The Minnesota Wild’s desperate need for a No. 1 center is well-documented. The Wild received a reminder of it this spring when their best center in Joel Eriksson Ek – the closest thing they have to a top-line center – missed the playoffs due to injury. The Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup run served as another reminder with the likes of Jack Eichel, Chandler Stephenson and William Karlsson down the middle.
In Minnesota, Ryan Hartman has outperformed expectations while centering Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello on the top line after moving to center from wing. But it’s not his true position, and he’s not a No. 1 on any other team. Eriksson Ek’s offensive trajectory is on the rise, but he’s more of a high-end No. 2. And Freddy Gaudreau is a typical solid third-line center.
So naturally when a center of Mark Scheifele’s caliber has an uncertain future, it becomes a talking point for many about the Wild. Which is ironic because Minnesota has seen him a lot over the years.
In fact, ESPN recently wrote a piece looking at potential trades. And I bet you can guess where the mock trade has the Winnipeg Jets sending Scheifele. In exchange for Scheifele and a 2024 third-round pick, the Wild would send Freddy Gaudreau, defensive prospect Carson Lambos, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick to the Winnipeg Jets in the hypothetical trade.
There’s a lot to unpack here, but let’s start with the trade itself. Scheifele, who recently turned 30, is in the final year of his contract worth a modest $6.125 annually.
Gaudreau, 30, recently signed a five-year contract with an affordable cap hit of $2.1 million – and with that deal came a 15-team modified no-trade clause. Lambos is a stud offensive defenseman and a first round pick by the Wild in 2021.
Setting aside context and timing, the deal itself on paper isn’t outrageous, but it's a steep price. The Wild would essentially send two-first round picks (a 2023 first and Lambos) to Winnipeg in addition to Gaudreau and the swapped picks.
But those who claim that Scheifele is “cooked” are forgetting that he scored a career-high 42 goals (tied for ninth) and 68 points last season in what marked his first 30-plus goal season since 2018-19. His 1.9 wins above replacement, according to Evolving-Hockey, proved he can still be a top-line center. He also significantly improved defensively.
So while Scheifele saw his production decline over the last few years, he rebounded quite well last season. Moving Lambos wouldn't be ideal though since he’s now the organization’s top defensive prospect with Brock Faber and Calen Addison at the NHL level. But Minnesota still has plenty of defensive talent with the likes of Jack Peart, Daemon Hunt, Ryan O’ Rourke, David Spacek and Kyle Masters in the system.
If the Wild were on the verge of contention, this is the type of sign-and-trade deal you at least consider making because something has to give at some point to get an established premier center.
But that's why trading for Scheifele isn't in the Wild's best interest, and why this trade doesn't work.
It’s just not the right timing because the Wild aren't quite ready to contend. There's still two years left of almost $15 million in dead cap from the buyouts before it decreases to $833K for the following four seasons, according to Puckpedia. When it turns to $833K for the 2025-26 season, Scheifele will already be 32 and nobody knows what type of player he will be at that point and how he will age. Chances are his next contract will be pricey, something the Wild won't want on their books long term.
What’s more is that the Wild don’t know yet what they have in Marco Rossi and highly regarded Russian prospect in center Marat Khusnutdinov, two of their top prospects. The last thing you want is a veteran blocking a young player ready to make the next step.
Moreover, with the cap expected to rise – potentially even by over $5 million by 2024-25 – the Wild are better suited to be patient and wait to invest in a No. 1 center for a younger, more long-term solution, if one doesn't emerge internally. To make the money work for Scheifele anyways, the Wild would have to make a sizeable cap-cutting move, too, which creates other problems.
Should we even mention that this year's draft is one of the best in recent history?
Even though the Wild have the top ranked prospect pool in the league, the pipeline needs more high-end prospects with upside. So moving pick No. 21 in a draft like this wouldn't be wise for a player on the wrong side of 30. Not to mention Lambos has one of the highest upsides among the Wild's defensive crop.
The Wild have been building for the future and their prospect pipeline proves it. Trading for a 30-year-old soon-to-be UFA who will command a hefty extension won’t help the Wild down the line. Neither will trading valuable assets to acquire him in the first place.
Prioritizing their prospects and knowing when the time is right to start making big moves and trading premium assets is paramount – and that time in Minnesota is not right now.