Bill Guerin laid down the law with his team following the Jason Zucker trade, stating that if he senses that the team is letting or that he he sees quit in them, more trades will follow. The goal is clear from the top down that making the playoffs is the immediate priority for the players and coaching staff alike.
Guerin will entertain additional trade opportunities and evaluate accordingly if they benefit the Wild long term or not.
Inters8ngly the names Dumba and Brodin are being thrown about and both could and ultimately should bring back top talent, however is what the Wild really needs even available, to part with such assets.
Jared Spurgeon is another candidate to be moved but far less likely given his seven year extension that is due to kick in next season. Spurgeon is a key component and steadying force on the Wild blueline which is why he was rewarded with the new deal making him the highest paid Wild player surpassing both Parise and Suter when his new deal kicks in.
Say what you want about the Wild and the past and present GMs but the team has taken on a new personality with Kevin Fiala leading the way offensively along with the maturation of Joel Eriksson Ek, Luke Kunin, Ryan Donato, and Jordan Greenway who is starting to use his size and strength while playing with an edge that we have not seen before.
There is far more energy in the team and Alex Stalock has taken over the Wild crease for the time being. The question mark there is how does he hold up in the elevated role?
The competition should provide a better effort from Devan Dubnyk as well, but remember he is dealing with far more important issues off the ice with his wife, Jenn's health concerns.
No matter where the Wild finish the season, there is no doubt who is in charge. That is Bill Guerin and he is here to do what it takes to put a winning product on the ice that has the goal of bring the Stankey Cup to the State of Hockey.
There is a process that must take place in order for a team to transform itself into a champion and all too often we don't enjoy the road to success and the battles won and lost that ultimately result in triumph. We live in an age of immediate gratification so when things take longer than expected or don't turn out as we think that they should have we become disillusioned or discouraged.
Rest assured the Wild have the right guy at the helm in Guerin, and the team and product on the ice is far better than what we have seen in recent seasons and the future is brighter today than it has been in a long time.
Want to send out prayers and best wishes to Jay Bouwmeester who collapsed last night during the Blues game in Anaheim. Great to hear that he was later texting with his family and friends that he is doing well. Scary incident and hope that he recovers to full health quickly.
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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