Yakov Trenin was the Wild’s only major free-agent acquisition in July, and he’s been a productive addition for a team that flew to San Jose, California on Wednesday sitting fourth in the Western Conference.

Trenin signed a four-year, $14 million contract and coach John Hynes planted him on the third line with another big wing, Marcus Foligno, and center Ryan Hartman. But Trenin — whom the Wild hoped might score a little this season after he combined for 12 goals and a plus-15 rating between Nashville and Colorado last season — has been dropped to the fourth line over the past few games.

That’s been a good line — Jakob Lauko and center Marat Khusnutdinov have been the mainstays — but the Wild are still looking for more from Trenin, who has one assist and 11 shots on goal, but is a plus-3 in 12 games.

“I think from a defensive perspective, he’s been one of our stronger forwards,” Hynes told reporters at the Wild’s morning skate at the Sharks’ SAP Center on Thursday.

But Hynes also acknowledged that he just had a meeting with his 6-foot-2, 201-pound wing.

“Just helping him get to (the) identity that gives him a really good chance — physical involvement, strong on pucks in the O zone,” Hynes said. “I think when he has an opportunity to get physical, I think he can engage a little bit more, you know, playing a north game into the ‘O’ zone up ice.”

Specifically, Hynes said he’d like to see Trenin use his body more than his stick in the offensive zone — over pucks and finishing checks. Trenin has 34 hits in 12 games, on pace for 232 over an 82-game season. He had 207 in 76 games last year, 30 of them in 10 playoff games with the Avalanche.

But, Hynes told reporters in San Jose, “To me, there’s another level (there).”

“To me, it’s just helping him understand what gives him the best chance to be a real effective player,” the coach added. “Because he brings things to a team that are vitally important, and he knows that.”

Milne, not Ohgren

Needing a 13th forward, the Wild called Michael Milne up to the big league team for the first time. The third-round pick in the 2022 entry draft missed all of training camp with an upper-body injury but has four goals and four assists in 10 games for the Iowa Wild.

Notably, they went to Milne instead of Liam Ohgren, a first-round pick who started the season in St. Paul. He has one goal in three games with Iowa since being assigned there on Oct. 31.

“It doesn’t make any sense to send Ohgie down and come back (right away),” Hynes told reporters.

The Wild suffered their second regulation loss, and first at home, against Los Angeles on Sunday, 5-1. Hynes said it’s possible Milne will get a chance to play either Friday in L.A. or Sunday in Chicago, but added, “It doesn’t mean that because we lost the game (Sunday) that we’re going to start pulling people out of the lineup and putting other guys in. I think you give everybody the opportunity to respond, and then we’ll go from there.”

Briefly

Marc-Andre Fleury was set to make his fourth start on Thursday, with Filip Gustavsson penciled in for Friday’s game at Crypto.com Arena. … Declan Chisholm was set to take Jon Merrill’s spot on the blue line Thursday.

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