Sure, president of hockey operations Bill Guerin could be found wheeling and dealing throughout the last week. First, this time last Friday, the Wild trading away future draft capital to the Nashville Predators for semi-familiar forward Gustav Nyquist.

Then Thursday, Minnesota traded away 22 y/o center Marat Khusnutdinov and 24 y/o wing Jakub Lauko to the Boston Bruins for 27 y/o wing Justin Brazeau. But as other top contenders in the Western Conference were getting better on Friday, Guerin watched and sat on his hands.

Colorado Avalanche leave Minnesota Wild in the dust at NHL Trade Deadline

One of the most active teams at the NHL trade deadline this afternoon was Wild division rival, the Colorado Avalanche. They spent Friday swapping out multiple forwards, while also making upgrades on the blue line. The flurry of activity in Colorado today started right as the calendar was flipping from Thursday to Friday.

Across the hockey world, NHL fans woke up to notifications that the Avs had traded away 20 y/o top prospect Calum Ritchie and 27 y/o defenseman Oliver Kylington — along with a future 1st and 3rd round draft pick — to the New York Islanders, in exchange for 33 y/o Warroad native Brock Nelson and 23 y/o forward William Dufour, a top 10 prospect in the Avs system.

Brock Nelson is off to Denver!! 🏔️ #NHLTradeDeadline pic.twitter.com/GOQifR6gYd

— NHL (@NHL) March 7, 2025

The move for Nelson felt like a direct shot across the bow at their division rival, the Minnesota Wild. Remember, Michael Russo (The Athletic) and others around the league have been reporting on the Wild’s interest in bringing Nelson home ASAP, whether it happened via deadline trade or when he becomes a free agent this offseason.

Now that Nelson is on the roster of their biggest division rival, is it less likely that Brock returns to Minnesota and plays for his home state Wild next season? Only Brock Nelson and those around him can answer that question, but it certainly doesn’t make his homecoming more likely.

Avalanche brass can’t get Minnesota off their brain at trade deadline…

But the Colorado Avalanche were far from finished dealing, after they landed Nelson in the wee hours of Friday morning. This afternoon, the Avs must’ve realized they had too much Minnesota blood on their roster, after the Nelson acquisition.

Thus, the Wild’s top rival traded decided to trade 26 y/o Eden Prairie native, Casey Mittelstadt, to the Boston Bruins. Of course, the Minnesota Wild connections didn’t end there. In return for Mittelstadt, the Avalanche received 33 y/o former Wild fan favorite Charlie Coyle, who played the first 479 games of his NHL career in Minnesota.

We have acquired Charlie Coyle and a 2026 pick from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt, William Zellers, and a 2025 pick. pic.twitter.com/yNozSyN2SS

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 7, 2025

I’m not trying to sound like the late, great Billy Mays selling you Oxyclean when you wake up with the TV on at 3 a.m. with this article… “but wait, there’s more!” No seriously, the Minnesota obsession in Colorado did not stop after the Mittelstadt for Coyle trade.

Related: MN Wild Forward Named Breakout Star to Watch at 2026 Olympics

Moments after that deal went final, the Avs must’ve felt regret for trading away one of the Minnesotans on the roster, because they immediately turned around and acquired another one from the Philadelphia Flyers, this time trading for Bloomington-born and MN raised, Erik Johnson, a 36-year-old defenseman who returns to Colorado, where he spent the best years of his career from 2010 to 2023.

We have acquired Erik Johnson from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Givani Smith. pic.twitter.com/eLpTLJforp

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 7, 2025

Look, I understand that there are a lot of Minnesota-born players in the NHL, but there was a different level of interest from the Avalanche today, in acquiring and dealing away guys with ties to the state of hockey. Even while Bill Guerin stayed quiet at the deadline, we were all up in the brain of those running the Avs front office at the deadline.

The Minnesota Wild trade deadline problem

Michael Russo of The Athletic seems to think Brock Nelson is dead-set on returning home to Minnesota (see below). The pending free agent carries a $6-million annual average salary, a large chunk of which the New York Islanders would have to pay.

The problem is the Wild have no payroll flexibility. Unless they were to lose a big contract player to season-long injured reserve – which nobody wants – it’s going to be hard to make any significant moves. That’s unless a team is willing to eat salary for increased draft capital or better prospects. Unfortunately, Minnesota already flipped their 2025 first-round pick for David Jiříček, too.

The Wild have $100,242 in cap space and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 that can be moved. Those tight financial restrictions will make it difficult to acquire Nelson in-season. But even if they wait until the offseason, Russo seems pretty confident the Warroad, MN native is coming home sooner than later.

The Wild have no cap space assuming they don’t have a player on season-ending LTIR at some point. There’s also no guarantee the Islanders trade [Brock Nelson]. Lou Lamoriello has a history of letting guys walk for nothing. (See: Zach Parise.)

So, we have to see what the cap space is as we get closer to the deadline. I really think the Wild are signing him this offseason, so how much do you really want to give up for somebody you can get this summer without getting rid of assets?

-Michael Russo, The Athletic (subscription required)

The making of a Wild + Brock Nelson trade

Brock Nelson would bring a big boost to the Wild’s offense, especially on the faceoff dot. He’s won a career-high 53.7 percent of faceoffs this season and his possession metrics are above average. Nelson is also skating more than ever, logging 19:13 in ice time per game. He’s got 13 goals and 15 assists over 46 games played.

SHEESH BROCK NELSON 🤢 pic.twitter.com/IxdQNvuY3S

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 15, 2024

Given how Nelson has played this season, a first-round pick will assuredly be required if the Minnesota Wild are to acquire him in-season. The Islanders would have to pay the entirety of his salary after all. But by the March 7 trade deadline, the Islanders will have just 31 games remaining. That’s 38 percent of the season, so the Islanders would basically pay $2.268 million for a first-round pick. That’s unlikely.

Related: Minnesota Wild Depth Chart, Projected Lines and Current Salary Cap Space (2024-25)

Nelson will be 34 next season, so he’s probably looking to sign the last contract of his career. Minnesota makes the most sense, especially with the dead money from the Parise/Suter contracts off the books. Trading for Nelson would cost a lot, but if the Wild can contend this season because of Brock Nelson, that’s a trade you make. Making that trade with the hope of contending once the team is at full strength would be unwise.

What Brock Nelson could bring the Minnesota Wild this season…

The Wild would certainly benefit from acquiring Brock Nelson in-season. It’s the kind of addition that will undoubtedly increase their chances to contend. In three games against the West-leading Winnipeg Jets, the Wild have averaged 0.67 goals per game. The offense of Brock Nelson would help the Wild overcome the league’s best goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck.

The Minnesota Wild have also struggled scoring against the other teams atop the West. Against the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota has one goal in two games. And in two games against Vegas, the Wild have scored thrice. Minnesota has just two goals per game against Colorado and Dallas as well.

Related: Minnesota Wild Recall New Defenseman to Replace Brock Faber

While trading for Brock Nelson suits the Wild this season, it’s highly unlikely…but not impossible. What’s certain is Minnesota needs to make a move if they want to contend this season. Regardless, some of the roughly $15 million in cap space the Minnesota Wild have next season will likely be used to bring Brock Nelson home – and maybe a little bit extra, depending on how the next three to six months unfold.

…we don’t think he’s a realistic option for the Wild next summer. Mikko Rantanen would be worth taking a big swing on, though it’s more likely the Colorado Avalanche lock him up. The more realistic scenarios for the Wild are the likes of Nelson and Boeser, with the latter more of an option if Rossi isn’t re-signed or is traded.

-Michael Russo, The Athletic (subscription required)