Fansided

1 trade every NHL team should make

By Dave Stevenson

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; A general view of the NHL shield logo before the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; A general view of the NHL shield logo before the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports /

Minnesota Wild

Back around the 2016 NHL Draft, there was a rumor floating around regarding the Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers. It would have sent Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to the Wild and Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba to Edmonton. For some reason, the deal never got done. It’s sad because it would have been perfect for both sides. Both Edmonton and Minnesota would have filled huge needs. The deal even makes a lot of sense now.

Minnesota needs to add a scoring center. Sure, Eric Staal has been outstanding, but he could use some help. Also, Staal isn’t a great fit in a pure scoring role. He’s more of a two-way center. Nugent-Hopkins would give Minnesota a true scoring center and also allow Staal to help out Mikko Koivu with some of the heavy lifting.

This trade would also benefit the Oilers. While the Adam Larsson trade helped Edmonton address their defensive issues, they still have a desperate need for a right handed defenseman, preferably one who can do damage on the power play. Dumba fits that description perfectly.

A Nugent-Hopkins for Dumba trade, ironically, would be like a better version of the Larsson for Taylor Hall trade. Both sides get what they truly need, but it’s hard to decide who gets the better player.

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