Wild reshape roster with Coleman, Maatta, Shabanov additions after July 1 whiff

ST. PAUL, Minn. — What a difference a day makes.

After striking out in free agency, there was plenty of fret amongst the Minnesota Wild fan base wondering if the team had any plan whatsoever to fill the glaring holes it had after allowing wingers Mats Zuccarello and Vladimir Tarasenko to walk to July 1.

Whether it was Plan B or not, Bill Guerin addressed some of those openings on Thursday by making a big trade that sent Jake Middleton to Calgary for veterans Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta, then signing former KHL star Maxim Shabanov to a one-year, $1.6 million contract.

The Wild see Maatta as Middleton’s replacement on the blue line and also believe Coleman can play second-line left wing and Shabanov has top-six upside.

What’s more, with so much offseason left, it’s clear the Wild still feel they have the flexibility to continue their pursuit of a top-line center, specifically Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin.

They have also called on New Jersey’s Jack Hughes — Quinn’s younger brother — although Larkin is the one they know remains available this offseason.

“I do think we’re better today,” Guerin, the Wild’s president of hockey operations and general manager, said on Thursday. “I think the guys that we’re bringing in will provide us with a little bit of a different look. It’s just funny how things work out. I understand how people could be worried when we have these holes to fill with popular players that everybody likes, including me, but sometimes you just really have to be patient.”

As much as the Wild hoped to sign Anders Lee on Wednesday, getting Coleman at half price ($2.45 million with the Flames retaining 50 percent) with only one year left on his contract is a less expensive, younger and faster addition than adding Lee, who got three years at a $5.4 million average annual value.

Coleman won consecutive Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, and Maatta did the same with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017. Guerin knows the Penguins’ 2012 first-round pick well from his time there and believes he can be a more stable and less expensive option ($3.5 million) on the back end than Middleton ($4.35 million), who really struggled in the playoffs playing a second-pair role with Jonas Brodin injured.

“What he brings to a team — his competitiveness, his winning pedigree, the success rate of all the teams that he’s played on — was something that made him really attractive,” Guerin said of Coleman. “He’s a competitor at the highest level. He’s produced. He’s a top-end penalty killer, as well.

“I’ve known Olli for a long time. I believe in the person. His game’s gotten better over the last couple years, and again, the winning pedigree. These guys know what it takes to grind through four rounds of the playoffs, to get to the ultimate goal, and I think when you have guys like that in your dressing room, it can only help.”

As much as Guerin hated losing Zuccarello to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, he hated making that phone call to Middleton on Thursday. And like Zuccarello, Middleton was a popular figure in the Minnesota dressing room. Guerin conceded that he understands the past two days have to have been tough for the Wild’s returning players.

A true character, Middleton was also one of Guerin’s best trades with the Wild, sending Kaapo Kahkonen to the San Jose Sharks in 2022 to acquire the mobile, defensive-minded defenseman.

But on Wednesday, Middleton’s no-move clause turned into a 15-team no-trade list.

When it was submitted to the Wild, the Flames weren’t listed. So Middleton’s heart had to drop when he saw Guerin’s name flash across his Caller ID on Thursday.

“We had a great talk,” Guerin said. “You guys know the way I operate, and I build relationships with our players, and maybe in the end, when I have to make a call like this, it makes it tougher. Maybe I’m wrong in being a general manager, but I appreciate the friendship that Middsy and I created. I hope the relationship never changes, but business is business and relationships are relationships.”

Jake Middleton on why he left Calgary off his no-trade list of 15: “I have a new, young family, I’m from Canada, and I truly think it’s a beautiful city. And the way the organization is headed, with the new arena, that convention centre, the sunshine 300 days a year, it was all…

— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) July 2, 2026

 

Coleman, 34, had been on the trade block for months. He was excited to get back to a Cup-contending team. Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian was his teammate on those Lightning teams, and Bogosian was Coleman’s first text on Thursday.

Coleman is a high-energy, play-driving winger who can add some offensive pop. He and Maatta will also provide new personnel for the Wild’s penalty kill, which has struggled too much when it counts in the playoffs over the years.

Coincidentally, Coleman’s former Miami (Ohio) University coach, Rico Blasi, now coaches at St. Paul’s University of St. Thomas, and Coleman’s brother, Kevin, is a child psychologist and lives in the Lynnhurst neighborhood of Minneapolis.

“He’s got a couple of daughters around my girls’ ages, so they’re super excited,” Coleman said from his home in Frisco, Texas. “We were actually at the lake in Texas this weekend; they’re in town visiting for the holiday, and he was joking around about getting us to Minnesota.

“Two days later, I get the call, so it’ll be really fun. From everything I’ve heard, it’s a great place to live, a great place to raise a family, and we’re definitely at that family stage of life. So I’m really excited.”

Coleman, a third-round pick by the New Jersey Devils in 2011, played his first four years with the Devils and has a great relationship with Wild coach John Hynes from their time there. Guerin’s due diligence included talking to Hynes about Coleman’s character and ability to play and fit in on the roster.

Great add to the Wild’s middle six. Blake Coleman still has a lot of juice as a play-driver with some defensive bite. pic.twitter.com/ahfzXUK6Yc

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) July 2, 2026

A lot can change between now and the season, especially in camp, but the Wild envision Coleman playing on the second line and slotting behind Kirill Kaprizov.

He’s not ready to wrap himself around where he could slot in.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Hynesy,” Coleman said. “He really gave me my start in the league and believed in me and saw something in me. So I’ve always had a lot of appreciation for him. I like the way that he coaches, and he demands a lot of his players, but he’s also fair.

“While we loved being in Calgary. It’s been really hard and disappointing not to be in the playoffs for the last handful of years. I’ve been fortunate to go on some Cup runs and get a taste of what it feels like to be at the top of the mountain, so I’m really excited about that. I think I have a lot to bring, come playoff time. That’s where I feel like I really thrive as a player, and I enjoy that atmosphere and that pressure. Hopefully, we’re there in the spring. But one step at a time.

Maatta will be available to reporters on Friday morning, but he was clearly caught off guard by the trade as Coleman joked that he’s storing his car in Coleman’s garage in Calgary.

“I got to get real close with him,” Coleman said. “He’s a good teammate, and he blew expectations away in Calgary when we got him. He was really good for us. I think he was clicking at a point per game at one point, but just solid.

“Two-way, good first pass, and you know what you’re going to get out of him every night. So I’m excited that he’s coming with me, and I’ll have a buddy to adjust with.”

Olli Maatta, acquired by MIN, is a defensive defenceman who brings a stabilizing on-ice impact despite his poor foot speed. pic.twitter.com/sLjhuJtDlo

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 2, 2026

As for Shabanov, Guerin said the Wild actually tried to sign him coming out of Russia before he opted for the New York Islanders. It sounds like he wanted a change of scenery after a season there, so the Islanders didn’t tender him a qualifying offer.

“There was a lot to be excited about with him because he’s on the upward trajectory,” Guerin said. “I think he probably would be more comfortable because he’s already spent a full year in North America, figuring out the lifestyle, the NHL, how this game’s played over here.

“Where we slot him in, kind of like the other guys, that’s going to be John’s call on where he fits, and let’s see how he comes in and where we can find chemistry. We don’t know. We see him in that top-six role, but we have to see who he’s going to have the best chemistry with.”

Guerin said he’s comfortable and confident with where the Wild are at now. They have only $2.9 million in cap space left, but they can always trade a player to relieve some salary.

Asked if he thinks the Wild still have an ability to acquire that top center (hint, hint, Larkin), Guerin said, “We remain flexible. Right now, we’re just gonna focus on the guys that we’ve got, and we’ll continue to look at everything that’s out there. If there’s something that makes sense that’ll make our team better, we will do it.”

Offseason depth chart

Forwards

Unrestricted free agents: Mats Zuccarello (signed with Los Angeles), Vladimir Tarasenko, Marcus Johansson (returned to Sweden), Robby Fabbri, Ben Jones, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Oskar Olausson, Cameron Butler, Bradley Marek

Restricted free agents: Caedan Bankier

Roster hopefuls: Hunter Haight ($883,833), Charlie Stramel ($1.075 million), Tyler Pitlick ($850,000), Mason Shaw ($850,000), Dylan Grambell ($850,000), Justin Kirkland ($850,000), Jagger Joshua ($850,000), Riley Heidt ($940,833), Rieger Lorenz ($1.013 million), Bankier (RFA), Rasmus Kumpulainen ($924,583)

Defensemen

Unrestricted free agents: Jeff Petry, Ben Gleason

Restricted free agents: Carson Lambos, David Spacek, Roman Schmidt

Roster hopefuls: Viking Gustafsson Nyberg ($975,000), Matt Kiersted ($850,000), Lambos (RFA), Spacek (RFA), Ben Dexheimer ($980,000), Schmidt (RFA), Jack Peart ($942,500), Stevie Leskovar ($960,000)

* Bogosian gets a $100,000 bonus if he reaches 60 games.

Goalies

Unrestricted free agents: Cal Petersen, Samuel Hlavaj

Roster hopefuls: Pickard, Riley Mercer ($920,000), Chase Wutzke ($958,333)

Cap space

Cap charges: $99,430,833

Parise/Suter buyout charges: $1,666,666

Projected salary cap for 2026-27 season: $104 million

Projected salary-cap space: $2,902,501

Sources: The Athletic and PuckPedia