With the NHL Draft this weekend and free agency opening next week, there is an expectation that the Minnesota Wild roster could soon look notably different than the one that was bounced out of the playoffs in six games this spring.

That potential transformation started Thursday when general manager Bill Guerin sent veteran forward Freddy Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken for a 4th-round pick in this weekend’s NHL Draft.

It was a move to free up $2.1 million from next season’s payroll more than anything.

“We’re just trying to create a little flexibility for ourselves,” Guerin said. “Freddy is an A-plus human being. He played great for us. He’s a good guy. It was a tough call to make because I know he loves it here and he’s got family connections and everything. But he understands the business side.”

Gaudreau, who turned 32 on the day Vegas ended the Wild’s season, was one of the rare players who appeared in all 82 regular season games, in a year where injuries came fast and furious. His 18 goals, while playing primarily in a 2nd- or 3rd-line role, were one shy of Gaudreau’s career best, although he appeared in all six playoff games without recording a point.

In exchange, Minnesota receives the 102nd overall selection, giving the Wild five picks when Rounds 2-7 are announced. They do not have a first-rounder, and are on the clock to pick 52nd overall in the 2nd round on Saturday morning.

Well-liked in the locker room and among the Minnesota fan base, Gaudreau spent four years with the Wild having previously played three years for Nashville and one for Pittsburgh. In 2023 he signed a five-year contract extension worth $10.5 million and has three years remaining on that deal.

Back to Columbus

After playing a dozen games with the Wild last season, fourth-line forward Brendan Gaunce is returning to central Ohio following a small trade on Thursday. Minnesota acquired forward Cameron Butler, 23, from the Blue Jackets in exchange for Gaunce, who had spent the previous three seasons with Columbus before signing with Minnesota last summer.

Butler brings exactly one game of NHL experience to the Wild having spent the bulk of last season with the Blue Jackets’ AHL team in Cleveland, where he had three points and 74 penalty minutes in 37 games last season. He is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds and was undrafted after a lengthy major junior career in his native Canada.