Bill Guerin said he believes the Minnesota Wild are equipped to make a run at the Stanley Cup even if they don’t make any additions before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline on March 21.
Guerin, the Wild’s general manager, joined the NHL @TheRink podcast on Thursday and spoke about his confidence in Minnesota with co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke, saying he’d be comfortable even if the Wild stand pat before the deadline.
“I think they’ve proven to me and our coaching staff and our fan base over the past six months that this is a good team and we can not only compete with anybody but we can win against anybody,” Guerin said. “If nothing transpires and we don’t make a move, then yeah, we’re going to have to go into it (the playoffs) with the group we have and I’m very happy about that.”
That doesn’t mean Guerin is going to stand idly by and let the deadline pass without Minnesota attempting to improve its roster. He said the Wild are looking at all areas and will make a trade if the price is fair and Minnesota will benefit.
However, Guerin said the Wild also have to remain cognizant of their salary cap structure beyond this season and will be less willing to part with prospects who could be playing for them on entry-level contracts next season and beyond.
“We can’t be careless with our picks or prospects because those young players we have as prospects now are going to be playing for us,” Guerin said. “Even some of the guys that we don’t have picked yet might be playing for us before this is all over. So, we need the younger, cheaper help.
“If the prices are fair and it can help us get better than we’ll do it. If not, I have a lot of faith in the players in the dressing room here and our coaching staff. I think we’re in a good spot.”
In addition to the interview with Guerin, Rosen and Roarke discussed a number of other topics making news in the NHL with the deadline looming related to the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs.
They also talked about the recent story on NHL.com debating the best 23-and-under U.S.-born player in the NHL today. Rosen said it’s Vancouver Canucks 22-year-old defenseman Quinn Hughes; Roarke said it’s his brother, New Jersey Devils 20-year-old center Jack Hughes.
The NHL @TheRink podcast is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.