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Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Wild restarted their 2026 regular season<\/a> on Thursday with a victory in Colorado over an Avalanche team that\u2019s unanimously considered the NHL\u2019s best through 2\/3 of the year.<\/p>\n Tonight, they will take the ice again in Salt Lake City vs the Utah Mammoth, looking for their seventh-straight victory, and second since three of their stars helped the United States capture its first Olympic Gold Medal<\/a> in men\u2019s ice hockey since 1980.<\/p>\n His team\u2019s hot play of late hasn\u2019t made president of hockey operations Bill Guerin less inclined to make a trade before the March 6 deadline, however.<\/p>\n Instead, he appears more determined<\/a> to make a deal and acquire more talent for his top six forward group than ever before. The question remains, however, WHO Minnesota is targeting.<\/p>\n Minnesota Wild working phones on centers before NHL trade deadline<\/p>\n We know the Wild would like to get their hands on an elite-level center, and in a piece co-authored today at The Athletic by Michael Russo and Joe Smith, they have been calling on every single one rumored to be available.<\/p>\n Specifically, Rosso and Smith mention Robert Thomas (Blues), Nazem Kadri (Flames), Ryan O\u2019Reilly (Predators) and Charlie Coyle (Blue Jackets) as the highest-priced centers Guerin has been monitoring.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt Bill Guerin has been sizing up the center market and has called on everybody from Robert Thomas to Nazem Kadri to Ryan O\u2019Reilly to Charlie Coyle.<\/p>\n If Guerin wants to swing for the fences and is willing to part with significant assets, likely including goalie Jesper Wallstedt, Thomas would fit the bill.<\/p>\n The Athletic<\/a><\/p>\n Related: MN Wild Patiently Waiting to Unite Hughes Brothers?<\/a><\/p>\n While the Minnesota Wild have the firepower available to get a deal done for just about any top center mentioned above, doing so would cost them young Swedish goalie, Jesper Wallstedt \u2014 who Guerin selected<\/a> with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n If you have been paying attention, you know that the Wild have been dangling Wallstedt in front of teams with available top forwards since before the Olympic break.<\/p>\n The 23-year-old<\/a> was drafted as the future goalie of the organization, but the rise of fellow countryman Filip Gustavsson (27 y\/o<\/a>) the past couple seasons has rendered Wallstedt expendable.<\/p>\n Minnesota Wild No. 1 target: Vincent Trocheck<\/p>\n However, Minnesota\u2019s PoHO is reportedly growing concerned that putting all the Wild\u2019s eggs into the 2025-26 basket could cost him an even better opportunity in exchange for his young talented rookie down the road.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why, according to The Athletic, Minnesota\u2019s No. 1 trade target before the deadline next Friday is New York Rangers 32-year-old<\/a> stud center Vincent Trocheck, who also played a major role in Team USA\u2019s Gold Medal in Milan.<\/p>\n But the moment you give up Wallstedt, that likely takes you out of big-game hunting this offseason or into next season. The Wild\u2019s top target is Trocheck, the New York Rangers veteran who just won a gold medal in Milan with Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber.<\/p>\n The Athletic<\/a><\/p>\n Trocheck is the exact type of top-six center the Wild are looking for. He\u2019s scored<\/a> 20 or more goals and 50+ points in each of the past four seasons and he\u2019s arguably the best faceoff man in the NHL. Just as important, the New York Rangers\u2019 alternate captain would be an incredible addition to the locker room.<\/p>\n Related: MN Wild Olympic Star Adds SNL and Tonight Show to Insane Schedule<\/a><\/p>\n Of course, Minnesota isn\u2019t the only team looking for a veteran talent up the middle on a reasonable contract. While he might not cost as much as some of the other centers mentioned above, Trocheck has a lot of pursuers and certainly won\u2019t be cheap.<\/p>\n That again brings more questions about how many of his chips Billy wants to push into the pot for this 2026 run, if it means he doesn\u2019t have anything left to work with in the future.<\/p>\n Trocheck has three years left on his contract with a $5.625 million average annual value. Because his contract is reasonable and there\u2019s such a dearth at the center position in the NHL, he will be highly coveted this week, and you can bet Rangers general manager Chris Drury will try to squeeze the best deal out of all interested teams. So the Wild will have to decide whether they\u2019re willing to give up the price required to get Trocheck, knowing the more assets they trade now, the more difficult it\u2019ll be to go after a big fish this summer or next season.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Athletic<\/a><\/p>\n What about Steven Stamkos?<\/p>\n On Thursday, The Athletic\u2019s Pierre LeBrun<\/a> reported that Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos would accept a trade<\/a> to three teams, the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Minnesota Wild.<\/p>\n At 36 years old<\/a>, Stamkos isn\u2019t playing center this year for the Predators, instead slotting in on either side<\/a> of Ryan O\u2019Reilly on Nashville\u2019s top line. Of course, that doesn\u2019t mean he couldn\u2019t play some center for the Wild, and he would undoubtedly cost less than what Trocheck or other centers will.<\/p>\n A recent report from Emily Kaplan (ESPN)<\/a> says Minnesota Wild talks with Nashville surrounding Stamkos have centered around former first round pick Charlie Strammel, who\u2019s having a standout season right now at Michigan State.<\/p>\n Here is Emily Kaplan via The Point on Vincent Trocheck. She believes he will get dealt at the deadline. Mentioned Minnesota. I do recall seeing @DobberHockey<\/a> putting up the exact trade she mentioned. #nyr<\/a> @92In82<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KmXwdOQU2g<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) February 26, 2026<\/a> More About:Minnesota Wild<\/a><\/p>\n Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google. \t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Bill Guerin<\/a> NHL Trade Deadline<\/a> NHL Trade Rumors<\/a> Vincent Trocheck<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/google_preferred_source_badge.png\"){kind=icon}
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