- Wild are shopping Yakov Trenin to clear cap space before July 1 free agency
- The move is tied to Minnesota’s pursuit of Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin
- Read below for Trenin’s contract, his role, and why he’s the odd man out
The Wild are clearing the decks before free agency opens.
Minnesota is shopping fourth-line forward Yakov Trenin as it tries to free up cap space ahead of July 1, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported.
The plan ties straight back to Dylan Larkin. Detroit’s captain asked for a trade this week, and his $8.7 million cap hit would force the Wild to shed some expensive depth just to make the roster math work.
Trenin signed a four-year, $14 million deal with Minnesota two summers ago. That $3.5 million cap hit looked reasonable for a physical bottom-six grinder. The production never showed up.
Here’s Russo confirming the Trenin signing back in 2024:
The 29-year-old scored seven goals two seasons ago and six last year. Across 158 games in a Wild sweater, he has just 38 points. That is a heavy number to carry at $3.5 million with Kirill Kaprizov’s new $17 million cap hit about to land on the books.
What Trenin does bring is bite. He racked up 654 hits over two seasons in Minnesota and set the franchise’s single-season hits record. He kills penalties too, averaging 1:21 shorthanded last season.
He also doesn’t mind sticking up for a teammate. Watch Trenin take exception to a hit on Danila Yurov:
Trenin carries no trade protection, so the Wild can send him anywhere. His deal is slightly front-loaded, paying $3 million in real salary over each of the next two seasons before bumping to $4 million in the final two. For a cap-flush team that wants a fourth-line agitator and a penalty killer, he’s an easy add.
If Bill Guerin lands Larkin, Trenin is one of the first depth pieces out the door.
