Some NHL teams are desperate to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, and those teams will make moves via trades and free agency to improve their rosters.

But others have the confidence of knowing they’ll be a playoff team next year – and those teams will try to take that next competitive step toward winning a championship by making trades and signing free agents.

In that latter group, the Minnesota Wild really stand out as a team that could make major moves this summer. The Wild have never been in a better position to go on a deep post-season run than they are right now. In fact, the 2026-27 campaign will be the most important season in Minnesota’s franchise history.

GM Bill Guerin has shown he’s willing to take big swings at the plate with his roster moves – with the best example, of course, being the trade that brought superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks to Minnesota. Guerin has positioned his team to do big things, as even after the Hughes trade, the Wild have $9.4-million in salary cap space with which to improve the team this off-season. 

Minnesota has 19 players under contract for next season, according to puckpedia.com. That will give Guerin the financial flexibility to go out and acquire a veteran or two with the cap space he does still have.

Maybe that’s Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, who reportedly has the Wild on a short list of teams he wants to be moved to. Or maybe it’s New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck, who reportedly prefers to remain in the Eastern Conference. The trick there would be for Guerin to convince Trocheck to accept a deal with Minnesota.

REPORT: Dylan Larkin Would Accept Trade To Minnesota Wild, Among OthersDetroit’s captain reportedly eyes St. Paul as a potential landing spot, offering the elite top-line solution Bill Guerin needs to solidify the Wild’s championship window alongside Kirill Kaprizov.

In any case, the Wild are going to be a highly attractive option for free agents and players in general.

Ultimately, Minnesota has never been better in the history of the franchise than they’re going to be heading into next season. Guerin led Team USA to a gold medal performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics and is now determined to steer the Wild into a place where they can not only get out of the highly competitive Central Division but also make a deep run in the post-season. The Wild haven't seen the conference final since 2002-03 and never a Cup final since their inaugural season in 2000-01.

It would be tough to bet against Guerin's Wild. They took an important step this post-season, raising their collective game while beating a very good Dallas Stars team in the opening round. But when they went up against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, Minnesota’s lack of depth was exposed. And that’s what Guerin has to address this summer.

Why The Wild Should Be Calling Anaheim About Mason McTavishAs Anaheim faces a looming cap crunch, Bill Guerin must strike. Mason McTavish offers the physicality, youth, and long-term stability needed to anchor Minnesota’s burgeoning championship core.

Could Guerin take a chance on New York Islanders captain and Minnesota native Anders Lee? Stranger things have happened. Or could Guerin take a flier on Montreal Canadiens sniper Patrik Laine? That would cost him less than many, if not most other veteran scorers, but Laine still has value at the right price. 

You can see, then, why the Wild are at a critical point in their history. With the right additions, Minnesota can develop into one of the NHL’s very best teams. But the wrong call on team chemistry or balance could lead the Wild to more frustrating times.

Guerin has done a very good job of building his Minnesota team into a true Cup contender. But there’s still room for the Wild to grow – and if they grow in the right way, a championship season could be on their horizon.

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The Toronto Marlies are Calder Cup champions for the second time in eight years.

It should be noted that once the Calder Cup got in to Easton Cowan's hands Friday night after their 4-3 win and 4-1 series victory over the Chicago Wolves, the first player he handed it to was Toronto Marlies teammate and rookie defenseman Ben Danford.

The symbolism in that should not be overlooked.

That's because Cowan and Danford are the Toronto Maple Leafs' top prospects, but you'd have to think that goalie Artur Akhtyamov is probably rising the charts after taking the Jack Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.

Does this mean the big team will follow it up with a championship of their own? Not necessarily, but having guys who have won at this level is always a good thing.

Doing so as the seventh-placed team in the Eastern Conference says even more about their playoff success as well.

Watch the video blog above for the full story from Coca-Cola Coliseum.

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