It would take a monster return for the Minnesota Wild to trade their standout rookie goaltender, Jesper Wallstedt. The Great Wall of St. Paul has been a valiant replacement for Marc-Andre Fleury this season, and the duo of him and Filip Gustavsson could be a force for Minnesota in a tough Central Division. However, most organizations run with just one hot goaltender in the postseason, which could make one of the two goaltenders expendable.
The Wild’s win-now mentality is a product of the division they are playing in. Most years, Minnesota’s roster would easily be the top team in its division. However, the Central quickly became the place where all the superstars reside, as the Wild, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars can all make a case for representing the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.
Minnesota feels like they need one more center at the trade deadline to keep pace with its division rivals. If it takes Wallstedt to do it, Bill Guerin might not be afraid to pull the trigger, and a recent trade conversation on the Empty Netters podcast would undoubtedly be a blockbuster if the Ottawa Senators were willing to do it.
The hosts, Dan and Chris Powers, and their guest, Jack Jablonski, believe that the Senators should pull the trigger on a deal to land Wallstedt. If they were in charge of Ottawa’s front office, they’d trade one of Tim Stuzle, Dylan Cozens, or even Brady Tkachuk to make it happen.
Who Says No? Senators or Wild
Three of those players aren’t in the same ballpark when it comes to value for either team. The Senators acquired Dylan Cozens for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Bernard-Docker is no longer with the Sabres, and while Norris was a loss to Ottawa’s locker room, his injury issues since arriving in Buffalo suggest the Senators likely dodged a bullet by acquiring something for him.
Cozens is on pace for 27 goals and 35 assists this year, which would be nearing a career-high. The Senators would miss his offensive output, as the story of their season has been above-average offense without getting consistent goaltending. Turning Norris into Cozens and then Wallstedt would be a good piece of business for the Senators, and also fill a need for Minnesota.
The Senators would be making a mistake if they traded Stutzle or Tkachuk for Wallstedt. Stutzle is at minimum a point-per-game player, and Tkachuk is the best all-around player on the roster. Ottawa would be taking two steps back to acquire a young goaltender, and they could likely fix those issues while also keeping the stars on the roster.
A trade involving Dylan Cozens and Jesper Wallstedt would be the move to blow people’s minds the least. While it’d still be a blockbuster, it wouldn’t quite be on the same level as Tkachuk or Stutzle, leaving Canada’s capital. The Wild and Senators could likely orchestrate a Cozens deal, but the Senators should quickly say “NO” to Tkachuk or Stutzle.
Next: Fleury Now Wild’s Plan B in Wallstedt Trade Scenario?
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