Minnesota Wild: Paul Fenton’s trades are paying off so far

In his first year as general manager of the Minnesota Wild, Paul Fenton has moved out three of the team’s top players. So far, the results have only been positive in the State of Hockey.

Minnesota Wild general manager Paul Fenton wasn’t happy with where his team was standing mid-way through January, and he went about making the major changes that predecessor Chuck Fletcher wouldn’t perform.

Fenton’s first move took place on Jan. 19, when he traded fan favorite Nino Niederreiter to the Carolina Hurricanes for center Victor Rask. The former was struggling with a mere nine goals and 23 points in 46 games.

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That was only the start of what would be a busy next few weeks for Fenton. He later traded the talented but underachieving Charlie Coyle to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Ryan Donato and a 2019 fifth round draft choice. Coyle had just 10 goals and 28 points in 60 games with the Wild, so a change of scenery was obviously in the best interests of both parties.

Fenton got even bolder on trade deadline day, sending out two-time 60-point forward Mikael Granlund to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Kevin Fiala, who hasn’t topped 48 points in a single season.

The three trades suggested that Fenton was transitioning towards a rebuild or retooling process. But so far, the trio of moves have actually catapulted the Wild back into the playoff picture – and they don’t look ready to slow down any time soon.

The Wild have gone 5-0-2 over their last seven games now. This includes big-time road wins against elite teams such as the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames.

Minnesota is still waiting for Fiala (two goals in four games) and Rask (two points in 10 games) to find their full games under head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Donato has been up to the challenge, with seven points in as many games since joining his new team.

Entering play on Tuesday, the red-hot Wild are holding onto the final wild card spot in the Western Conference with 72 points. They’re trying to catch up to the seventh-seeded Dallas Stars while holding off the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche.

This race will be going down to the wire, but it’s hard not to like the Wild’s chances of extending their postseason streak to seen years. Minnesota isn’t exactly a Stanley Cup contender, but you can bet they’ll provide a scare to a team like the Flames or Jets — whom the Wild are 4-0-0 against this season.

Moving on from a trio of quality players in Coyle, Niederreiter and Granlund was not easy for Fenton. But he was smart enough to realize that keeping the core together wasn’t going to yield different results.

Fenton took a risk and traded away three of his top forwards for returns that looked lackluster at the time. But so far, so good. The Wild have been playing their best hockey of the season since the deadline deals, and fans in the State of Hockey have to love what Fenton has done in his first year on the job.