It’s February, and anyone who’s socially active knows what that means. Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and while this article isn’t meant to be a reminder to order flowers and chocolates, it may be one for Bill Guerin, who is looking for that special someone ahead of the trade deadline.
Guerin is currently playing matchmaker, and he’s already set the Wild up with the addition of Quinn Hughes. Things have been getting serious as Minnesota has established itself as one of the top teams in the NHL. With one more trade, it could help them go all the way (or at least get out of the first round of the playoffs).
While Hughes has hit it off with Brock Faber on the blue line, Kirill Kaprizov is still looking for his hockey soulmate in a top-line center. The options are limited, but as the dynamic between Hughes and Faber has shown us, it may be worth taking a swing.
Most people have been told at some point in their lives to find someone who looks at them the way someone looks at their significant other. While there haven’t been any spicy glances between them, Hughes and Faber have been quite the power couple on the Wild’s blue line.
Faber wasn’t playing poorly before Hughes arrived, but Hughes has helped him elevate his offensive game. Since the Wild acquired Hughes on Dec. 14, Faber ranks sixth among defensemen with seven goals. He’s also been able to jump into plays when opponents focus their attention on Hughes, ranking 12th among defensemen with 21 points and tied for 13th with 14 assists.
Because of this, Faber is enjoying a breakout season. With 13 goals in 57 games before Wednesday’s pre-Olympic finale against the Nashville Predators, he is threatening for his first 20-goal season – a mark that only Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, and Jakob Chychrun reached last season. He’d also be the ninth defenseman since the 2005-06 season to reach that mark during or before their age 23 season.
That’s an encouraging development for Faber after seeing his point total drop from 47 in his rookie year to 29 last season, and it’s shown in his plus/minus rating, which has jumped to plus-19 after registering a minus-3 in his first three seasons.
Of course, Hughes has had the same effect on the rest of the team. The Wild were tied for 22nd with 90 goals in the 32 games before Hughes’s arrival. However, they’ve jumped to second with 96 goals in the 25 games since, trailing only the Buffalo Sabres, who have 97 in that time frame.
Minnesota also ranks second in power-play goals (23) and fourth in goal differential (+19) since the Hughes trade, which has elevated their offensive upside as they face a potential playoff matchup with the Colorado Avalanche or the Dallas Stars.
But again, where does this leave Kaprizov?
Kaprizov has been on a heater with seven goals in his past six games. He’s tied for fifth among skaters with 35 points, and tied for seventh with 14 goals and 21 assists since Hughes arrived. Still, what would happen if the Wild paired him with a true No. 1 center?
To the Wild’s credit, Kaprizov has struck up a hockey bromance with Mats Zuccarello, who has connected numerous times over the years. Kaprizov has also developed chemistry with Hughes over 25 games, which has continued to put him among the game’s elite offensive weapons.
While that’s great, Zuccarello is a fellow wing, and Kaprizov isn’t always on the ice at the same time as Hughes. There’s something about filling the missing piece on a line that could take the entire group to the next level.
Like the defense position, which Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin have anchored over the years, the Wild have swiped through their share of centers in the top role. While Joel Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman, and Danila Yurov have been fine, it’s always felt like they were playing one or two lines above their suited role when placed on the top line.
Of course, Kaprizov has done just fine with what he’s been given, closing in on Marian Gaborik’s franchise record for goals scored. But that’s where Guerin needs to show the same matchmaker skills he used with the Hughes trade.
Vincent Trocheck could solve that in the short term, but he may not be worth the prospect package that might include Charlie Stramel or Jesper Wallstedt to get it done. Shane Wright could be too much of a project for the Wild to target at the age of 22, and Robert Thomas could cost the Wild a divisional tax that could be too rich for Guerin’s blood.
The next tier of trade targets on the board could only be a temporary solution as Nazem Kadri goes deeper into his 30s and Charlie Coyle is a free agent at the end of the season. Ryan O’Reilly could also be a solid addition to fill the top center role in the playoffs. However, he could cost more than he should because the Nashville Predators are looking to rebuild.
There’s also a chance that Guerin waits until the summer, when more names could become available. But that might not be as appealing for a team that has a sense of urgency to win now.
Whatever Guerin decides, it has to be a similar match to the way Hughes has worked with Faber so far. If he’s able to do it, it could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship on the Wild’s top line.