Minnesota Wild: Breaking down the return for Jason Zucker
The Minnesota Wild finally traded forward Jason Zucker after their two previous attempts went sour. They managed to get a very impressive package for him.
The odds were against the Minnesota Wild winning any trade involving Jason Zucker. After their two previous attempts to trade him went awry, his value was thought to be at an all-time low. But despite the odds being against him, Wild general manager Bill Guerin managed to win his first major trade.
It’s painful to lose someone like Zucker, who is a very good player. However, he was damaged goods and it wasn’t even Guerin’s fault that he was damaged goods.
The Wild managed to get a top prospect and a first-round pick. They even got someone they might be able to flip at the deadline for another draft pick.
Let’s breakdown precisely what the Wild got for Zucker.
Alex Galchenyuk
Alex Galchenyuk was effectively a salary cap dump. He was included in the trade to make the finances work out. If Galchenyuk wasn’t in the trade, the trade probably wouldn’t have happened. He’s a very talented forward, but has struggled mightily as of late. In 45 games this season, he has 17 points, including just five goals.
He will be a free agent after this season, so the Wild might be able to flip him before the deadline for a draft pick. Galchenyuk has a rather pricey cap hit at $4.9 million, but the Wild could make him more enticing by being willing to retain 50% of his cap hit. They wouldn’t get much for him, but as they say, something is better than nothing.
Calen Addison
Calen Addison is the crown jewel of the Zucker trade. He was unquestionably the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top prospect and one of the best defensemen prospects in all of hockey. Addison will turn 20 in April and could be ready to make his NHL debut as soon as the end of this season.
He was especially impressive at the World Juniors, where he posted eight points in seven games with Team Canada. Addison was originally drafted by the Penguins in the second round of the 2018 draft. Since then, his value has skyrocketed. This season, Addison has 43 points in 39 games as of Feb. 11.
2020 First Round Pick (Conditional)
Though the first-round pick is conditional, it will almost indefinitely be a 2020 first-round pick. If the Penguins somehow don’t make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season (and the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of them making the postseason), the Penguins have the option of giving up their 2021 first-round pick instead.
The 2020 NHL Draft is a deep one, so even a pick in the 20s should be valuable. And if the Wild see a player they really like, they could package both of their first-round picks to move up in the draft.
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My Take
They were willing to use their cap space as an asset, and because they used it correctly, they managed to get two pretty impressive assets in Addison and a first-round pick. Guerin did extremely well in his first major test as a general manager. He did what Paul Fenton couldn’t do – trade Zucker. And Guerin managed to get a huge return, which Fenton didn’t do in his two failed attempts.