New Jersey Devils: 5 Teams That Should Be In On Ryan Murray

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild are in a weird spot this season. They seem to be surging one year earlier than expected thanks to the phenomenal play of two rookies. Kirill Kaprizov is almost certainly going to win the Calder Trophy, but Kaapo Kahkonen has been just as good at keeping the Wild in the playoff race.

The question here is whether the Wild would be willing to buy or sell at the trade deadline. They are in this weird space where they have a lot of older players at the end of their prime or past it, but they also have the foundation for a really good team in the future led by Kaprizov and Kahkonen. Should they spend assets to help get Zach Parise and Ryan Suter a shot to make the postseason or should they think about the future?

Again, Murray is not going to cost a franchise-altering price to acquire. The Devils would be happy to get better than the 5th-round pick they spent for him. They have two 1st rounders and two 3rd rounders thanks to the Jason Zucker trade to the Penguins last season. Those extra assets could make a 4th-round pick very expendable. Maybe they would even be willing to part with one of the 3rd-round picks.

This is a questionable move for the Wild, but some of these teams that are close to the bubble could make a push for the playoffs if fans are allowed back in the arena. The real issue is they don’t need a left-handed defenseman. This would be a depth move only. They’d be by far the worst partner since defense isn’t even really a need. If they suffer an injury, then it makes a lot more sense. They’ve been lucky on that front so far.