Wild, Lightning Swap AHL Forwards in Minor Development Trade

The Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning completed a minor-league swap on Sunday, with Minnesota acquiring forward Boris Katchouk in exchange for Michael Milne. Both players were skating in the AHL and will report to their new affiliates, with Katchouk heading to the Iowa Wild and Milne joining the Syracuse Crunch.

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This season, Katchouk has produced four goals and 10 points in 21 games with Syracuse, numbers that haven’t matched his strong 2023–24 AHL campaign. Still, his size, experience, and versatility give Minnesota a safer depth profile.

He represents a more established depth option for the Wild organization. Minnesota’s AHL affiliate has struggled to remain competitive in recent seasons, and Katchouk could help in that regard, while also providing injury call-up insurance. A former second-round pick of the Lightning in 2016, Katchouk has logged 179 NHL games across stints with Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Ottawa, along with extensive AHL experience.

Milne, 23, heads the other way as a younger, longer-term project. The former third-round pick has two goals and five points in 15 games with Iowa this season and has spent his entire pro career in the Wild organization. He has only one NHL game on his resume.

While the trade is a straightforward one-for-one exchange, it highlights a notable contrast in the developmental stage of each player.

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