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Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils skates against the New York Rangers.
The Minnesota Wild have been lacking a true 1C for years now, and it showed in Round 2 against Colorado.
Joel Eriksson Ek is a fine centerman, but not a bona fide first option. Minnesota also employs Ryan Hartman, whom has shown some ability at the position. However, he is more of a true middle-6 winger.
Danila Yurov shows promise, but it’ll take him a bit to grow into his skates at the position. The Wild traded away Marco Rossi in the Quinn Hughes trade, contributing to the lack of depth at the position.
The Minnesota Wild were recently brought up as potential suitors for Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews. However, those dreams are quite big. Another big-name with not as much star power could potentially be a problem-solver instead.
GettyNEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JANUARY 20: Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils skates against the Dallas Stars at Prudential Center on January 20, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The idea for Nico Hischier comes from Robert Brent of Hockey Wilderness.
“At 27 years old, the Swiss centerman fits Minnesota’s timeline of competing now, but shouldn’t decline any time soon. Along with fitting in from an age standpoint, Hischier’s skill set is also a great match for Minnesota.
While the team is more offensively capable now than in past seasons, it’s clear the organizational philosophy still strongly values defensively capable forwards. Hischier has received Selke votes three seasons in a row and finished top-five twice in that span.
The former first overall pick is also an asset in two areas where the Wild could use significant help. He’s a trusted penalty killer, leading all of New Jersey’s forwards in penalty kill time. Hischier also led the NHL last season in faceoff percentage, winning 55.8% of his draws.”
Hischier is set to be a free agent after the 2026-2027 NHL season concludes. If the Devils can’t come to an agreement with him soon, he could be on the move, and the Minnesota Wild may come calling.
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 08: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs in action during the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Erik Johnson made a bold claim regarding a potential Matthews or McDavid signing for the Wild in the near-future.
Johnson delivered the message on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I’m gonna have one hot take for you right now. I think one of Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid will be on the Minnesota Wild in the next three years.
I think they’re gonna find a way. They need a center, that’s Minnesota’s clear Achilles heel. They need a #1 center. I think Bill Guerin finds a way to get Matthews or McDavid in Minnesota to push them over the edge.”
After the Quinn Hughes trade last December, Wild GM Bill Guerin has proven that he isn’t afraid to go big. The Wild are working on an extension for Hughes this offseason, and Kirill Kaprizov’s $17 million cap hit for 8 years begins this July.
Getting a name like Matthews or McDavid would be complicated enough in terms of trade compensation. They may not need to trade anything, however. Both Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews are scheduled to be free agents in 2028.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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