Deals Involving Wild, Jackets, Avs And Preds Are Just The Beginning

The NHL had a couple of trades recently, including the deal between Colorado and Nashville that sent goalie Justus Annunen and a 2025 6th-round pick to the Predators in exchange for netminder Scott Wedgewood, and the trade between Columbus and Minnesota that sent prospect defenseman David Jiricek and a fifth-round draft pick in 2025 to the Wild for prospect defenseman Daemon Hunt, a conditional first-rounder in 2025, a 2026 third-rounder and fourth-rounder, and a 2027 second-rounder.

All things considered, these weren’t blockbuster trades. But don’t be surprised when every team – the Preds, Avs, Wild and Blue Jackets – all make more moves before the season is through. For different reasons, each of those four teams will be motivated and/or pressured to continue rejigging their rosters for the short and long term, and each GM of those teams will almost assuredly make additional moves by or before the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline.

The Predators, as we all know, have had a disastrous season thus far, and giving up veteran Wedgewood in return for Annunen isn’t going to affect Nashville’s everyday playing level. The 24-year-old Annunen saw his numbers drop from a .928 save percentage and 2.25 goals-against average last season to a .872 SP and 3.23 GAA this season. But he’s still got some upside, and he’ll play in Nashville knowing he’s the understudy for star Jusse Saros – and that understanding may improve his performance.

Meanwhile, Wedgewood arrives in Colorado as a journeyman who is two years removed from posting a .915 SP and 2.72 GAA with Dallas, but his numbers this season (including a .878 SP and 3.69 GAA) weren’t ideal. The 32-year-old is signed this season and next at a $1.5-million salary cap hit (financial data via Puck Pedia), but he’s going to be looked to for stability between the pipes for the defensively-challenged Avs.

The Wild/Blue Jackets trade was made not with an eye on the present,…