It is going to be a busy offseason for the Minnesota Wild. Wild GM Bill Guerin needs to decide on the future of many players, including the future of Quinn Hughes and Mats Zuccarello.
Hughes was a major addition this year. He was acquired mid-season in a massive trade with the Vancouver Canucks. He would finish fourth on the team in points while leading the team in assists. Still, the Wild nearly made another major move during the season, trying to get Robert Thomas from the St. Louis Blues, according to Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic.
The Wild attempted to trade for Thomas at the trade deadline, offering Jesper Wallstedt and Danila Yurov as part of a package. The Blues declined the package for two young prospects.
The Wild could make another run at Thomas this offseason, though. Doug Armstrong is stepping down as the general manager of the Blues on July 1, placing Alexander Steen in the role. The Wild need a center, especially one who can be dominant at the face-off. Adding to the allure of Thomas would be the fact that he is one of Hughes’ childhood friends, which could go a long way in keeping Hughes in Minnesota.
Thomas is also coming off another stellar year. In 64 games, he found the back of the net 25 times, the second most of his NHL career. His assist numbers did take a step back. He had just 29 helpers, the lowest since playing in just 33 games in 2020-21. Meanwhile, he is under contract through the 2030-31 campaign, with an AAV of $8.125 million.
The team could be making some major moves this offseason, after the Blue missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. One of those could be to move on from Robert Thomas.
It is going to be a busy offseason for the Minnesota Wild. Wild GM Bill Guerin needs to decide on the future of many players, including the future of Quinn Hughes and Mats Zuccarello. Hughes was a major addition this year. He was acquired mid-season in a massive trade with the Vancouver Canucks.