports that the Maple Leafs are among the teams that have checked in on Bogosian’s availability.  They’ve already added on the back end with the reacquisition of Ilya Lyubushkin but if they can’t add an impact blueliner, shoring up their depth – perhaps with another second-timer with the team – isn’t necessarily a bad fall-back plan.

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