The Minnesota Vikings were not big players in the first day of the ‘legal tampering period’ which has become essentially the first day of free agency as a torrent of deals are announced.
Minnesota
Minnesota Wild 2026 trade deadline report card: Grading Bill Guerin’s moves
The Athletic has live coverage of the NHL trade deadline.
Movement since Dec. 12
In: Quinn Hughes, Michael McCarron, Bobby Brink, Jeff Petry, Robby Fabbri, Nick Foligno
Out: Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ogren, David Jiricek, Vinnie Hinostroza, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 seventh-round pick, 2028 second-round pick
Grade: A+
The Wild’s heavy lifting was done with their mid-December blockbuster for Quinn Hughes, who has absolutely been a game-changer for the franchise.
President of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin paid a hefty price — most notably dealing Marco Rossi and top prospect Zeev Buium — but Hughes has changed everything for Minnesota, from their breakouts and offensive generation to how they’re seen around the league: as legitimate Cup contenders.
With Hughes’ puck-moving prowess, plus two play-driving wingers in Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, there was less pressure on the Wild to go out and get a No. 1 center — at least, for now. The Wild tried, of course, pursuing the likes of Vincent Trocheck, Robert Thomas and Ryan O’Reilly.
But with the price points too high, Guerin elected to punt until the summer, saving his precious few trade chips to potentially land a bigger fish. Meanwhile, he added depth to make the roster thicker.
The Wild basically overhauled their bottom six.
Michael McCarron brings size, snarl and strong faceoff ability to the fourth line and the penalty kill. Think of what kind of force a fourth line of Marcus Foligno, McCarron and Yakov Trenin could be in a playoff series. Bobby Brink brings speed and skill to the middle six, plus he fits Minnesota’s defensive identity and forecheck. He’s a third-line right winger who could move up the lineup.
Robby Fabbri is a four-time 15-goal scorer who is open to any role and whose experience can help in the room.
Foligno, the former Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks captain, is another potential fourth-liner/depth piece who may not play much, but Chicago is doing the veteran a solid to give him a chance to chase the Cup with his brother, Marcus. Nick Foligno has played center all year, so that gives the coaching staff options.
Up front, these additions mean the Wild won’t have to dip into AHL Iowa for the likes of Ben Jones or Tyler Pitlick if injuries arise.
Jeff Petry (for a seventh-round pick) is an experienced, right-shot defenseman who is OK being a seventh or eighth defenseman. He’ll help in case Jared Spurgeon, Brock Faber or Zach Bogosian gets hurt, and is someone they’re more comfortable with than the options they have in Iowa, including David Spacek. The move makes more sense now that the Wild have dealt David Jiricek to the Philadelphia Flyers for Brink.
The Wild didn’t make any flashy moves at the deadline — the Hughes addition brought plenty of that — meaning Guerin and company still have useful assets they can parlay into a bigger move this offseason.
This is still a really good team and a Cup contender. Guerin showed some patience here, and time will tell whether the Wild reward his faith. — Joe Smith
What they’re saying
Brink’s former USA Under-18 coach John Wroblewski: “With Brink, I feel you get an underrated competitor who has untapped potential as an offensive catalyst. He has a unique way of finding quiet ice and then consistent handles and deliveries of the puck, whether shooting or passing. He reminds me of a young Sam Reinhart in the way he plays the game, and I think this is a great get. That he’s a Minnesota native and great kid are added bonuses.”
Marcus Foligno on playing with brother Nick: “Just crazy. It’s a crazy moment in our family, and just to know you’re going to play with your brother is a dream come true. I’ve got the shakes going right now. He wants to be a part of this group and to play with me, obviously. He feels kind of invested in this group for a while now. He just wants to help out any way he can. And hopefully, it’s a long ride.”
Blues coach Jim Montgomery on the addition of Hughes: “He’s such a dynamic player and now he gives them three dynamic players. To me, Kaprizov and Boldy are extremely dynamic, and they have support players with those three. I mean, it’s a really good hockey team. They’re playing a great brand of hockey. They’re hard to defend, and (Hughes) just makes them even harder.”
Nashville coach Andrew Brunette on how Hughes changes the Wild: “They were a really good team without him. And obviously, he’s a game-changer. He’s arguably the best — one of the best — guys back there. He probably changes the whole flow of the game for them. He plays 30 minutes for them. The way he breaks the puck out is as good as there is in our league. They were a really good team, and now they’re arguably a top two or three team in the league.”
Marcus Foligno on McCarron: “He’s always been a guy with the Predators who has done a really good job against our top lines, especially in Nashville. We always seemed to have been having tough games because he takes on a lot of minutes against guys like Kaprizov and (Joel Eriksson Ek), where he can counter pretty well against them. So to have him on our team now is great. I always liked the way he protected pucks. He’s responsible; rarely gets caught cheating the game. So to have that reliable guy that’s up the middle as well, big faceoff scenarios, it’ll help us out so much more now. It will be fun to play with him once I’m back.”
Guerin on Fabbri: “He’s a competitive guy. He’s always had speed. He’s a high-character kid. When I spoke to (Blues general manager) Doug Armstrong about him, he raved about his character and what type of person he is. I think he just needs a real good opportunity to play, and he’s been through a lot in his career, and he keeps fighting through, and he’s established himself as a solid NHL player. Sometimes it’s a change of scenery that can rejuvenate you or get you going again. I think a lot of times guys just need a different opportunity.”
What it means for the team’s lineup
There are two versions of this: the Wild lineup immediately after the deadline, and the one that includes injured players Marcus Foligno and Marcus Johansson. That will give a clearer picture of how the deadline adds fit.
At this point, the lineup looks like:
Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello
Tarasenko-Eriksson Ek-Boldy
Trenin-Yurov-Brink
N. Foligno-Sturm-McCarron
Extra: Fabbri
Injured: M. Foligno, Johansson
Hughes-Faber
Brodin-Spurgeon
Middleton-Bogosian
Hunt-Petry
Gustavsson
Wallstedt
But for the playoffs, assuming a return to health, it could look like:
Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello
Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy
Tarasenko-Yurov-Brink
M. Foligno-McCarron-Trenin
Extras: Sturm, N. Foligno, Fabbri
Hughes-Faber
Brodin-Spurgeon
Middleton-Bogosian
Hunt-Petry
Gustavsson
Wallstedt
Trade grades
The trade: Wild get defenseman Quinn Hughes. Canucks get forward Marco Rossi, forward Liam Öhgren, defenseman Zeev Buium and a 2026 first-round draft pick.
Corey Pronman’s Wild grade: B-
Shayna Goldman’s Wild grade: A
Dom Luszczyszyn’s Wild grade: A
The trade: Wild get center Michael McCarron. Predators get a 2028 second-round draft pick.
Harman Dayal’s Wild grade: C+
The trade: Wild get forward Bobby Brink. Flyers get defenseman David Jiricek.
Corey Pronman’s Wild grade: B+
Harman Dayal’s Wild grade: B+
The trade: Wild get forward Nick Foligno. Blackhawks get future considerations.
James Mirtle’s Wild grade: B
Sean Gentile’s Wild grade: B-
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – ATMs that deal in cryptocurrency could be banned in Minnesota soon.
Crypto ATM ban considered
The backstory:
Police across the state are urging lawmakers to pass a DFL ban on those kiosks that convert cash to crypto.
They say the machines are used extensively by criminals trying to scam people or to hide the proceeds of their crimes. In 2024, lawmakers passed a law to regulate the machines. Still, last year Attorney General Keith Ellison warned of an increase in crypto ATM scams.
At a hearing last month, Faribault police reported their residents had lost $500,000 since 2022 from crypto ATM scams. Woodbury Detective Lynn Lawrence told lawmakers about a victim she helped who had completed at least ten Bitcoin transactions over six months at crypto ATMs.
By the numbers:
Right now there are about 350 crypto kiosks in the state. They are often located in gas stations and grocery stores.
Their owners say this proposed law goes too far, but they’d support a law requiring full refunds for any customers who were victims of fraud.
How crypto ATMs work
Dig deeper:
Crypto ATMs allow users to turn fiat money into digital currency or vice versa. Users typically have to scan their identification to be able to use the machines and then the currency is sent to a wallet of their choosing.
However, the machines are increasingly used by scammers who convince elderly victims to use the ATMs to use the machines to send them money. Once the money is sent, it’s impossible to recoup the funds from the scammers.
Exchanges can blacklist scammers’ wallets and block them from withdrawing ill-gotten funds. However, most scammers will use “mixers” which wash the funds through a service that makes the coins hard to track or find ways around large exchanges like decentralized exchanges and peer-to-peer exchanges.
The other side:
At a hearing on Tuesday, Larry Lipka, counsel for digital currency platform CoinFlip, which operates 50 crypto ATMs in Minnesota, recognized scams are an issue, but pointed out scamming won’t disappear if crypto kiosks are banned.
“While I understand that scams are a problem, scams are a problem everywhere in this country,” said Lipka, “They are a problem for crypto kiosks, they are a problem for wire transfers, and they are a problem for gift cards. But no one is here today saying we should ban exchanges or gift cards or wire transfers because scammers use them.”
Instead of a ban, Lipka urged lawmakers to instead consider smarter and better controls for kiosks. According to Lipka, back in 2024, CoinFlip pushed for further protections when the previous crypto ATM bill was being discussed, arguing that legislation didn’t go far enough.
The Vikings did make some big splashes in free agency last year, and the dead cap hits to clear those moves is a big reason why they haven’t made any big splashes so far this year. That should serve as a useful reminder that often times the big splashes in free agency don’t work out and prove to be bloated contracts the team dumps in a couple years.
‘Moneyball’ Free Agency for the Vikings
The Vikings did sign a one free agent today that wasn’t previously on the team, namely cornerback James Pierre formerly with the Steelers.
The above graphic is difficult to read but the upshot is that Pierre had the lowest passer rating when targeted allowed along with the lowest completion rate when targeted allowed of all defensive backs in the league last season. That translated into the highest PFF coverage grade among cornerbacks with more than 13 coverage snaps last season as well. Pierre is an older player- 29 – but the Vikings signed him on a 2-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of just $4.25 million. Overall, a good but overlooked player who could fill the CB3 role for the Vikings or potentially be a quality depth piece if the Vikings draft a cornerback that wins a starting job. I like this move by the Vikings a lot better than the move to sign Jeff Okudah last year.
There was no news on the Kyler Murray front as the Cardinals have not officially released him yet, which precludes any announcements from his future team, but should he end up signing with the Vikings as is widely expected, he too would be another “Moneyball” type signing as a quality starter on just a veteran minimum salary.
The Vikings didn’t seriously involved in any bidding wars either, including for their own free agents. Jalen Nailor signed with the Raiders on a 3-year, $35 million deal. There was no way the Vikings were going to pay Nailor anything near that to be WR3. Nailor will move up the depth chart with the Raiders and their likely new quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Vikings also let punter Ryan Wright sign with the Saints on a 4-year, $14 million deal.
The Vikings were also rumored to be looking into the free agency running back market, but don’t appear to have been serious contenders for any of the higher profile names- Kenneth Walker, Kenneth Gainwell, Travis Etienne, or Tyler Allgeier. My own view on this is unless the Vikings went for a big splash and ponied up to sign Walker, the other running backs on the market really aren’t going to move the needle on the Vikings’ running game. That’s not to say they aren’t good or decent running backs, they just aren’t going to make much difference and come at higher prices. The Vikings would be better off using a mid-round pick on a running back who could rotate with Jordan Mason and possibly Zavier Scott. There are a few running backs in this year’s draft who could fill that role nicely and could surprise on the upside.
The Vikings also wisely avoided the overheated center market, highlighted by Tyler Linderbaum signing a 3-year, $81 million deal with the Raiders that is basically fully guaranteed, as the last year of the deal becomes fully guaranteed at the beginning of next season. For comparison, quarterback Kirk Cousins signed the first fully guaranteed free agent quarterback contract back in 2018- 3-years, $84 million. Now centers are getting the same deals.
The Vikings did make deals with some of their own, however. They signed linebacker/core special teamer Eric Wilson on a 3-year, $22.5 million deal with $12.5 million guaranteed. The details of the deal are not yet available, but it looks like more of a two-year deal at $6.25 AAV with a third-year club option. Wilson had one of his better seasons last year, leading the league in quarterback pressures among off-ball linebackers while still being good in run defense. He was mediocre in coverage but also a leader on special teams and highest PFF-graded among core special teamers. He may be the special teams captain this season with the retirement of C.J. Ham.
The Vikings also agreed on some Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA) deals with Bo Richter, Jalen Redmond, and Zavier Scott- essentially league minimum deals- and made a tender offer on Ivan Pace Jr. on a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) deal that will likely keep Pace with the Vikings this year for $3.5 million.
What’s Next in Free Agency
Apart from the Vikings potentially/likely signing quarterback Kyler Murray at some point after he’s officially released by the Cardinals, there’s not a lot of rumors out there linking the Vikings to any particular free agent. They could potentially be looking to add to just about every position room at this point. The Vikings still have plenty available to spend in free agency, but I don’t expect any big money splashes on one particular player.
There is also rumored to be interest among at least a couple teams in trading for Jonathan Greenard. The Eagles, Patriots, and 49ers, among others, could be willing to make a strong trade offer for Greenard. The asking price is thought to be at least a Day Two draft pick this year- most likely a second-round pick- but even a late first-round pick is a reasonable comparable after the trade of Maxx Crosby to the Ravens for two first-round picks. We’ll see what happens, but it seems more likely than not the Vikings will get at least one trade offer for Greenard. Whether any will be sufficient for them to move him is another question.
The Minnesota Vikings have several positions that need attention after last season when the team went 9-8 and was third in the NFC North.
The team has informed running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that they will be released barring a trade, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said they are expected to release defensive tackle Jonathan Allen due to salary cap constraints. The reported transactions are in addition to over a dozen free agents who played for Minnesota last season.
Quarterback is a position that many Vikings fans have been talking about this offseason. Some question whether J.J. McCarthy will again lead the team’s offense. He missed 24 of 34 possible career games — the majority of which have been due to injury.
“We’re still looking at a quarterback who’s started 10 games. Ten out of, what, a possible 34 in two years? Not the ideal path for a young quarterback to develop on the field,” Coach Kevin O’Connell said at a news conference in January. “But I thought he did. I thought he did some really good things.”
The organization will be making moves without a general manager for at least the next six weeks after it fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January. Owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement that the Vikings will conduct “a thorough search” for their next general manager after the draft. Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski will lead the team until then, according to the Vikings.
WCCO is tracking every move Minnesota makes in free agency, including cuts, signings, retirements and potentially trades.
Ryan Kelly, center
Four-time Pro Bowl selection Ryan Kelly is retiring after 10 seasons in the league, the Vikings said. The center signed with Minnesota last year after playing nine seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He dealt with three concussions last season and only started eight games for the Vikings.
James Pierre, cornerback
NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe said Monday that the Vikings agreed to terms with cornerback James Pierre, a move that will add depth to the team’s secondary. The former Pittsburgh Steelers player will get a two-year, $8.5 million deal with $3.7 million guaranteed, Wolfe, who cited Pierre’s agent Toney Scott, said.
Eric Wilson, linebacker
Eric Wilson is staying in Minnesota after the team announced Monday that they’ve reached a three-year, eight-figure deal with the 31-year-old linebacker. The NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo says the contract is worth $22.5 million — with $12.5 million “fully guaranteed.”
Wilson is in his second stint with Minnesota. He was first signed as an undrafted rookie in 2017 and spent four seasons with the Vikings.
Full list of Vikings free agents
- RB Ty Chandler
- LS Andrew DePaola
- CB Fabian Moreau
- WR Jalen Nailor (agreed to terms on three-year, $35 million deal with Las Vegas Raiders, per Schefter)
- T Matt Nelson
- CB Jeff Okudah
- OLB Bo Richter
- QB Brett Rypien
- RB Zavier Scott
- T Justin Skule
- TE Ben Sims
- S Harrison Smith
- DB Tavierre Thomas
- QB Carson Wentz
- P Ryan Wright (signing a four-year, $14 million deal with New Orleans Saints, per Schefter)
Minnesota also tendered the contracts of linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. and defensive lineman Jalen Redmond.
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