The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL trade deadline. Minnesota Wild get: F Gustav Nyquist Nashville Predators get: 2026 second-round draft pick Predators retain 50 percent of Nyquist’s salary.

Gustav Nyquist is a bargain addition in the trade between the Wild and Predators. But who is the winner and loser of the deal?

Getting moved to a different team didn’t surprise Gustav Nyquist. “I knew something was coming,” he said. But the timing, almost a week ahead of the NHL trade deadline, was earlier than he expected.

With the injury-riddled Minnesota Wild struggling to score and kill penalties and trying to stave off a stumble down the standings amidst a three-game losing streak, general manager Bill Guerin traded a 2026 second-round pick to the Nashville Predators on Saturday to bring back veteran forward Gustav Nyquist.

The Wild operate with a higher degree of difficulty than 31 teams in the NHL, and trading their first-round pick for David Jiricek gives them less draft capital to offer other teams. That's all understandable. Nyquist was available, he could fit into the Wild's cap picture, and there was familiarity. It's not hard to see why the trade got made.

The Wild (34-22-4), who have lost three in a row in regulation, allowed two more power-play goals (the second into an empty netl) in a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.

Minnesota Wild acquired veteran forward Gustav Nyquist from the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to strengthen their lineup ahead of the playoffs. Nyquist, who has 21 points this season,

The Predators could trade Ryan O'Reilly before Friday's deadline but Barry Trotz would need a specific return.

The Wild deserve to be a buyer at the NHL trade deadline because of how well they’ve played, turning into a top-10 team after missing the playoffs last season. And their injury-depleted roster also need helps.