In a Vancouver hotel ballroom a year ago, frustration — or maybe disappointment, or even anger — was written all over the face of Wild general manager Bill Guerin as he spoke to the media an hour or so after the 2025 NHL trade deadline had passed.

Minnesota had mostly stood pat, adding only bottom six forwards Justin Brazeau from Boston and Gustav Nyquist from Nashville. That pair would spend a combined total of 53 games in a Wild sweater, and were long gone before the start of the next training camp.

Blue Jackets’ center Charlie Coyle, left, looks for an open pass as Dallas Stars’ Mavrik Bourque (22) defends during a game on Jan. 22, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. He has 15 goals and 43 points in 58 games this season. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

One could Guerin wanted to get into the trade deadline action more actively but could not, mostly due to the nearly $15 million in dead salary cap money eaten up, at the time, by the bought-out contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

It’s 2026 now. The Wild are solidly in the playoffs. The dead cap money is gone. The franchise and the fan base have already been invigorated by the December blockbuster addition of Quinn Hughes. And the attitude is decidedly different as Friday’s 2 p.m. CT trade deadline approaches.

As Guerin said Sunday during a lengthy press conference before the Wild fell to St. Louis at Grand Casino Arena, he’s “in the game” this time around.

“We’ve got room to do some things. Like I’ve always said, if I have a chance to make the team better, I will. It’s just got to make sense,” Guerin said. His most clearly identified target is a center who can help in the faceoff circle.

If the Wild don’t make a move between now and Friday, it will be either because the asking price was too high or the potential trading partner is also in the playoff hunt and unwilling to part with assets.

A case in point is sizable Buffalo forward Tage Thompson, who has been talked of as a potential Wild trade target for the past year. That was before the Sabres’ midseason hot streak turned their attention making a playoff appearance for the first time in a decade. When talking trades, you need to look at the standings as much as the stat sheet.

“There’s so many teams still in it. If you’re four or five points out (of the playoffs), I mean, a couple games, you’re right back in it,” Guerin said. “It’s not like this humongous group of teams that’s just selling off. And even so, the way that the cap’s gone up, teams can keep their players. They can sign who they have. We’ll just see what’s out there.”

With seemingly everyone who has ever visited an NHL press box hosting a podcast these days, rumors are plentiful — and of questionable value. But among the talking heads, the most persistent possibility for Guerin and the Wild is Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck, whom Guerin picked for the gold medal-winning American Olympic team, and who earned his keep most prominently as a faceoff specialist in Milan.

In NHL games this season, Trocheck is winning 57 percent of his draws. He’s making $5.25 million a year with three years remaining on his contract.

Other possible targets include Robert Thomas of the Blues, who scored Sunday’s clinching empty net goal in St. Paul, Nazem Kadri of the Flames, Ryan O’Reilly of the Predators and the Blue Jackets’ Charlie Coyle, who began his NHL career with the Wild and is married to a former Miss Minnesota USA.

Two others that would make a bigger splash, but who might be long shots, are Predators forward Steven Stamkos and Devils forward Jack Hughes, Quinn’s younger brother. Stamkos has reportedly identified Minnesota, Dallas and Tampa Bay as the three places to which he would accept a trade. Adding Hughes, the former first overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, would mean a family reunion in Minnesota, but since he scored the golden goal in Milan and became an instant national celebrity, the trade price has likely risen considerably.

As for who they could potentially offer to a trade partner, Wild backup goalie Jesper Wallstedt and former first round pick Charlie Stramel, a senior at Michigan State, are among the most prized players currently in the Minnesota system. As for Guerin, he has a history of not spending assets just for the sake of it.

“Whatever the ask is, whatever we feel like is a good price for whatever we’re getting, we’ll do it,” the GM said. “If it’s astronomical and doesn’t make sense, and could hurt something for us in the future or whatever, then we won’t. We’ve got to look at short term and long term every single time we’re doing something like this. But again, if we get a chance to improve the team, we will.”

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