Three quality and realistic options for the Wild at forward this offseason.

Three potential options at forward for the Wild.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 7 years ago
Three quality and realistic options for the Wild at forward this offseason.
Keystone Press.

There's a consensus among pundits that suggests the Minnesota Wild are looking to add a big offensive piece to their roster this offseason, and while they have been mentioned in the potential race for Steven Stamkos we will be focusing on three more realistic options for the Wild this summer.

The first is one that should be obvious to fans of the Wild who have their ear to the ground, Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would be a terrific fit on the Wild line up and there were multiple rumors leading up to the deadline that suggested this was a trade both sides were interested in making. The Oilers needs are on the blue line and with players like Jared Spurgeon, Matt Dumba, Christna Folin and Nate Prosser all assets currently controlled by the Wild they have the pieces to make it worthwhile for Edmonton.

If the Wild are to make a splash through free agency general manager Chuck Fletcher will need to be creative in order to find the salary space, and a buyout of a player like Tomas Vanek could be the solution. If the Wild do move in this direction a player like the gritty Andrew Ladd could be a very realistic, and sexy, option for Minnesota. While not as offensively gifted as some of the free agents on the market, Ladd brings his imposing size and his experience as a former Stanley Cup Champion and former NHL captain are the kind of intangibles general managers love.

The third option has already circulated quite a bit in rumors in recent weeks, and would involve a trade of Rangers forward Rick Nash to Minnesota. Nash is probably the least attractive of the three options, and would probably cost the Wild a big price in order to acquire, not to mention if the Rangers refuse to retain salary this would be a very difficult deal to make a reality. With that said the rumors have been persistent, and the addition of Nash with the Rangers retaining a significant portion of his salary would undoubtedly bolster the Wild offense.

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