The Minnesota Wild made a major move earlier this season when they acquired Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. Who could they target next?
The Minnesota Wild made a big move in December when they acquired star defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks.
With this trade, Wild GM Bill Guerin made it abundantly clear that his goal is to bring the Stanley Cup to Minnesota.
When looking at how well the Wild are playing this season, it makes sense that they made a huge move for Hughes. The Wild now have a 26-11-9 record and are third in the Central Division and the NHL.
With the Wild being one of the best teams right now, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they looked to make more moves by the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Due to this, let's look at three potential trade targets for Minnesota.
Kiefer Sherwood, RW, Vancouver Canucks
Last month, The Athletic's Michael Russo and Joe Smith reported the Wild had "significant interest" in Canucks right winger Kiefer Sherwood. With the Wild continuing to impress as this season carries on, it would be understandable if they still have interest in Sherwood now.
The 30-year-old puts the puck in the net and is built for playoff hockey due to his extremely physical style of play, sitting second in the NHL in hits. With this, he would be a fantastic addition to the Wild's top nine if they acquired him.
In 44 games this season with the Canucks, Sherwood has 17 goals, 23 points and 210 hits.
Ryan O'Reilly, C, Nashville Predators
The Wild could use another effective center after trading Marco Rossi to the Canucks in the deal that brought Hughes to Minnesota. When looking at center trade candidates around the NHL, Nashville Predators forward Ryan O'Reilly stands out in a thin market.
While the 34-year-old O'Reilly is 10 years older than Rossi, he would be a fantastic fit on a Wild club that has Stanley Cup aspirations. Not only is he a smart two-way forward and Stanley Cup champion, but he leads the Predators in points and has an impressive 56-percent faceoff win percentage.
O'Reilly has 13 goals, 25 assists and 38 points in 45 games.
Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Could the Wild look to bring back Tuch almost nine years after trading him to the Vegas Golden Knights? With the Wild arguably needing another star top-six winger, it is something they should seriously consider.
While the Buffalo Sabres have gotten themselves back into the playoff race due to their hot stretch of play, questions about Tuch's future with the Atlantic Division club continue to come up. If the Sabres officially make the pending UFA available at the deadline, the Wild would be wise to pursue him. If they brought him in, he would instantly give their top six a major boost, due to his scoring ability and size.
In 42 games this season with the Sabres, Tuch has posted 14 goals, 22 assists, 36 points and a plus-8 rating.
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