The Minnesota Wild are set to pick 13th in the NHL Draft tonight and it’s an important night for Bill Guerin & Co. This fanbase is needs a jolt of energy. Too much of this early offseason has been about how little the Wild can do, given their salary cap situation.
Well, that was the same way we felt about the Timberwolves, entering the NBA draft on Wednesday night. But then we found out that, where there is a will, there is a way. And just like that, a trade for No. 8 overall had the entire Wolves fanbase feeling like next season has championship implications.
Hopefully, Bill Guerin was taking notes because this is the Wild’s best opportunity to pull out something unexpectedly creative that can rejuvenate a dormant fanbase. Like… a trade for high volume 26-year-old goal getter, Patrik Laine?
According to Michael Russo (The Athletic), the Wild are trying to convince the Columbus Blue Jackets to eat half of his salary for the next two seasons, in order to land exactly what this team needs, a legitimate top-6 scoring threat that can alleviate some of the pressure on Kirill Kaprizov.
Laine is forcing his way out of Columbus. After a promising 2023 summer, Patrik suffered a concussion early in the season that caused him to miss three weeks. Upon his return, he was a shell of himself, which eventually led to him being a healthy scratch.
When he was let back on the ice, he looked better and more focused, until he broke his clavicle. Then, when he was due to return from that injury, he entered NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, citing mental health reasons. He remains in that program, which means he is not allowed communication with the team directly.
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