NHL Trade Rumors: 5 possible destinations for Jarome Iginla

4. Minnesota Wild

Are the Minnesota Wild a very likely destination for Jarome Iginla? Probably not because it remains to be seen if the Avalanche will trade him within their division. But Iginla would make sense for the Wild for several reasons.

First of all, Minnesota needs goal scoring. How desperate are they? The Wild had discussions with the Buffalo Sabres about Evander Kane. Iginla would likely cost less than him, though the rental market is hard to predict. At worst, he’s certainly a better locker room guy than Kane, who seems to always find trouble.

Secondly, the Wild need someone like Iginla who can be a strong net front presence. While he’s likely a third or fourth line forward at this point, one of the few things that hasn’t disappeared from his game is his willingness to get dirty to score goals. In the brutal Western Conference, you have to be able to score those goals to win in the playoffs. Iginla can still do it.

Thirdly, Minnesota has a number of young forwards. Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, and Erik Haula are among them. While they are very talented, the trio would benefit from having a professional like Iginla around. He would serve as a mentor to them. For a team trying to win while Ryan Suter is still a great player, Iginla makes a lot of sense.