Deals Involving Wild, Jackets, Avs And Preds Are Just The Beginning For Them On Trade Front This Season

The NHL had a couple of trades recently, including the deal between Colorado and Nashville that sent goalie Justus Annunen and a 2025 6th-round pick to the Predators in exchange for netminder Scott Wedgewood, and the trade between Columbus and Minnesota that sent prospect defenseman David Jiricek and a fifth-round draft pick in 2025 to the Wild for prospect defenseman Daemon Hunt, a conditional first-rounder in 2025, a 2026 third-rounder and fourth-rounder, and a 2027 second-rounder.

All things considered, these weren’t blockbuster trades. But don’t be surprised when every team – the Preds, Avs, Wild and Blue Jackets – all make more moves before the season is through. For different reasons, each of those four teams will be motivated and/or pressured to continue rejigging their rosters for the short and long term, and each GM of those teams will almost assuredly make additional moves by or before the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline.

The Predators, as we all know, have had a disastrous season thus far, and giving up veteran Wedgewood in return for Annunen isn’t going to affect Nashville’s everyday playing level. The 24-year-old Annunen saw his numbers drop from a .928 save percentage and 2.25 goals-against average last season to a .872 SP and 3.23 GAA this season. But he’s still got some upside, and he’ll play in Nashville knowing he’s the understudy for star Jusse Saros – and that understanding may improve his performance.

Meanwhile, Wedgewood arrives in Colorado as a journeyman who is two years removed from posting a .915 SP and 2.72 GAA with Dallas, but his numbers this season (including a .878 SP and 3.69 GAA) weren’t ideal. The 32-year-old is signed this season and next at a $1.5-million salary cap hit (financial data via Puck Pedia), but he’s going to be looked to for stability between the pipes for the defensively-challenged Avs.

The Wild/Blue Jackets trade was made not with an eye on the present, but with a focus on the future. Jiricek is a highly-touted prospect who didn’t work out with Columbus, while Hunt has played 13 NHL games, but only one this season. Hunt may get more NHL time than Jiricek this year, but Jiricek makes Minnesota’s long-term picture look better when it comes to the defensive end.

To be sure, the Avs, Preds, Jackets and Wild are probably not done making moves. And more deals involving the four teams will probably focus on players who can contribute at the NHL level right away. The Avs, Preds and Wild are determined to be playoff teams, so we see them adding talent. And the Blue Jackets are still in the early days of a major roster makeover, and we expect they’ll continue being active to reshape their present and future prospects, bringing in players who can contribute right now and over the long term.

Related: David Jiricek Becomes Newest Pillar for Minnesota Wild Blueline

Each of the four aforementioned teams have pressure to be better than they are at the moment, and that’s why we’re expecting more deals from them sooner rather than later. The Wild, Avalanche, Blue Jackets and Predators are going to continue reshaping their rosters, and by the time the trade deadline has passed, we’re certain their lineups will look different than they do today.

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