The Minnesota Wild pulled off one of the worst NHL trades this season. The Wild acquired a depth forward on Tuesday, grossly overpaying in the process.
The Wild landed depth forward Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
On the surface, this deal seems insignificant. Minnesota got a depth piece to round out its bottom six. But there’s more to this deal than just landing a depth forward.
The Wild paid a second-round pick for a player with 12 points and 73 penalty minutes this season. That’s a steep price, considering that the Wild are swinging for the fences this season.
The ongoing chatter surrounding potential NHL trades posits that the Wild want a top-six center. That’s not McCarron, not even by a country mile. McCarron is not even a center. He’s a depth winger on a cheap, expiring deal. That’s why paying such a high premium doesn’t really make sense. This sort of player should cost a contender like the Wild naught more than a fourth or fifth-round pick.
But that’s what happens when a GM panics. In Bill Guerin’s case, he needs to make deals. He’s signaled the organization is going all-in this season. That’s why they broke the bank for Kirill Kaprizov and sent the equivalent of four first-round picks to the Vancouver Canucks for Quinn Hughes.
The Wild could have landed a comparable player for a much lower price tag. But that’s what happens when there’s a short supply of suitable pieces for NHL trades on the market.
Why Minnesota Pulled Trigger on McCarron
The rationale behind this trade makes total sense. The Wild’s path out of the Central Division will most assuredly take them through Dallas and Colorado. Dallas is a tough, grinding team. Meanwhile, Colorado is much tougher than they get credit for. The Avalanche are pugnacious and have some tough customers in players like Gabriel Landeskog, Brent Burns, Josh Manson, and Valeri Nichushkin.
That’s why these NHL trades are about the Wild beefing up beyond the usual suspects like Ryan Hartman and Zach Bogosian. Plus, McCarron profiles as a solid matchup guy. He’ll likely draw some tough assignments against some of the opposition’s better players. It wouldn’t be surprising to see McCarron get some solid minutes down the stretch.
Wild Likely to Make More NHL Trades
Tuesday’s deal won’t likely be the last of NHL trades the Minnesota Wild will be making this season. The club will still be looking to add another top-six forward, if possible. There may also be other depth deals in the works.
But this latest trade raises the question about the Wild potentially giving up on a major trade and pivoting. Thus far, there haven’t been any blockbuster NHL trades at this year’s deadline. That’s why it’s worth questioning whether this trade is just another matter of business en route to a much bigger move. Nevertheless, judging by the price paid for McCarron, the Wild could be using up the dry powder now as more deals may not be forthcoming at the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
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