The Minnesota Wild have acquired Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. The Wild get a great fourth-line player while the Predators sell off an expiring contract and get some great value.
Wild Earn Depth in the Forward Core
The Wild have proven that they’re all in this season with the acquisition of defenseman Quinn Hughes. Their defense core was completely rounded out with that move. Hughes has paired beautifully with Brock Faber, while Jonas Brodin has played better with less of a spotlight on him.
However, the Wild are still looking for some depth in the forward core. They claimed Robby Fabbri from the St. Louis Blues on March 1, 2026, and with this move, they make their fourth line grittier.
Related: 2026 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
McCarron has been a Predator since the 2020-21 season. After bouncing around in the American Hockey League (AHL) between 2017-18 and 2020-21, the 6-foot-6 forward has emerged as a gritty, defensive-oriented player.
This season, he has five goals and seven assists through 59 games. He currently leads the team in penalty minutes with 102. He’s an enforcer, with his 6-foot-6, 232-pound frame working well in fights.
He’s recorded 31 points and notched 35 assists through six years in a Predators’ uniform, but he’s also blocked 227 shots and garnered 659 hits during that time. He’s also solid in the faceoff circle, with a 52.8% faceoff percentage.
2022 first-round pick Danila Yurov has been great in the bottom six, with eight goals and 14 assists through 54 games, but he has just a 38.6% faceoff win percentage. The move to McCarron helps the Wild earn more possession time with the fourth line. He also has experience under Wild head coach John Hynes, who coached the Predators from 2019-20 to 2022-23.
Predators Get a Rich Return
Meanwhile, the Predators earn a great return for a center in the bottom six. They’ve been rumored to sell at the deadline, with them being a few points outside the playoff line in the Western Conference.
This deadline has been considered a seller’s deadline, with more teams rumored to sell than buy this season. The Predators have a lot to sell, with centers Ryan O’Reilly, Erik Haula, and Steven Stamkos, along with defenseman Nick Perbix, involved in trade rumors this season.
The Predators acquired McCarron from the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 7, 2020, for Laurent Dauphin, a forward who hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2022-23 season, so the fact that Nashville developed McCarron into a player worth giving up a second-round pick for is worth praising.
