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-
(FOX 9) – Minnesota is joining a legal challenge targeting the largest media merger in history, arguing that it would ultimately be a bad deal for customers.
AG Ellison joins lawsuit to block Warner Bros.-Paramount merger
What we know:
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 11 other attorneys general, filing a lawsuit to stop the $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance Corporation.
The suit alleges the merger would violate antitrust laws by creating a media conglomerate that would control nearly one-third of all U.S.-based theatrical movies.
The combined company would control about 27% of the market for wide-release theatrical films and basic cable channels. Only three distributors would control 75% of wide-release films, and four — including Disney, Universal, and Sony — would control 86%, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also points out that Warner Bros. is currently the second largest and Paramount the third largest in licensing basic cable channels, and together they would control 27% of that market. The merger would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major basic cable companies, eliminating competition and harming movie theaters, cable distributors and consumers.
What they’re saying:
“Minnesotans deserve a fair and competitive marketplace, not one where a handful of giant corporations control what we watch, what we pay, and what choices we have,” AG Ellison said in a statement. “This would be the largest merger in media and entertainment history. It will raise prices, limit innovation, and reduce the variety of voices in media and entertainment. I’m taking action because this goes too far in consolidating power with a few at the expense of the public.”
What’s next:
The coalition has asked Warner Bros. and Paramount not to close the merger until after the judicial process concludes. If the companies refuse, the attorneys general plan to file a temporary restraining order to halt the deal.
The Source: Information provided in a statement from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
WASHINGTON (7News) — The debate over the National Guard presence in the nation’s capital is intensifying after the Pentagon told 7News the Guard mission connected to President Donald Trump’s crime initiative could continue through Inauguration Day 2029 unless it is ended sooner by the president.
The development comes as one governor has decided to withdraw troops from Washington, while D.C. leaders are urging other states to do the same.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is pulling his state’s National Guard members out of the District earlier than originally planned.
Walz’s office says its mission to support America 250 celebrations has concluded. The decision follows concerns about whether some Guard members were being used beyond the security mission tied to those events.
RELATED | Pentagon to keep National Guard activated in D.C. through Inauguration Day 2029
The D.C. Council is also pressing other states to reconsider their deployments.
All 13 councilmembers signed letters to the governors of Michigan and the U.S. Virgin Islands asking them to withdraw their National Guard troops from the District. Council leaders argue those service members were deployed to support the nation’s 250th anniversary events—not a broader federal public safety mission.
“They’re just doing their job, but it still hurts the city. It hurts our image. It creates resentment,” D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.
SEE ALSO | 13-year-old boy shot and killed in Northeast DC home
“The letters were sent to two states that we were surprised when they decided to send the guard. Now, they sent the guard, as I understand it, to support the America 250 events. So it would be nice if they just kind of go back home,” Mendelson added.
According to the Joint Task Force overseeing the deployment, more than 5,100 National Guard members are currently assigned to the District, including troops supporting Freedom 250 events and other summer activities.
While Minnesota is ending its deployment, governors in states including Georgia and Mississippi have said their Guard members will remain in Washington to support the president’s mission.
A road rage-related shooting caused a southern Twin Cities metro highway to shut down for several hours Saturday evening.
The Minnesota State Patrol and the Eagan Police Department responded to a report of a road rage incident on northbound Interstate 35E near Deerwood Drive around 5:16 p.m., according to Eagan police.
Police say one of the drivers fired multiple rounds at another vehicle. While no one was injured, the victim’s vehicle was struck by gunfire and sustained damage.
The Eagan Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect vehicle and driver involved. Investigators are looking for a white 2010-2014 Ford F-150. The truck is described as having four doors, black door handles, gray rocker panels, a black tonneau cover and visible rust around the driver’s side rear wheel well/fender. The suspect is described as a White man with long, dark hair.
Anyone with information about the incident or the driver is asked to contact the Eagan Police Department tip line at 651-675-5799 or email the department at eaganpd@eaganmn.gov.
I-35E reopened to traffic around 8:10 p.m. Saturday.
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