Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno officially traded
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Nick Foligno to the Minnesota Wild is suddenly real, and the Blackhawks captain could tilt the Central at the trade deadline.
Minnesota is already rolling at 35-14-10, and it is acting like a team that wants to win four playoff rounds, not just make it.
Frank Seravalli reported Friday that the Wild are closing in on acquiring Foligno from Chicago. That is the kind of veteran add that changes how a bottom-six feels in May.
Chicago's side is simple, the Blackhawks are sitting at 22-27-9 and they have every reason to turn pending UFAs into future value.
Foligno has 3-8-11 this season, but his real value is the hard minutes, the details, and the calm when games get nasty.
The wild part is the fit, because Minnesota already plays heavy and fast, and Foligno plays like every shift is a penalty kill shift.
If Marcus Foligno is banged up, the idea of adding his brother as insurance, plus leadership, starts to make a lot more sense.
Nick Foligno could change the Minnesota Wild identity
Wild fans can feel it, this is the kind of «go for it» move that either becomes a rallying cry or a painful what-if.
Tactically, Foligno gives John Hynes another winger who can win wall battles, keep pucks alive, and let skill players start with the puck instead of chasing it.
He also raises the floor on the man advantage net-front rotation, even if he is not piling up points right now.
The cap angle matters too, because Foligno carries a $4.5 million cap hit and is set to hit UFA status after this season. Retention would decide how aggressive the return can be.
Chicago has already been talking with Foligno about deadline possibilities, so this would not come out of nowhere inside that room.
For Minnesota, the message is clear, get tougher to play against before the playoffs start shrinking the ice.
If this gets over the line, the next test is chemistry, because you do not trade for a captain just to park him quietly on line four.
Either way, Friday is going to feel loud in both cities, and the Wild's next game will tell us how serious this push really is.
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