3 Wild trade candidates after crushing 2nd round Avalanche loss

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The Minnesota Wild were one of the best teams in the NHL in 2025-26. They finished the season at 46-24-12 on the year, which was good for the third-best record in the Western Conference. Still, it was good for third in the Central Division. That resulted in a first-round match-up with the Dallas Stars. While they took care of the Stars, the Wild were unable to get past the Colorado Avalanche in the second round.

With the depth in the Central Division, between the Stars and Avalanche, plus an improving Utah Mammoth team, the Wild need to improve to keep pace in the division and potentially make a run in the Western Conference. The Wild need to make some big moves to make a run in the deep Western Conference. Still, the Wild do not have a first or second round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Further, the team is limited on cap space and has multiple players they need to re-sign.

This means the Wild will likely need to make a trade in order to improve the roster, and they have a few key pieces that can be moved in order to make the improvement happen.

Filip Gustavson could be an option to be moved

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Wild have a good problem to have in net. Filip Gustavsson was the primary starting netminder for the team this year. He went 28-15-6 on the year with a 2.69 goals-agaisnt average and a .904 save percetnage. It was the third time in his four years as the goaltender for the Wild that he had a save percetnage over .00 and a goals against average of 2.70 or below.

Meanwhile, sitting behind Gustavsson was Jesper Wallstedt, who proved he could be a top netminder for the team. Walstedt went 18-9-6 in the regular season, with a 2.61 goals-agaisnt average and a .916 save percentage. He also played the majority of the playoff games, going 5-5 with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .909 save percetnage.

Wallstedt will be a restricted free agent after the 2026-27 season, and carrying two netminders with high cap numbers is not an option. Gustavsson is set to start the first year of an extension, which is paying him an AAV of $6.8 million per year. Shedding his salary while keeping a starting-level goaltender would be a great move for the Wild. Still, Gustavsson’s trade value may have just taken a hit, with it coming out that he needed hip surgery.

“Trading goaltender Filip Gustavsson, relegated to $6.8-million 1B status this postseason, would’ve been the logical play, but his hip surgery puts his status for the start of next season – and trade value – in flux,” wrote Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff.

Regardless, Gustavsson will still have some solid trade value, and exploring the options to move him is a must.

Danila Yurov would be an interesting option for many teams

In an attempt to trade for Robert Thomas from the St. Louis Blues, the Wild offered up Jesper Wallstedt along with Danila Yurov. Wallstedt may not be on the market anymore, with his emergence, but they could move Gustavsson. Still, Yurov could be on the move. He was the 24th overall selection of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He was with Stalnye Lisy of the MHL and Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL prior to moving to the NHL. In his time in the KHL, he played in 209 games, finding the back of the net 41 times and adding 47 helpers.

In his first season in the NHL, he lit the lamp 12 times while adding 15 assists. He showed flashes of scoring ability while playing just 13:57 of ice time per game in his 73 games. At 22-years old with a high ceiling, Yurov would be an attractive option for multiple clubs looking to shed a veteran and add a building block. Still, He would likely need to be paired with someone else to help out with the salary cap. Yurov has an AAV of just $950 thousand for the next two years, as he finishes his entry-level contract.

Ryan Hartman could be a cap casualty Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

If the Wild are looking to pair Yurov or another prospect with a proven player who has a heavier salary cap hit, Ryan Hartman could be on the move. Hartman is entering the final year of a three-year extension he signed with the Wild in 2023 and took effect in the 2024-25 season. The deal has an AAV of $4 million, and his modified no-trade list moved from 15 teams to just ten when the new league year begins. Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff also believes Hartman could be “Plan B,” in saving cap space if they cannot move Gustavsson.

“Plan B could be unloading Hartman’s cap hit, which would clear space for immediate help, though it wouldn’t impact any cap space for a Hughes extension in 2027-28. Hartman’s 15-team no-trade clause shrinks to a 10-teamer for the final season of his deal. He’s not the No. 1 scoring-line pivot he’s too often asked to be in Minnesota, but his blend of skill and agitation make him plenty useful,” Larkin wrote.

Hartman is also coming off a rebound year with the Wild. After struggling in 2024-25, he beat the goaltender 23 times while adding 20 assists, good for 43 points. It is not the height of his production, though, which was in 2021-22. That year, he had 34 goals and 31 assists, for a career high 65 points. Hartman’s production could be part of a package that could bring in a solid piece for the future of the Wild.

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