The Minnesota Wild are regaining their mojo from a four-game losing streak and have opted to enter the trade market for the first time this season. To start the day, the Wild traded Calen Addison to the San Jose Sharks. In return, Minnesota will receive a 2026 5th-round pick and minor league winger Adam Rask.
🚨 TRADE NEWS 🚨
We have traded D Calen Addison for RW Adam Raska and a 5th Round Pick in the 2026 Draft. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/7bhBt5vnJM
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) November 8, 2023
Hours after the Addison trade, Minnesota sent a 7th-round pick in the 2025 draft to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for veteran defenceman Zach Bogosian.
🚨 TRADE NEWS 🚨
We have received D Zach Bogosian for a 7th round pick in the 2025 NHL draft. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/jSXyONO7Hp
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) November 8, 2023
Wild Trade Calen Addison to Strengthen Blue Line
The Wild had a slower start than they anticipated. After receiving one overtime point in four straight games, General Manager and President of Hockey Operations, Bill Guerin, identified their blue line as part of the problem. On an off day during a New York road trip, Guerin decided to indirectly trade power play specialist Addison for the heavier and gritty Bogosian. Bogosian has been a healthy scratch for Tampa and has obtained one point in four games. Last season, Bogosian scored one goal in 46 games. Ultimately, they have traded goals for strength: “We need to be able to defend, and that’s what Zach can bring to the table,” Guerin said. “He’s bigger. He’s heavier. And I just think that’s something we need to improve on.”
Guerin is not just talking about the regular season. Despite having over $14 million of dead cap space, the hard-nosed Guerin still expects to boost the team’s performance this post-season. This improvement is long-awaited. After all, the Wild have had seven consecutive first-round exits in the playoffs. A factor in those losses can be attributed to the smaller-sized defencemen on the Wild blue line. With the addition of Bogosian, Minnesota aims to build a blue line that is strong on the pucks and is difficult to push around. Furthermore, Guerin wants to weaponize Bogosian for one other thing: “experience, not just playing in the league, but winning and being on a championship-calibre team.”
Addison Will Grow in the Shark Tank
Like Bogosian, Guerin has a history with Addison. Guerin was staffed with the Pittsburg Penguins when they drafted Addison in 2018. Impressed with the 5’9″ defender’s smooth skating, and offensive capabilities, Guerin believed Addison could be a top-four defenceman and the next Jared Spurgeon for Minnesota. From day one, Minnesota encouraged Addison to model his game after Spurgeon. Yet, after 97 games with the Wild, Guerin felt the youngster had hit a wall with the franchise.
“For what we need right now, defensively, I think Zach fits us a little bit better,” Guerin said. “Our power play needs are being fulfilled in other areas. Calen Addison is a good player. He’s an NHL player. I had a long history with him. Sometimes, you just need a change — a better opportunity. And he’s going to get that.”
Addison had hoped to remain with the Wild. The Canadian-born player opted to remain in Minnesota this past summer, train with Wild trainers, and prove his dedication to the team. However, this trade will give Addison more room to develop. San Jose is defensively stricken and needs a boost in power play productively. As an excellent power-play quarterback, Addison could be the answer. With Minnesota, Addison battled for a spot in the line-up. With the Sharks, Addison can shed his fears of sitting in the press box. Instead, Addison can hone his skills by upping his time on ice with San Jose.
Main Photo Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
