ST. PAUL, Minn. \u2014 After Bill Guerin watched the Minnesota Wild\u2019s no-show in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche, there was a certain word to describe his emotions.<\/p>\n
Seething.<\/p>\n
Guerin had seen his team \u2014 even without key players Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin \u2014 put together a surgical, dominating win in Game 3. That\u2019s what they\u2019re capable of on a good day. \u201cPlaying like an elite team,\u201d Guerin said.<\/p>\n
So while there was happiness in finally getting over the \u201chump\u201d of the first round, Guerin said Monday at his end-of-season availability, this playoff exit was the \u201cworst one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis one hurts the most because the reality, the real reality, of doing something special,\u201d Guerin said. \u201cSo the pain is there, but we\u2019ll get better because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Wild are oh-so close to becoming real Stanley Cup contenders for the first time in franchise history, especially since acquiring superstar Quinn Hughes in December. The plan, Guerin said, is to re-sign him this summer, one year away from unrestricted free agency.<\/p>\n
But, either way, Guerin realizes expectations are higher than they\u2019ve ever been, and capitalizing on that will drive his aggressiveness in what should be an interesting summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in a window now,\u201d Guerin said. \u201cWe have a very good team. We want to make sure that we don\u2019t just open the window three-quarters of the way. If there\u2019s a chance for us to get better, we will.\u201d<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t need to have a job in the Wild front office to figure out what he means.<\/p>\n
Guerin swung for the fences to get Hughes, arguably one of the two best defensemen in the NHL. Now, for the 25th year in a row, his objective is to find a No. 1 center. Even if Eriksson Ek had been available in the second round, the Wild know they couldn\u2019t have contended with the Avs\u2019 center.<\/p>\n
Finding that No. 1 center will be impossible in this weak free agent class.<\/p>\n
Whether one can be unearthed on the trade market remains to be seen, but Guerin made it clear Monday that he will do his best.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe talk here is always a No. 1 center,\u201d Guerin said. \u201cObviously \u2026 we\u2019ll see what\u2019s available. I can\u2019t give you those answers today because we don\u2019t know who\u2019s going to be available, what\u2019s going to be available. This is still fresh.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ve shown you \u2014 and our fans, and everybody involved \u2014 that if there\u2019s something out there that can make our team better, I am willing to do it, and I won\u2019t sit on my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
The issue will be if the Wild have the trade chips. They dealt Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick to Vancouver for Hughes. They traded a number of draft picks for David Jiricek, then traded him to Philadelphia for Bobby Brink. They essentially threw away prospect Marat Khusnutdinov at the 2025 trade deadline, and he became a valuable player for the Boston Bruins this season.<\/p>\n
Acquiring an Auston Matthews, Robert Thomas or another true No. 1 center could mean mortgaging more of the future \u2014 a future first; a prospect like Danila Yurov, Charlie Stramel, Hunter Haight or Adam Benak; or even core roster pieces.<\/p>\n
The Wild\u2019s most valuable trade chip may be goalie Jesper Wallstedt, but they might not consider using him as bait now that Guerin revealed Monday that Filip Gustavsson is having offseason hip surgery.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always a way. There\u2019s always a deal to be made,\u201d Guerin said.<\/p>\n
Guerin and his staff will use the next few weeks to autopsy the season and determine which of the Wild\u2019s pending free agents \u2014 guys like Marcus Johansson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Zach Bogosian and Nick Foligno \u2014 they want to return. He has publicly said he\u2019d love to have potential free agents Mats Zuccarello and Michael McCarron back, and even though somebody out there is bound to throw a bunch of money at McCarron if he gets to July 1, Guerin said he\u2019s going to make an early attempt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have time for everybody,\u201d Guerin said. \u201cWhat we can do and what we can\u2019t do, we\u2019ll figure that out down the road. A lot of guys had really good years. They\u2019re good guys. They\u2019re good teammates. But we have to figure out what\u2019s going to be best for us moving forward. We\u2019re just not there right now.\u201d<\/p>\n