With 21 games left in the regular season and an eventful trade deadline bringing new assets to the team, the Minnesota Wild are ready for the final stretch of their 2021-22 campaign.
To discuss where the Wild are at and the trades they made yesterday, Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin joined News Talk 830 WCCO's Vineeta Sawkar.
The big-name on the move on deadline day was goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who the Wild acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks for a conditional first-round pick. Along with several other trades Guerin made, he shared that overall, he was pleased with how it went.
"I'm pretty happy with the way the deadline went," Guerin shared, adding that it was also nice to see the Wild pick up a win after the roster saw a little shake-up.
Guerin has a previous relationship with Fleury, with the two of them being together for all three of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016, and 2017. Guerin shared what he brings to the team.
"I think he just brings a lot, the experience of winning, the intangibles, his personality, his leadership, and then there's his play," Guerin said. "He is still at the top of his game. He's still an elite goaltender. He's the guy that teammates gravitate to. He's a really special guy, and I'm glad we have him."
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When it comes to the trade deadline, teams are sometimes anxious to make a move because of the threat of upsetting team chemistry, and Guerin shared this was something he thought about when making moves.
"We really had to do our homework on the guys that we were bringing in, and to a man, the things we found out were just all high character people, all good teammates," Guerin said. "I just have a tremendous amount of confidence in the players that have been here all year and the way that they run their locker room.
"They've welcomed these guys with open arms, and they are excited to have them because we are a better team today."
As for the new additions to the team, Guerin said they jumped right in, which was seen during the Wild's shutout victory over the Las Vegas Golden Knights Monday night when newly acquired forward Nick Deslauriers scored the team's opening and game-winning goal.
"You could see that they are happy to be here and getting along great with their new teammates," the general manager said.
Among the first Minnesota Wild players to reach out to future Hall of Fame goaltender Fleury was current Wild goalie Cam Talbot.
"I can not say enough good things about Cam Talbot. He is one of the classiest people I've met and not just in hockey, period," Guerin said.
Whereas some might feel threatened, Talbot welcomed Fleury and what he's going to bring to the team, according to Guerin.
"That's the ultimate teammate, and that's why he's one of our leaders and then to come in and perform the way he did… I'm so proud of Cam and so happy that he's on our team," Geurin said. "He is the ultimate teammate."
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