The Minnesota Wild were among the busiest teams ahead of the trade deadline, making several moves to strengthen their roster as they push for a deep playoff run.
Sitting third in the Central Division, Minnesota showed clear intent to upgrade. According to reports, they had their eyes on a major prize in the offseason.
Why the Minnesota Wild Could Target Robert Thomas in the Offseason
Trade speculation heated up around Robert Thomas, the top-line center for the St. Louis Blues. With talk of a potential rebuild in St. Louis, Thomas quickly became one of the most intriguing names on the rumor mill. He is in the third season of his eight-year, $65 million contract and holds a full no-trade clause, making any potential deal complicated.
NHL insider Michael Russo revealed that Minnesota made a strong push to land the star pivot. “Bill Guerin is motivated this summer to do something significant; I have no doubt they went hard after Robert Thomas, I know they went hard after Vincent Trocheck,” Russo said.
Russo added that Bill Guerin has shown a clear willingness to make bold moves, especially after pulling off the blockbuster trade to acquire Quinn Hughes in December. “I could tell you for a fact that if you don’t know Bill Guerin too well, if you don’t think that he tried to make a big swing, especially on the heels of making the Quinn Hughes trade,” Russo said.
However, he also questioned whether Minnesota still has enough assets to complete another big deal. He noted that in The Athletic’s prospect pool rankings, the Wild dropped from second to 23rd in just one year, largely because the team has traded away a significant number of draft picks and prospects.
Despite that, Russo added that Minnesota would likely jump at any opportunity to land another high-end player.
For his part, Thomas downplayed the speculation and emphasized that no serious discussions ever reached him.
“I was never asked anything from the Blues,” Thomas explained. “Everything that I heard was coming from the insiders and different things online. I just want to be clear: I was never asked, and nor did I ever ask for a trade.”
For now, the rumors remain just that. However, with Minnesota still aiming to upgrade and St. Louis potentially evaluating its future, the situation could resurface in the offseason.
The Wild will next face the Boston Bruins on Saturday as they continue their playoff push.
