Now that the draft has passed, it’s time for free agency to start, and the Minnesota Wild have been looking forward to this day since they bought out the contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter almost four years ago. They have some money to spend, but a bit less than originally planned, because of a trade they made the day before free agency opened.
They picked up Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for future considerations, so they didn’t lose any players yet, which makes it almost like a free agency signing until they have to give up those considerations. They’ll likely have to give up some draft picks or maybe a player, but as of now, they have Tarasenko. In this article, we’ll look at what he brings to the team, who is still out there, and who the Wild will likely lose in free agency. We’ll start with what Tarasenko brings to the team.
Tarasenko Brings Experience
Hearing Tarasenko’s name in a trade to the Wild was a bit of a surprise, especially right before free agency when they were looking to go big. While he is a valuable player, he’s also coming off a down year where he had just 11 goals plus 22 assists for 33 points. This was the first season he was under 50 points since the COVID-shortened season in 2020-21, when he had 14 points in 24 games. He does only have one year left on his contract, so they aren’t stuck if he does struggle, and he’s only taking up $4.75 million in cap space; while it’s not ideal, it could be worse.
He still has a wicked wrist shot that can sneak past goaltenders, and although he had fewer points this past season, with the right pairing, he could raise that number back up, and that’s one of the reasons the Wild’s general manager, Bill Guerin, picked him up. “His track record of winning. His track record of scoring. He’s a bigger body. He’s got a lot of experience. I think he’s a player that needs a fresh start,” said Guerin to Wild.com about why he picked up Tarasenko (from ‘Why the Wild are betting on Vladimir Tarasenko and what comes next in free agency,’ The Athletic, June 30th, 2025).
Hopefully, that’s exactly what Tarasenko needs to get back on the scoring path, and it couldn’t hurt to have Kirill Kaprizov opposite him on a line. While he does bring winning experience to the lineup, he also needs to bring some scoring, or this trade won’t be worth it. The Wild needed more scoring power up front, and everyone will have to wait and see if this works out in their favor.
Wild Have Options
With the Wild picking up Tarasenko, that takes some other players off the free agency board for them, including Minnesota native Brock Boeser. It seemed like a strong possibility that he was going to come home, but it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, they’ll have to look at some other players, like some smaller value players.
Vladimir Tarasenko, former Detroit Red Wings, current Minnesota Wild (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Originally, I was going to say Boeser, Nikolaj Ehlers, or Mikael Granlund, but according to Joe Smith of The Athletic, the Wild will likely be looking at a bottom-six player like Nico Sturm, Sean Kuraly, and a few others. While I understand the need to go for a more bottom-six type of player, I have to say they should at least give Ehlers a look if they haven’t.
Tarasenko is a decent move if he can bounce back, but if he struggles, they need another player to step up, and Ehlers could be that player. However, that might be a problem as Smith pointed out the term and amount could make the Wild hesitant. Again, while that’s understandable if the Wild are going to make a big move, he would be it, but knowing Guerin, he’ll play the smart, careful move and go with Sturm or a player similar rather than a player that could take all of their money and possibly not live up to it.
Wild Should Let Some Go
The Wild have a few players who are set to hit the free agent market, and it wouldn’t be bad if they allow them to find another team. Those players are Gustav Nyquist, Justin Brazeau, and Jon Merrill. With the exception of Marco Rossi, it looks like the Wild have signed the players they intend to keep around.
Losing Nyquist and Brazeau wouldn’t be huge losses to the Wild roster, as they did make small impacts, but not enough for the Wild to use valuable cap space on them. The one player that it may hurt to lose would be Merrill, who had a strong performance last season and would make a valuable seventh defenseman.
Related: Minnesota Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko from Red Wings
Since they didn’t re-sign these players, they’ve gained just under $5 million in cap space to sign another bigger player that could make more of an impact on the lineup. Hopefully, these players can find new homes, and the Wild can utilize the money they gained.
Wild’s Free Agency Thoughts
The Wild brought in Tarasenko in a trade, but it was so close it was almost a free agency move since players haven’t been given out just yet. Guerin always has something up his sleeve, so it’ll be interesting to see what move he decides to make when free agency opens. Hopefully, he’ll bring in someone valuable to the lineup and still have money to work with going forward to have a successful season.
