5 Players the Minnesota Wild Should Trade Right Now

5 Players the Minnesota Wild Should Look to Trade

The Minnesota Wild are off to a good start this season, and even with Zach Parise likely out for an extended period of time they should again be a playoff team. It's still pretty early to expect many major moves around the NHL, but here are five players the Wild should look to trade right now.

5 Players the Minnesota Wild Should Look to Trade

The Minnesota Wild are off to a good start this season, and even with Zach Parise likely out for an extended period of time they should again be a playoff team. It's still pretty early to expect many major moves around the NHL, but here are five players the Wild should look to trade right now.

5. G Niklas Backstrom

Backstrom's best days are obviously behind him at 37 years old, and he has yet to suit up this season. Assuming the Wild keep someone else on this list, Backstrom is in the final year of his contract and could appeal to other teams as a veteran backup.

5. G Niklas Backstrom

Backstrom's best days are obviously behind him at 37 years old, and he has yet to suit up this season. Assuming the Wild keep someone else on this list, Backstrom is in the final year of his contract and could appeal to other teams as a veteran backup.

4. G Darcy Kuemper

If the Wild are willing to bet on Devan Dubnyk staying healthy, while also rolling the dice on Backstrom as their No. 2 goalie, Kuemper could be a solid trade chip.

4. G Darcy Kuemper

If the Wild are willing to bet on Devan Dubnyk staying healthy, while also rolling the dice on Backstrom as their No. 2 goalie, Kuemper could be a solid trade chip.

3. D Nate Prosser

Prosser does not have a prominent place on the blue line for Minnesota, as he's been in and out of the lineup with mostly minimal ice time when he does play. Any return in a trade may not be great, but I'd rather see the Wild keep Jared Spurgeon, promote Mike Reilly he's ready and move Prosser for some sort of draft pick.

3. D Nate Prosser

Prosser does not have a prominent place on the blue line for Minnesota, as he's been in and out of the lineup with mostly minimal ice time when he does play. Any return in a trade may not be great, but I'd rather see the Wild keep Jared Spurgeon, promote Mike Reilly he's ready and move Prosser for some sort of draft pick.

2. LW Erik Haula

Haula's productive 2014 playoff run (four goals and three assists) is a distant memory at this point, and he's averaging less than 11 minutes of ice time per game so far this season. On a roster full of veterans with big, virtually untradeable contracts, Haula at least has the upside of youth that could bolster his trade value.

2. LW Erik Haula

Haula's productive 2014 playoff run (four goals and three assists) is a distant memory at this point, and he's averaging less than 11 minutes of ice time per game so far this season. On a roster full of veterans with big, virtually untradeable contracts, Haula at least has the upside of youth that could bolster his trade value.

1. RW Jason Pominville

Age (33 on Nov. 30 ), a bad contract (three more seasons after this one) and a lack of production (18 goals over his last 98 regular season games; zero this season) makes this a low-point in Pominville's trade value. But the Wild could still cash in on his name value, and perhaps get a younger player with better upside.

1. RW Jason Pominville

Age (33 on Nov. 30 ), a bad contract (three more seasons after this one) and a lack of production (18 goals over his last 98 regular season games; zero this season) makes this a low-point in Pominville's trade value. But the Wild could still cash in on his name value, and perhaps get a younger player with better upside.