The trade deadline is past and all thr speculation is behind us. Bill Guerin has accomplished what he set out to do and that was upgrade his roster to get it playoff ready.
Marc-Andre Fleury is now the center piece in the Wild net and the question mark has been erased. When I say erased there is no question if the Wild have a goaltender that can win the Cup. Fleury has done that multiple times, and yes I know that Matt Murray was the starter for two of those Penguins Cups, but it was Fleury that pushed Murray. That is so obvious as we all know Matt Murray's story since Fleury left Pittsburgh.
Fleury is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner and his presence alone carries significant weight within the team and to the Wild opponents. All one needed to do is see the looks on the Wildbplayers faces and their upbeat tone when they spoke.
Matt Dumba in his post game interview, said that he could hardly take his pregame nap, he was so jacked up to get to the rink and get to work. That cannot be lost in the grand scheme of what went down yesterday and the days leading up to the trade deadline.
MAF took most of the headlines but we cannot overlook the other additions that Guerin made. Let's start with Nicolas Deslauriers and what he brings to the Wild. Deslauriers is as tough a customer as they come and a very responsible player on the ice. He will anchor the Wild fourth line and provide added sandpaper, experience, and generally being a thorn in the opposition's side. As Dean Evason said he has always been a pain in the butt to play against, now he is the Wild's pain in the butt.
Jake Middleton flies under the radar for many hockey fans. Make no mistake, Middleton will have every bit the same impact on his new team that more well known defenseman that were moved at the deadline, such as Ben Chiarot, Josh Manson, and Hampus Lindholm. Middleton has been logging top four minutes in San Jose and is a key penalty killer which we all know has been an issue.
Middleton like Deslauriers is tough and gives the Wild a presence on the back end. Be has logged time with both former Wild defenseman, Brent Burns and former Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson on the Sharks top defense pairs. The left shot defenseman will complement captain Jared Spurgeon which provides a more stable top four with Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin.
Jon Merrill has been very steady for the Wild all season and he will pour with either Dmitry Kulikov or Alex Goligoski on the third defense pair. Evason will have the flexibility to shift guys in and out of the lineup based in matchups, but even more important is the internal battle for ice time these moves have created.
The immediate questions following the trades are who will come out of the lineup, and how will the moves affect the locker room?
Middleton will be in the lineup and as stated above, the rotation will be within the third pair of course barring injury. As for Deslauriers and how his addition to the would most likely mean Connor Dewar heads back to Iowa and one of Nick Bjugstad once healthy, Brandon Duhaime, and newly acquired Tyson Jost will be competing for their roles and ice time. I still believe that Jost will get some expanded ice time to see if he can tap some of that offensive potential that made him the 10th overall pick in 2016.
There were two other Wild trades made, with Jack McBain being traded to Arizona for a second round pick (Vancouver's pick) and Victor Rask being sent to Seattle for future considerations, while the Wild retain 50% of his salary.
So the Wild gave up a 2023 third round pick, 2022 5th round pick and a 2022 second round pick that could become a first round pick if the Wild advance to the Western Conference final and Fleury plays enough games on their way there. They also added a second round pick in 2022 and will have an additional compensatory second round pick for not signing 2018 first round pick Filip Johansson.
Bill Guerin made his mark and did not mortgage very much if any of the Wild's future to accomplish what he set out to do. He addressed the team's most pressing needs and made his roster playoff ready. Those moves were calculated and strategic so as not to upset the chemistry that has been established within the Wild locker room. That is a fact that cannot be overlooked as in the past it was of major concern and since the room was turned over the all for one attitude has been the prevailing theme.
Now as Dumba said last night it is up to the guys in the room to come together and get it done on the ice. The excitement is building here in the State of Hockey and this is the best version of the Minnesota Wild we have ever seen.