- The Wild will have to wait a little longer to get Jonas Brodin back. While the original hope was that the blueliner would accompany the team on the road with the possibility of returning on the trip, Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press notes that he now isn’t expected to even skate until after their road trip which wraps up today. The 29-year-old has been out for a week and a half with a lower-body injury and is once again logging big minutes for Minnesota, averaging nearly 23 minutes a night in 49 games this season.
Wild Rumors
Trade Deadline Roundup: Western Conference
While trade deadline day was largely a dud in itself, that was because so many moves were made in the days leading up to March 3rd. With that in mind, here is a recap of the trades made in the Western Conference in the ten days leading up to deadline day to show who all moved where in what was a busy trade period overall. Players and picks that were acquired and then flipped are only noted for their final destination.
Anaheim Ducks
Acquired: F Brock McGinn, F Nikita Nesterenko, D Chase Priskie, F Dylan Sikura, F Josiah Slavin, D Andrej Sustr, 2024 third-round pick (PIT), 2024 third-round pick (SJ), 2025 fifth-round pick (MIN)
Traded: F Hunter Drew, F Max Golod, D John Klingberg, D Dmitry Kulikov, D Austin Strand, D Henry Thrun
Arizona Coyotes
Acquired: D Michael Kesselring, D Connor Mackey, F Brett Ritchie, F Jakub Voracek, Shea Weber, 2023 first-round pick (OTT), 2023 third-round pick (EDM), 2023 sixth-round pick (CBJ), 2024 second-round pick (OTT), 2025 third-round pick (NYR), 2023 fifth-round pick (VGK), 2026 third-round pick (CAR), 2026 sixth-round pick (OTT)
Traded: F Nick Bjugstad, D Jakob Chychrun, D Cam Dineen, G Jon Gillies, D Shayne Gostisbehere, D Dysin Mayo, F Nick Ritchie, D Vili Saarijarvi, D Troy Stecher
Calgary Flames
Acquired: F Dryden Hunt, F Nick Ritchie, D Troy Stecher
Traded: D Connor Mackey, F Brett Ritchie, F Radim Zohorna
Chicago Blackhawks
Acquired: F Joey Anderson, F Anders Bjork, F Hunter Drew, D Andreas Englund, G Anton Khudobin, F Pavel Gogolev, F Max Golod, D Vili Saarijarvi, F Austin Wagner, D Andy Welinski, D Nikita Zaitsev, 2023 second-round pick (NYR), 2023 second-round pick (OTT), 2025 first-round pick (TOR), 2025 second-round pick (DAL), 2025 fourth-round pick (NYR), 2026 second-round pick (TOR), 2026 fourth-round pick (OTT)
Traded: F Max Domi, D Jack Johnson, F Patrick Kane, F Sam Lafferty, D Jake McCabe, F Dylan Sikura, F Josiah Slavin, G Dylan Wells, D Cooper Zech, 2024 fifth-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick
Colorado Avalanche
Acquired: F Lars Eller, D Jack Johnson, G Keith Kinkaid, F Gustav Rydahl
Traded: F Anton Blidh, F Shane Bowers, D Andreas Englund, 2025 second-round pick
Dallas Stars
Acquired: F Evgenii Dadonov, F Max Domi, F Scott Reedy, G Dylan Wells
Traded: F Denis Gurianov, G Anton Khudobin, F Jacob Peterson, 2025 second-round pick
Edmonton Oilers
Acquired: F Nick Bjugstad, D Cam Dineen, D Mattias Ekholm, F Patrik Puistola, 2024 sixth-round pick (NSH)
Traded: D Tyson Barrie, D Michael Kesselring, F Jesse Puljujarvi, F Reid Schaefer, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2024 fourth-round pick
Los Angeles Kings
Acquired: D Vladislav Gavrikov, G Joonas Korpisalo, F Zack MacEwen, G Erik Portillo, F Nate Schnarr
Traded: D Frederic Allard, F Brendan Lemieux, G Jonathan Quick, F Austin Wagner, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick
Minnesota Wild
Acquired: D John Klingberg, F Marcus Johansson, F Gustav Nyquist, F Oskar Sundqvist, 2023 second-round pick (VGK), 2024 fifth-round pick (BUF)
Traded: F Jordan Greenway, F Nikita Nesterenko, D Andrej Sustr, F Andrei Svetlakov, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
Nashville Predators
Acquired: F Rasmus Asplund, D Tyson Barrie, D Cal Foote, F Isaac Ratcliffe, F Austin Rueschhoff, F Reid Schaefer, 2023 first-round pick (EDM), 2023 second-round pick (PIT), 2023 third-round pick (TB), 2023 fourth-round pick (TB), 2023 fifth-round pick (TB), 2024 second-round pick (TB), 2024 second-round pick (WPG), 2024 fourth-round pick (EDM), 2025 first-round pick (TB)
Traded: D Mattias Ekholm, F Mikael Granlund, F Tanner Jeannot, F Nino Niederreiter, 2024 sixth-round pick, 2025 seventh-round pick
San Jose Sharks
Acquired: D Arvid Henrikson, F Andreas Johnsson, D Shakir Mukhamadullin, D Nikita Okhotyuk, D Henry Thrun, F Fabian Zetterlund, 2023 first-round pick (NJ), 2023 seventh-round pick (PIT), 2024 second-round pick (NJ), 2024 fourth-round pick (PIT), 2024 seventh-round pick (NJ), 2025 fourth-round pick (WPG),
Traded: F Nick Bonino, G Zacharie Emond, F Michael Eyssimont, D Scott Harrington, D Santeri Hatakka, F Timur Ibragimov, F Timo Meier, D Tony Sund, 2024 third-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick (COL), 2024 fifth-round pick
Seattle Kraken
No trades made
St. Louis Blues
Acquired: F Zach Dean, F Jakub Vrana
Traded: F Ivan Barbashev, F Dylan McLaughlin, 2025 seventh-round pick
Vancouver Canucks
Acquired: F Josh Bloom, D Filip Hronek, F Vitali Kravtsov, 2023 third-round pick (TOR) 2023 fourth-round pick (DET), 2024 fourth-round pick (NJ)
Traded: D Wyatt Kalynuk, F Curtis Lazar, F William Lockwood, D Luke Schenn, D Riley Stillman, 2023 first-round pick (NYI), 2023 second-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick
Vegas Golden Knights
Acquired: F Ivan Barbashev, F Teddy Blueger, D Dysin Mayo, G Jonathan Quick
Traded: F Zach Dean, F Peter DiLiberatore, G Michael Hutchinson, D Shea Weber, 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2025 seventh-round pick
Winnipeg Jets
Acquired: F Nino Niederreiter, F Vladislav Namestnikov
Traded: 2024 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
Minnesota Wild To Acquire John Klingberg
The Minnesota Wild have made a last-minute trade, acquiring defenseman John Klingberg from the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are receiving defenseman Andrej Sustr, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and the rights to 2019 sixth-round pick Nikita Nesterenko.
The Ducks are also retaining 50% of Klingberg’s $7MM cap hit. Sustr will report to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, according to a team announcement. The Wild have sent Dakota Mermis to the AHL in a corresponding move.
Notable regarding Nesterenko is the fact that, per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, there “has been talk in recent weeks” that Nesterenko wasn’t planning on signing with the Wild upon the completion of his NCAA career.
While the Wild should undoubtedly be excited to add a player with such an extensive resume at such a minor cost, this trade serves as a stark reminder of just how far Klingberg’s stock has fallen from where it was just a year ago. A year ago, Klingberg was putting the finishing touches on a platform season he would finish with 47 points in 74 games. He was set to hit the free agent market as one of its top defenders and was widely expected to receive a pricey long-term pact from a defense-needy team.
That deal never materialized, though, leading to Klingberg’s one-year, $7MM deal with the Ducks. Implied with that signing was that the Ducks would explore trade possibilities for Klingberg, potentially receiving a significant compensation package were he to find success next to stars like Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras on the team’s power play. That success did not come, and Klingberg instead has had a nightmarish season in Anaheim.
Klingberg’s numbers have taken a major hit, as he has scored just 24 points in 50 games. His fit on their power play never quite clicked, and his overall perception leaguewide began to shift from “dynamic two-way contributor with an offensive bent” to “one-dimensional offensive defenseman with some defensive issues.” Fair or unfair, that shifting perception severely hurt Klingberg’s value, and can help explain why he net his team just a fourth-rounder and the rights to an NCAA prospect when just a year ago he earned a $7MM annual guarantee.
For the Ducks, this is a trade that is likely to be disappointing given what Klingberg likely would have returned were he healthy, although it’s still better than nothing as Klingberg was unlikely to be in their long-term plans anyway. They get to add another draft pick for their building process, a depth defender who played 23 games for them last season, and the rights to a prospect they’ll hope to be able to sign. For what it’s worth, the 21-year-old Nesterenko has produced quite well this season, scoring 11 goals and 30 points in 32 games for Boston College.
For the Wild, they add a talented puck-moving defenseman who just a year ago was considered a quality offensive defenseman. While his stock has undoubtedly declined, it’s easy to see him as an upgrade over the veteran offensive defenseman the team currently employs: Alex Goligoski. While this move may cut into the opportunities puck-moving rookie Calen Addison receives, it would not be a shock whatsoever for Klingberg to improve his form in Minnesota and help them secure a playoff spot.
While this trade won’t solve the Wild’s most glaring issue — a lack of quality top-six centers — it does give them a solid bounce-back candidate to work with and is overall a trade with a chance to pop.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun was first on the deal, while The Athletic’s Joe Smith was first on the trade details.
Minnesota Wild Acquire Oskar Sundqvist
The Minnesota Wild have acquired forward Oskar Sundqvist from the Detroit Red Wings, in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick.
Sundqvist will add some depth to the Wild’s bottom six, and replaces Jordan Greenway in the lineup. Greenway was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres just minutes before the Wild acquired Sundqvist.
Sundqvist is a defensive-minded center who has scored seven goals and 21 points for the Red Wings this season. He helped the St. Louis Blues win a Stanley Cup in 2019 as a fourth-line center. The Swedish forward scored four goals and nine points in 25 playoff games that spring.
The 28-year-old is in the final year of a four-year contract that pays him $2.75MM per season. At 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds he adds size, defensive ability and a bit of scoring to the bottom of the Wild’s lineup.
Shayna Goldman of The Athletic was first to report the deal, while TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the return to Detroit would be a draft pick, with Joe Smith of The Athletic clarifying that it would be a fourth-rounder.
Buffalo Sabres Acquire Jordan Greenway
The Buffalo Sabres are expected to acquire forward Jordan Greenway from the Minnesota Wild, as first reported by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. According to Pagnotta, the Wild are receiving a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 fifth-rounder in return.
Per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Wild are not retaining any salary on Greenway’s $3MM AAV deal, a contract that runs for two seasons after this one. TSN’s Darren Dreger notes that the second-rounder sent to Minnesota is the one the team received from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade.
Once officially completed, this deal will end Greenway’s at times highly promising, at times highly frustrating time with the Wild, a period that stretches all the way back to the 2015 draft, where former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher selected Greenway 50th overall. Fletcher plucked Greenway from the US National Team Development Program, where he was coached by current Sabres head coach Don Granato.
Greenway made his way to Boston University after the draft, and starred for three seasons there as a high-scoring power forward. He made his NHL debut in 2017-18, signing with the Wild at the conclusion of his collegiate season, and he showed some promise, scoring two points in five playoff games.
Greenway stepped into the NHL lineup and played 2018-19 with the Wild, scoring 12 goals and 24 points in 81 games.
His six-foot-six size and speed excited Wild fans, and there were nights where it seemed clear that big things would be coming for the American power forward.
Greenway’s progress began to stagnate after that point, and a mix of injuries and inconsistency spelled the end of Greenway’s time in Minnesota.
While he scored 27 points in 62 games last season, Greenway has scored just seven points in 45 games this year, and Russo reported last month that the Wild were “actively shopping” him. It’s seemed clear for some time that a change of scenery was the best path forward for the Wild and Greenway, and that change of scenery has been achieved through this trade.
The Wild not only receive a quality draft pick in return for Greenway but they also clear his $3MM cap hit from their books, something of particular importance given how they are still under the weight of the Ryan Suter/Zach Parise buyouts.
For the Sabres, this deal is a roll of the dice on their development staff’s ability to rejuvenate the career of a player with some tantalizing physical tools. NHL teams are always on the hunt to find the next power forward, and while a second-rounder and another draft pick is certainly a hefty price to pay for a player with single-digit points at this stage of the season, it’s easy to see why the Sabres might get excited about what Greenway could do on their team.
Should the Sabres end up unlocking the potential many have believed Greenway has long possessed, then they could receive a big, talented forward with some affordable team control left on his contract.
It’s definitely a risk, but seeing how the Sabres have developed other big forwards in recent years such as Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens, it’s an understandable home-run swing for the team to take.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Deadline Notes: Greenway, van Riemsdyk, Canucks
The Minnesota Wild are still taking calls on Jordan Greenway, but the offers have not been enough to entice them to make a deal yet. Darren Dreger of TSN reported that the Wild are receiving interest in the young winger but are waiting for their asking price to be met.
Greenway has two more years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $3MM. The 26-year-old forward brings plenty of size at 6’6″ but little scoring this season. He set a career-high with 32 points in just 56 games in 2020-21 but has just two goals and seven points in 45 games this season. The Wild would like to move out his contract but don’t want to give him away for nothing.
- The Washington Capitals have been active leading up to the trade deadline. Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway, and Lars Eller have already been dealt with, but it sounds like pending unrestricted free agent Trevor van Riemsdyk is not going anywhere today. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has reported the Capitals are keeping the right-shot defenseman due to their injury situation. He mentions the potential of a post-deadline contract extension but nothing is confirmed at this time.
- The Vancouver Canucks may be working on something with the Florida Panthers. According to Rick Dhaliwal of the Donnie and Dhali radio show in Vancouver, the Canucks are working the phones and have been in talks with the Panthers. He also mentions it sounds like it is not a major deal, so don’t expect one of the Canucks big contracts to be heading to the Panthers.
Minnesota Wild Sign Caedan Bankier
The Minnesota Wild have signed prospect Caedan Bankier to a three-year, entry-level contract that kicks in for 2023-24. Bankier plays for the Kamloops Blazers, meaning he’s ticketed for a Memorial Cup appearance with the host city this spring.
Selected 86th overall in 2021, Bankier has developed nicely for the Wild since and was even included on Team Canada at the recent World Juniors, winning gold. While he played a limited role on that team, he stars in Kamloops, where he has scored 30 goals and 62 points in 44 games this season.
With a long reach and good speed, Bankier has been able to convert on a lot of the excellent scoring chances that Dallas Stars prospect Logan Stankoven has created. Eleven of his 30 goals have come with the man advantage, tying him for 17th in the WHL in that category. He has also chipped in two shorthanded goals, a role he may play professionally.
Despite his 6’2″ frame, though, Bankier doesn’t use his size enough as an advantage, but may grow into that physicality in the future. Next season, he’ll be eligible to play with the Iowa Wild, where his offensive game will be tested against more experience defenders.
Minnesota Wild Acquire Gustav Nyquist
The Minnesota Wild are acquiring forward Gustav Nyquist from the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. The Blue Jackets later announced they would be acquiring a 2023 fifth-round pick from Minnesota in return, originally belonging to the Boston Bruins.
Nyquist is still out long-term as he remains week-to-week after recovering from shoulder surgery. However, per Michael Russo, Nyquist expects to be back before the end of the regular season.
That’s especially important considering this morning’s news that the NHL will closely scrutinize any trade deadline transaction involving players on long-term injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Additionally, as PuckPedia notes, the Wild have enough cap space to avoid placing Nyquist on LTIR, making this a legally sound move under NHL rules.
Nyquist, 33, is in the final season of a four-year contract with a $5.5MM cap hit signed with Columbus in 2019. His tenure there didn’t work out as hoped, with him missing significant time, including the entire 2020-21 season, due to injuries. He had 10 goals and 22 points in 48 games this season before sustaining his latest injury.
Minnesota receives, if healthy, a capable middle-six winger to add to the acquisition of Marcus Johansson earlier today. It’s an added offensive boost over players in top-nine roles like Jordan Greenway and Brandon Duhaime, who haven’t produced at a top-nine pace this season.
The Athletic’s Michael Russo was first to report Minnesota’s interest in Nyquist.
Minnesota Wild Acquire Marcus Johansson
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin has been clear that he thinks his group deserves an addition at the deadline, and now he’s made one. The Wild have acquired Marcus Johansson from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick.
This is Johansson’s second stint with Minnesota, though he may still have nightmares about his first go-round. After being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in 2020, the versatile forward would play 36 games for the Wild during the regular season before breaking his arm in a game three playoff loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Surgery and a seven-game elimination followed, ending his time with Minnesota prematurely. Johansson will get to rewrite history this time, joining the Wild ahead of another playoff run.
With a bit of a rebound after some disappointing seasons, Johansson has 13 goals and 28 points in 60 games for the Capitals this season. The left-shot forward can play center in a pinch, and adds another capable NHL option to the Minnesota lineup—one that currently leans heavily on one line to do most of the heavy lifting. Johansson’s goal and point totals would put him fifth on the Wild, who have gotten little production from players like Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway.
For Washington, expiring contracts are must-trades unless an extension is possible. The club has already thrown in the towel on this season by trading long-time defender Dmitry Orlov, and might as well sell off anything else that’s not tied down.
Getting a third-round pick for Johansson is a nice return, though it should be pointed out that they invested more than just the one-year, $1.1MM contract he is currently playing on. Last year at this time, it was Washington trading for him at the deadline, sending Daniel Sprong and two draft picks (a fourth and a sixth) to the Seattle Kraken. This is the fifth time he has been traded in his career, and the third at the deadline.
Kevin Weekes of ESPN broke news of the deal on Twitter.
Flyers Receiving Interest In James Van Riemsdyk
As more trade targets come off the board, others now are shifting to the forefront. That appears to be the case for Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that there are now several teams showing interest in the veteran. Michael Russo of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the Wild are among those teams.
The 33-year-old has been a quality scorer throughout his career, averaging 26.5 goals per 82 games. Notably, van Riemsdyk has been a strong producer on the power play, potting 21 goals with the man advantage since the 2020-21 campaign. This would certainly be appealing to playoff-bound teams who could use him in a middle-six role at even strength while deploying him in a more prominent spot on the power play.
Despite his track record, van Riemsdyk is in the middle of a bit of a down season as he has just nine goals and 14 assists in 40 games while also missing 20 contests due to a hand injury. He also carries a sizable price tag with a $7MM AAV in the final season of a five-year, $35MM pact signed back in 2018. Notably, that deal does not carry any form of trade protection.
Philadelphia has all three of its salary retention slots remaining so it seems quite likely that they’ll retain up to the maximum of 50% ($3.5MM) to help facilitate a move and help secure a better return. It’s unlikely that van Riemsdyk will command a first-round pick in return even with a strong market but the Flyers will have a chance to add at least a decent piece for the future by flipping him elsewhere in the coming days.