Do the Wild Have Enough Blueline Depth In Their System? – Minnesota Wild

The trade deadline has come and gone, and the Wild organization looks quite a bit different at the NHL level now compared to a few weeks ago.

Bill Guerin got the ball rolling early this year by acquiring superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes in a December blockbuster. That trade put the rest of the league on notice that the Wild are now a legitimate contender, and Hughes’ performance in Minnesota so far has been phenomenal.

During deadline week itself, the Wild mostly upgraded at forward, but made some tweaks on the back end as well. In total, they added five new players to their NHL roster: forwards Michael McCarron, Bobby Brink, and Nick Foligno, and defenseman Jeff Petry were acquired via trade, and Robby Fabbri was claimed off waivers. The team also traded for minor league defenseman Roman Schmidt.

They also sent out forward Vincent Hinostroza, defenseman David Jiricek, minor leaguer Boris Katchouk, a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick.

While the NHL roster looks quite different, it’s also worth examining how the organizational depth chart has crystallized as this season has gone on.

The organization has 45 of its 50 contract slots filled, and 46 total players signed to one-way, two-way, or entry-level deals. They’ve also signed goaltender Chase Wutzke to an entry-level contract that hasn’t kicked in yet, since Wutzke is still playing juniors and doesn’t count toward the total contracts. The Wild also have 15 additional draft picks that have yet to sign. Players the Iowa Wild have signed to AHL contracts have not been included in this analysis.

Last time, we dug into the depth chart at forward, and today, we’ll be looking at the defense and goaltenders the organization has in the fold. 

  *as of 3/09/26

Left Defense

The Wild are absolutely stacked on the back end, especially on the left side. All-world defenseman Quinn Hughes is having a Norris-caliber season, and Jonas Brodin has returned from injury looking steady as ever. 

Jacob Middleton slotted into the third pair when Hughes arrived, and is above-average at that slot as opposed to being a fringe middle-pair guy. Daemon Hunt rounds out the NHL depth. While he’s probably best-suited as a seventh or eighth defenseman on this team, he is still capable of playing quality NHL minutes and has more upside to his game.

In Iowa, Matt Kiersted is a veteran pro with over 40 games of NHL experience. He provides value as a mobile, well-rounded defenseman in the AHL who’s capable of playing bottom-pair minutes in the NHL on a call-up.

Carson Lambos is playing for his next contract, and while there remains some volatility to his game that limits the extent to which he can be trusted, he’s begun to establish himself as a quality player in the AHL and has been a key part of the Iowa Wild’s recent turnaround. He may ultimately top out as a call-up option like Kiersted, but organizations always have time for guys like that.

Veteran Ben Gleason began the season as a candidate to take a roster spot in Minnesota, but he had a rough season in Iowa. However, to be fair, Iowa has asked him to shoulder a lot of the load early when the team was struggling. 

2021 second-round pick Jack Peart has been a third-pairing defenseman in Iowa and seems to be approaching his ceiling. However, he has developed some consistency lately, which should help him in a contract year next season. 

2024 sixth-rounder Stevie Leskovar is a late-blooming prospect, but a training camp injury derailed his season. He’s spent most of the season in the ECHL but has played in the AHL recently. His size and intriguing skill set set him apart from the rest of the organization’s defense prospects. It will be interesting to see how he develops over the next two seasons.

I’m not sure there’s NHL upside for any of the defense prospects who aren’t currently playing professional hockey. 2023 fifth-round pick Aaron Pionk has become an important player for a strong Minnesota-Duluth team and is capable of playing with some pace and intensity. Still, he doesn’t have much skill and looks like an AHL player at best.

The Wild took Justin Kipkie in the fifth round last summer, and he still has a lot of room to grow as a bigger defenseman. He’s trying to elevate his pace as a freshman at Arizona State, and has had a solid year there. He may not ultimately have the footspeed needed to defend NHL players, but he plays a pro style that should translate easily to the AHL when he eventually gets there.

Nate Benoit is a 2021 sixth-rounder who is on his third college team in three years, and the Wild almost certainly will not sign him.  

Right Defense

The fact that the Wild are nearly as loaded on right defense as they are on left speaks volumes as to why they are a legitimate contender, and there may be more talent on the way.

Brock Faber has continued to develop as a two-way defender and is increasingly learning to use his skating as an attacker. Playing with Hughes seems to have brought out some of his speed and free-wheeling capability. Jared Spurgeon’s game has declined a bit. Still, the 36-year-old remains a sturdy, reliable defender who will benefit from fewer high-leverage minutes in the playoffs.

Zach Bogosian has slotted in as the third-pair guy on the right side and is still mobile enough as a 35-year-old to take advantage of his size and reach. The newly-acquired Petry is a step up from past extra defensemen like Jon Merrill because he has more offensive ability and skates well enough to track fast players in the defensive zone.

David Spacek has emerged as Iowa’s top defensive prospect and played a key role for Czechia at the Olympics. He runs the first power play in Iowa and has become increasingly decisive and effective as a puck mover in his own zone, which previously held him back. He may not have a future in Minnesota because his contract is up after this season. Still, he’s been a success story from a development standpoint.

The Wild recently acquired Roman Schmidt to bolster the right side in Iowa. He’s a bruising, 6-foot-5 defender who had a fight in his Iowa debut. He’s a restricted free agent after this season and may not be back, but he should help for the rest of this year at least.

Aron Kiviharju is the self-proclaimed steal of the 2024 draft and is already in his fourth season of professional hockey in Finland. He also captained Finland at the second consecutive World Juniors, where he played a key role against some of hockey’s top prospects. He’s going to be a good pro in North America; it’s just a matter of which league.

Theodor Hallquist, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft, has some legit upside as a puck mover with the ability to play physical, positionally sound defense. He’s on a slow track in Sweden, gradually facing increased challenges as he’s gone back and forth between the Swedish second pro division and the Swedish junior league, while also getting some games in the top pro league there. 

With the new rules allowing former professional players to play NCAA hockey, I’d like to see Hallquisth bring his development here. I’m a believer in his game.

The Wild took Sebastian Soini in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. He’s an exceptional athlete with a lot of potential given his physical attributes, but he’s also raw and can lack attention to detail at times. He’s a valuable prospect, given the possibility that he can capitalize on his athleticism and skating. Still, it will take some time before the Wild fully knows what they have. I think he has a shot.

2022 fourth-rounder Ryan Healey has spent most of the season playing in Harvard’s top four, but the senior’s production has stagnated, and if he gets a shot with the Wild organization, it would likely be on an ECHL deal. That could be complicated, since the Iowa Heartlanders just announced they will suspend operations next season.

Goalie

The Wild seem to have landed on a two-goalie solution this season, with Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt combining to form one of the league’s top tandems.

Samuel Hlavaj has had a rough year in Iowa, but he’s fresh off a stellar performance at the Olympics and was looking like a legit prospect last season. He has a chance to become an NHL backup eventually, but isn’t ready for that yet. He’s a restricted free agent after this season, and it will be interesting to see what happens with him.

Cal Petersen is a veteran netminder in the midst of a rough year in Iowa, although he’s been much better lately. He’s an unrestricted free agent after this season, and it would be surprising if he’s back.  

The Wild signed Riley Mercer as an undrafted free agent last spring, and he has had some growing pains backstopping the struggling Heartlanders. Still, he has occasionally looked good when called up to the AHL, and has had a steady development track since his days in the QMJHL. He’s still a prospect worth tracking.

2025 fifth-round pick Chase Wutzke is an athletic netminder playing behind a porous Moose Jaw team in the WHL. Still, he is 11th in the league in save percentage despite playing behind the league’s worst penalty kill. 

Wutzke is a legit prospect who turned some heads at the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase last fall. He signed an entry-level deal last spring that has yet to kick in. Therefore, his best option for development may be to go to the NCAA next season, where he can continue to round out his game.

Lastly, Iowa signed William Rousseau, not Minnesota, but he has had a solid season and performed well over seven AHL games. There’s a chance he signs another contract after this season.