Wild trade veteran forward Frederick Gaudreau to Seattle for fourth-round draft pick

Paying off the priciest portion of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts isn’t the only reason for the Wild’s newfound financial freedom.

They’re creating more on their own, too.

The Wild’s already roomy budget received another hike on Thursday, climbing to almost $18 million after they traded forward Frederick Gaudreau to Seattle for a fourth-round pick they can use at this weekend’s draft, which starts Friday in Los Angeles with the first round before the Wild are on the clock with their five selections on Saturday.

“The empty cap hits are over, and we get to be involved in bigger things,” President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin said. “So, that part is really nice. I can’t promise what the team’s going to look like, but we’re just trying to get better.”

Because of their jump in funds, the Wild have options when it comes to pursuing that improvement.

Trades are a possibility, and the Wild are exploring the market; aside from dealing Gaudreau, they swapped minor-league forwards with Columbus by exchanging Brendan Gaunce for Cameron Butler. The Wild can also shop in free agency when the signing period opens for business on Tuesday.

But neither tool is a guarantee.

“You want to make your team better,” Guerin said, “but then you also need trade partners.”

Gaudreau’s exit was in the works for a couple weeks.

After signing as a free agent in 2021, Gaudreau established himself as a full-time NHLer with the Wild, solidifying a spot with his versatility as a center and winger who could play up and down the lineup. His breakout performance came in 2022-23 when he scored a career-high 19 goals after posting a career-best 44 points in his first Wild season.

Gaudreau was rewarded with a five-year, $10.5 million contract but struggled in his return, managing only five goals. The 32-year-old rebounded last season with 18 goals and was one of only three Wild players to appear in every game.

More flexibility, however, enticed the Wild to move on despite the team wanting to bolster its roster up the middle.

Their centers currently under contract are Joel Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman and Danila Yurov, with Marco Rossi a restricted free agent.

“Freddy’s an A-plus human being,” Guerin said. “He played great for us. He’s a good guy. It was a tough call to make because I know he loves it here and he’s got family connections and everything. But he understands the business side.”

The pick the Kraken sent to the Wild is No. 102, so the Wild still don’t have a first-rounder.

While Guerin isn’t opposed to acquiring one, it’s not a priority. In fact, the Wild feel they already made their choice by adding defenseman David Jiricek from the Blue Jackets last November for their first-round pick; Jiricek went sixth overall in 2022.

“We’re comfortable with where we are,” Guerin said. “If there’s an opportunity to get in the first round without weakening our team, then yeah, that’s definitely something we would take a look at.”

Kaprizov has one season left on his five-year, $45 million contract. The two sides have talked, said Guerin, who remains confident a deal gets done, but he doesn’t see that happening on Tuesday. He called the negotiation a process, which is also how Guerin described Rossi’s situation.

Rossi’s contract is up, but there hasn’t been an agreement on a new one; the Wild have offered short- and long-term deals, and Rossi’s camp has countered to no avail after Rossi’s role changed from a top-six forward to centering the fourth line in the playoffs.

Still, the decision-making for next season has started, and the Wild have more resources for this year’s remodel than they did in the past.