Latest news with #FreddyGaudreau
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Freddy Gaudreau shocked by trade to Kraken but grateful for ‘beautiful chapter' with Wild
Freddy Gaudreau had just gotten off the ice Thursday morning after an offseason skills practice in Rock Forest, Quebec, when he realized something was up. Gaudreau, 32, checked his phone and saw a missed text message from Minnesota Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin. Advertisement 'You kind of know if the GM says, 'Call me please,' it's something more than just, 'How's your day?' Gaudreau said. Gaudreau has been in the league long enough to sense what was coming next. Guerin informed him he had been traded to the Seattle Kraken for a fourth-round pick, saying the team just needed to 'shuffle some things around.' 'It was kind of a shock,' Gaudreau told The Athletic on Friday. 'I loved every second of every day with the group of boys. I was the biggest believer of raising the Cup with that group. Every night, going to bed, I would see myself with that group raising the Cup one day.' Gaudreau found his footing as an NHLer with the Wild after signing a one-year, $2.4 million deal in 2021. He had previously spent six years in the Nashville Predators' organization after signing as an undrafted free agent, then played 19 games in one season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He became a regular in Minnesota, with former coach Dean Evason tapping into his versatility. He had 14 or more goals in three of his four Wild seasons. The Wild gave him a five-year, $10.5 million extension in April 2023 after he scored a career-high 19 goals that season. 'Two years (before signing in Minnesota) I was full time in the minors, and I believed I'd find my niche in the NHL and a team would see me as a valuable player,' Gaudreau said. 'A guy that can help and not only play like five minutes, but be an important player that plays a good amount of minutes. 'Minnesota showed up, and I knew (Evason), what he was telling me was true, he really wanted me there. I kind of saw that as, 'The door is opening for me.'' Guerin said it was tough to trade Gaudreau because of the kind of person, player and teammate he's been. But dealing Gaudreau creates flexibility for free agency and going forward, as the veteran center has three years left on a deal that carries a $2.1 million cap hit. Right now, the depth chart at center has Joel Eriksson Ek, Marco Rossi (if he's not traded), Ryan Hartman and Danila Yurov, with Minnesota expected to try to secure another bottom-six center/penalty-killer when free agency opens. Advertisement Gaudreau said after moving past his initial surprise on his phone call with Guerin, he thanked the GM for a 'beautiful chapter' in his career. This is where his wife, Kjersten, is from and where they got married. Their son, Félix, now 15 months old, was born here. And Gaudreau said they just finished building a new home in Edina. 'We built with the idea of one day living there more permanently,' he said. 'To keep raising our family there, maybe. But you never know. We'd love to keep that house.' How the bond between Freddy Gaudreau and his nephew, Noah, inspired Sunday's @mnwild charity event — Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) March 11, 2025 When asked what he'll remember most about his time with the Wild, he said it starts with his teammates, many of whom have reached out in the last 24 hours. 'Every year has been awesome,' Gaudreau said. 'We take for granted sometimes that we wake up every day and we go to the rink and we're lucky enough to share the same passion with the boys. This group really does it from their hearts. You look at all the laughs you had every single day, all the sweat in the gym, the ups and downs, the moments we kept going at it together as a group, that team means the world to me.' The Wild haven't won a first-round series since 2015, but Gaudreau, one of the most positive players you'll ever meet, truly believes this group has a championship run in them. 'The chemistry, the passion, the group that believes, that does it for the reasons,' Gaudreau said. 'Anything can happen.' Gaudreau is excited to see what comes next in playing for Seattle, which has undergone a number of changes in the offseason, including hiring Lane Lambert as coach. Gaudreau plans to continue the work he and Kjersten have done with the Down Syndrome Association, sparked by his godson and nephew Noah. Noah, born with Down Syndrome, was the inspiration for the Wild Foundation's Whine and Whiskey Event. Advertisement When Gaudreau talked to Noah on the phone Thursday, the 8-year-old had already heard of the deal and shared a fun exchange in French. 'Hey, you're moving, buddy?' Noah said. 'Yeah, we are moving,' Gaudreau said. 'All right, cool. Have fun!' Noah replied. Gaudreau said he'll have some lifelong friends always in Minnesota, and he appreciated the support from the fan base. 'It's a special place to play, and they're part of it,' Gaudreau said. 'So thank you from the bottom of my heart. It was a beautiful chapter, and we'll call it home. The fans are passionate. They make it the State of Hockey. Thank you for the support in all the good and bad times.' (Photo of Kjersten, Felix and Freddy Gaudreau courtesy of the Wild)
CBS News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Minnesota Wild trade center Freddy Gaudreau to Kraken
The Minnesota Wild on Thursday traded veteran center Freddy Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken for a fourth-round pick. Gaudreau, 32, has three years remaining on his contract with an annual average value of $2.1 million. He had 18 goals and 19 assists while playing in all 82 regular-season games in 2024-25 before going without a point in six playoff games for Minnesota. The pick from the Kraken is the 102nd in the draft and gives the Wild five selections this weekend. They have only one, No. 52 in the second round, in the top 100. Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) and Minnesota Wild center Frederick Gaudreau (89) battle for the puck during the first period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series on April 29, 2025, in Las Vegas. David Becker / AP Gaudreau has 152 points in 410 career games over eight NHL seasons, including three with Nashville and one with Pittsburgh. "Frederick's a versatile skater who plays a strong two-way game," Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said. "He gives us depth down the middle and has the ability to produce offensively. He's a player that can be trusted on the defensive side of the puck, especially on the penalty kill. We're excited to welcome him to the team." These trades come on the heels of Utah acquiring two-time 25-goal scorer JJ Peterka from Buffalo early Thursday for forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring. More action is expected with the first round Friday night and Rounds 2-7 on Saturday.
New York Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Wild GM Bill Guerin on Kirill Kaprizov, Marco Rossi and why there might not be a big splash July 1
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Brinks truck pulled up to Minnesota Wild headquarters around 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Two armed men walked in, one holding a bag of cash. With five days until the Wild are allowed to sign Kirill Kaprizov to the biggest extension in franchise history — one that would make the star one of the highest-paid players in the NHL — the obvious joke was that the officers were delivering the organization the funds to get the deal done. Advertisement Well, not quite yet. The money was actually for the restaurant in the building's lobby, which happens to be owned by Wild owner Craig Leipold. But, as of now, the team hasn't completely dug into negotiations yet with Kaprizov's representatives on what they hope will be a long-term extension. President of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin said it would surprise him if it gets hammered out by Tuesday but reiterated what he has said for months — that he remains fully confident that in getting Kaprizov locked up well beyond the final year of his contract next season. 'We don't have to sign him on July 1,' Guerin said. 'We'd like to get it done as soon as we can. I'd love to do that. These things take time. They're complicated deals, and there's a lot to them. So, if it doesn't happen on July 1, don't panic. Don't panic. It's a process.' Guerin's current focus ahead of this weekend's draft is the trade market, then free agency, which begins Tuesday. On Thursday, the Wild traded Freddy Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken for a fourth-round pick. The loss of a center seems to make it less likely that they will trade Marco Rossi after weeks of scouring the market. Guerin maintains he doesn't want to make his team worse, so he'd want an equivalent forward in return. That has not materialized so far, meaning the two sides may have to get back to the negotiating table to try to iron out a contract they're both comfortable with. There is one pressure point, however, and that's that Rossi is eligible to sign an offer sheet with another team as early as Tuesday. Guerin has never seemed overly concerned about that. Asked if this is the type of negotiation that could last the summer with training camp not set to begin until Sept. 18, Guerin quipped, 'Doesn't have to be.' 'Hey, look, we like Marco,' Guerin said. 'Like, Marco's a good player. He had a good season. He's a good teammate. There's this funny narrative out there that I — we — don't like him. That's not the case. We like Marco. He's a good player. He played in our top six all year long. And he produced. Advertisement 'For a player in his position, this is pretty normal. I mean, I went through this as a player, too. This is not anything new. Just like Kirill, there is a process, and we don't have to rush into anything. It just takes time.' The one complication here is that Rossi doesn't have the right to file for salary arbitration, so the only way this will get solved is if the Wild and Rossi's agent, Ian Pulver, come to an agreement. Right now, there's a large gap between what the sides feel he's worth on short-, mid- and long-term contracts. The irony? Guerin had multiple contract disputes in his playing career, and in his one salary arbitration, it was Pulver who represented his case in his previous role with the NHL Players' Association. 'I understand both sides very well,' Guerin said. 'As a player, you know it's enough money, but you're competitive, right? That's why you're good. That's why you're in this league. You're competitive with your peers, you want to be treated a certain way, you feel like you deserve a certain amount, or whatever. And, I get that. Yeah, I get that. 'It's emotional. But being on this side now, I have a business to run. I have a structure that we're following. … So the one thing I did have to learn as a player, too, and I did learn it as I got older, and I definitely know it now, none of this is personal. It's just business. You just got to grind it out sometimes.' As Guerin put it regarding teams' interest in Rossi: 'People have called. But, like I said, I'm not rushing that kid out of town, that's for damn sure.' Here were other takeaways from Thursday's Guerin availability. Guerin said at the end of the season that upgrading at the center position was his top priority, and that was before Thursday's Gaudreau trade. Judging from what he's seen on the market, it could be more likely that he addresses the position via trade than free agency. Some of the top unrestricted free agents have already signed — including Brock Nelson (Colorado Avalanche), Jonathan Toews (Winnipeg Jets) and Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene (Dallas Stars). Sam Bennett seems intent on staying with the Florida Panthers, and John Tavares hopes to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Advertisement The problem, however, is the market, where there aren't many sellers. 'It's definitely a strange year,' Guerin said. 'All of a sudden, all 32 teams want to get better. All the GMs are saying the same thing, so it's actually kind of funny. It's a pretty lean marketplace. The thing about trades is, you have to give up something to get something. Whether we're all willing to do that at some point in time is another thing.' While they have shown interest in right-shot centers like the New York Islanders' J-G Pageau and the Avalanche's Charlie Coyle in the trade market, it's also expected that the Wild will try to sign a bottom-six center in free agency who can help in the faceoff circle and on the penalty kill. Some players who may qualify are Sean Kuraly, Radek Faksa, Nico Sturm, Colin Blackwell, Luke Kunin and Nick Bjugstad. The Wild could also pursue an upgrade on the wing in free agency. Brock Boeser and Patrick Kane are among the players who could be of interest there. The way Guerin was talking, though, it certainly seems like he could be preparing fans for a July 1 without many fireworks. While the Wild do finally have some cap space to play with — around $17.7 million after the Gaudreau trade — they know they could also use that for in-season moves next season, too. This is something the Wild weren't able to do last season, when they spent more than half the year in LTIR. 'I've made mistakes and I'll make more, but I'm trying to limit them,' Guerin said. 'I don't want to get into contracts we really regret. You like everybody at certain price points. You have to have some discipline. The important thing for us — we're coming out of the empty cap hits, but it's not just for July 1. 'There are trades that happened in the season or at the deadline — bigger things that we couldn't get involved in because of our empty cap hits. Those are gone now. Going forward, we'll be able to be in those discussions.' Advertisement While Leipold said before the season that July 1 could be like their 'Christmas morning,' it appears the Wild could end up spreading those presents out. 'That's the thing: You don't want to go out on Day 1 and blow your brains out just to say you did something,' Guerin said. 'We don't want to make mistakes. If the guys are there that we want, we'll do it. But moving forward, we'll be able to be involved in other things. To me, that is just as important as July 1.' Guerin said it was a difficult call telling Gaudreau that he was traded, noting what a great person and reliable player he's been with the Wild. But Guerin indicated that this was a move to create flexibility for July 1. Gaudreau carried a $2.1 million cap hit for each of the next three seasons. Seattle showed interest, and the move had been in the works for a couple of weeks. 'There's always that human element to it,' Guerin said. 'And Freddy is one of those guys that everybody loves. He's a good player, and more than that, he's a good person.' Guerin said the Wild could get involved in free agency when it comes to goalie depth. They could use an experienced No. 3 in case of injuries to Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt. Guerin said that doesn't indicate lack of confidence in Gustavsson or Wallstedt, who has admitted he's coming off a 'terrible' season. 'We just need another guy,' Guerin said. It's #NHLDraft week, and #mnwild director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett covered a ton about team's philosophy, past picks, prospects + more. Is there more pressure to hit on 2nd rounder with no 1st or 3rd this year?Story: — Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) June 23, 2025 The Wild won't have a first-round pick Friday for the first time in eight years, but Guerin doesn't feel pressure to add one. They feel they already got their first-rounder in former No. 6 pick David Jiricek, acquired for this year's first-round pick and several others back in November. 'It's not a priority, but I'm not against it either,' Guerin said. 'The biggest thing for this draft, not having a first-rounder, we feel we already picked and got David Jiricek. He was a very high pick, so we're comfortable with where we are. If there's an opportunity to get in the first round without weakening our team, that's definitely something we would take a look at.' Advertisement Guerin did say that Jiricek, whose season ended due to a lacerated spleen, is healthy now and working out in St. Paul, where he'll be for a chunk of the summer. Guerin said top prospect Zeev Buium, who headlines next week's development camp, will also spend a lot of time in Minnesota this offseason. (Photo of Kirill Kaprizov and Marco Rossi: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
Al Arabiya
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Wild trade veteran center Freddy Gaudreau to the Kraken for a fourth-round draft pick
The Minnesota Wild traded veteran center Freddy Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday for a fourth-round pick in this weekend's draft. Gaudreau has three years remaining on his contract with an annual average value of $2.1 million. He had 18 goals and 19 assists while playing in all 82 regular-season games in 2024–25 before going without a point in six playoff games for Minnesota. The pick from the Kraken is 102nd overall and gives the Wild five selections this weekend. They have only one, No. 52 overall in the second round, in the top 100. The 32-year-old Gaudreau has 152 points in 410 career games over eight NHL seasons, including three with Nashville and one with Pittsburgh. 'Frederic's a versatile skater who plays a strong two-way game,' Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said. 'He gives us depth down the middle and has the ability to produce offensively. He's a player that can be trusted on the defensive side of the puck, especially on the penalty kill. We're excited to welcome him to the team.'
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wild trade veteran center Freddy Gaudreau to the Kraken for a fourth-round draft pick
FILE - Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) and Minnesota Wild center Frederick Gaudreau (89) battle for the puck during the first period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series on April 29, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker, File) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild traded veteran center Freddy Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday for a fourth-round pick in this weekend's draft. Gaudreau has three years remaining on his contract with an annual average value of $2.1 million. He had 18 goals and 19 assists while playing in all 82 regular-season games in 2024-25 before going without a point in six playoff games for Minnesota. Advertisement The pick from the Kraken is 102nd overall and gives the Wild five selections this weekend. They have only one, No. 52 overall in the second round, in the top 100. The 32-year-old Gaudreau has 152 points in 410 career games over eight NHL seasons, including three with Nashville and one with Pittsburgh. 'Frederick's a versatile skater who plays a strong two-way game,' Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said. 'He gives us depth down the middle and has the ability to produce offensively. He's a player that can be trusted on the defensive side of the puck, especially on the penalty kill. We're excited to welcome him to the team.' ___ AP NHL:
