Wild Make Championship Move With Recent Trade

In a late-night trade, the Minnesota Wild acquired winger Justin Brazeau from the Boston Bruins. In return, the Wild sent the Bruins a pair of young forwards, Marat Khusnutdinov and Jakub Lauko, plus a 2026 sixth-round draft pick.

This deal between the Bruins and the Wild might go overlooked. After all, it's not a blockbuster deal that usually headlines the NHL Trade Deadline. It might not even be the most impactful. But this deal is one that the Wild will look back on after a playoff run and say, "wow, what a deal."

The Wild's offense relies on puck possession, and Brazeau thrives in that offensive environment. His stick-handling abilities are good but not elite. The parts of the game he excels at are pursuing the puck, gaining and keeping possession along the boards, and screening goaltenders. His 10 goals and 20 points this year are all results of those elements of his game.

Brazeau is also built for the playoffs. Standing at 6'5" and nearly 230 pounds, he's the ideal size for the physical postseason. He can withstand the rigors of the playoffs, and could become an x-factor deep into a series.

What stands out about this trade more than anything is the message it sends to the locker room. Even with injuries to star players Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, the team's management enstilled a bit more confidence into their roster. They rewarded the team's season up to this point, and added a dynamic and versatile winger to their lineup.

The battle to claim the Western Conference is expected to be brutal. With multiple Stanley Cup contenders in the West, getting through the first few rounds will be a momentous achievement. But having quality depth players like Brazeau is the key to getting through it. The first part of that plan is now done for Minnesota, who made a championship move with the acquisition of Justin Brazeau.