Wild’s Guerin Deserves to Be Finalist for Jim Gregory Award

After a disappointing loss in Game 4 on home ice on Monday night, May 11, the Minnesota Wild received some good news the following morning as their general manager, Bill Guerin, was named a Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year finalist alongside Chris MacFarland for the Colorado Avalanche and Pat Verbeek for the Anaheim Ducks. 

Each of these teams has had a strong season, and their general managers have done well, but only one can win this award. It’ll be interesting to see which general manager is chosen, as they are all worthy. In this article, we’ll look at why Bill Guerin has earned not only this nomination but also why he deserves to win it as well. 

Guerin Made First Move

Ever since Guerin made the move to buy out Wild favorites Zach Parise and Ryan Suter back in 2021, he’s either been loved by Wild fans or hated. Over the seasons, he’s brought in different players and let others go, like every other team in the league. Fast forward to this season, after a relatively quiet offseason that brought in Vladimir Tarasenko and Nico Sturm, many were expecting more. 

Then Guerin secured the extensions of Kirill Kaprizov and Filip Gustavsson, but still hadn’t brought in the big player many were expecting. The season started, and the Wild struggled but found themselves again before Guerin made the move that surprised everyone. Now we all know that move was acquiring Quinn Hughes. 

They had to give up Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, and Liam Öhgren, plus a 2026 first-round draft pick, to get Hughes to Minnesota. While it was a lot, it was worth it to get Hughes here and give those players a fresh start in Vancouver. Getting Hughes here showed Guerin was serious about putting together a winning team, and he meant it. 

Guerin Continued to Build

Bringing in Hughes was just the first step in Guerin’s plan this season, as he made several acquisitions at the trade deadline as well. He knew his team needed more size, so he brought in Michael McCarron, and although these moves for bigger players haven’t worked out well in the past, this one was one of the best they’ve made when it comes to size. 

They also made the move to bring in a Minnesotan in Bobby Brink, who brought speed and puck movement skills, plus Robby Fabbri, who has a bit of size and speed. The other two players they brought in were for veteran leadership and experience in Jeff Petry and Nick Foligno, plus Foligno is family with brother Marcus, already a big part of the Wild. All of these players have made an impact in one way or another. 

Guerin knew exactly what he was doing when he brought in each of these players, and they’ve all been worth bringing in. Although Fabbri and Brink haven’t seen much of the postseason, they are still there in case they’re needed to fill in. 

Guerin’s Earned This Award

While all three general managers have made moves to make their teams better this season, it’s hard to argue with the move Bill Guerin made in bringing Quinn Hughes to Minnesota. No one saw the move coming, and somehow, Guerin and his team did an excellent job of keeping it out of the news, which allowed the trade to move forward without hurting any players in the process. 

The players were able to find out from their respective general managers and were told in the right way, rather than finding out in the news that they were traded. A trade of this size, it had to be very difficult to keep on the down low until it happened. That trade instantly transformed the Wild, who were already a strong team, but were missing at least one major piece. 

Hughes filled one of those pieces, and his effect on the team was instantaneous. Everyone played better, especially his defensive partner, Brock Faber, whose game has been elevated to a level everyone knew was possible. Hughes has also given them the confidence that has gotten them to where they are now. Although they’re facing elimination, they’ve shown they can be a strong team. 

It’ll be interesting to see which general manager gets the award, but Guerin has earned it and deserves it. He changed this team for the better and is likely not done yet, regardless of how the postseason goes. Hopefully, the Wild will be able to stave off elimination and force a Game 6 against the Avalanche.