Wild GM “cries like a baby at night” as the trade deadline looms

Minnesota Wild general manager Paul Fenton wants February to be done and over with. And that includes the Feb. 25 trade deadline. He's had enough... 

The Wild is 1-6-3 in February and Fenton needs to make heartbreaking decisions on what do to on Monday: keeping his roster intact to go all the way and clinch a playoff spot in the West or make some bold moves to improve the team's future. 

"It hasn't been a lot of fun trying to sleep at night," Fenton told The Athletic's Michael Russo prior to Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. "When I do go to sleep, I find myself crying like a baby."

While Fenton seems to be ready to listen to offers on almost all of his players, Wild centre Eric Staal is at the heart of trade speculation given that he set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Staal owns a 10-team no-trade list as part of his deal and has strategically listed certain contending teams, as his preference is believed to be to stay and eventually retire in Saint Paul.  Fenton mights however need to make a move in the coming days if the right opportunity and offer presented itself.

Fenton is also entertaining inquiries on pending UFA forward Eric Fehr, winger Jason Zucker and defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin and pulled a trade on Wednesday, shipping Charlie Coyle to the Boston Bruins. 

Last week, head coach Bruce Boudreau guaranteed that his team would make the postseason. A day later, Fenton made it clear that he had gotten the green light to make trades ahead of the deadline, even if it means that the Wild will fall out of playoff contention. 

Minnesota could benefit from a hockey trade, and also the addition of starpower and young prospects, after all, they have now been shut out in back-to-back games.

We can understand why he isn't sleeping at night...