the Colorado Avalanche have bolstered their roster by acquiring forward Brandon Duhaime from the Minnesota Wild. The trade, confirmed by both teams, involves the Avalanche sending a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Wild in exchange for Duhaime.
Duhaime, a 26-year-old pending unrestricted free agent, had a noteworthy tenure with the Wild, contributing four goals and eight points in 61 games during the current season. He’s posted 19 goals and 35 points over 132 career games. Despite going 47 consecutive games without a goal, Duhaime’s physical presence, speed, and penalty-killing prowess make him a valuable addition to the Avalanche’s third or fourth lines.
Wild coach John Hynes spoke highly of Duhaime, describing him as a great teammate, coachable player, and heart-and-soul contributor to the team. The move to acquire Duhaime strengthens the Avalanche’s depth as they position themselves for a playoff push. This comes after the team dealt Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres for Casy Mittelstadt and added Sean Walker on the blue line in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
Are the Wild Officially Selling Ahead of Friday’s Deadline?
The Wild face the challenge of potentially missing the playoffs for only the second time in the past 12 years. With 64 points in 62 games and sitting in sixth place in the Central Division, the team must navigate the next 24 hours and the closing rush of the trade deadline. They’ll do so without the services of Duhaime.
The Wild recalled Adam Beckman to fill the void left by Duhaime, who is likely to test the market this offseason as a pending UFA. The team held talks with Duhaime about an extension, but couldn’t find common ground. The better move was not to lose him for no return, so they traded him.
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