The Minnesota Wild and the Seattle Kraken have agreed to a trade that sees forward Frederick Gaudreau heading to the Pacific Northwest in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. The trade, reported by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Thursday, sees the Wild acquiring the 102nd overall pick in the upcoming draft from the Kraken.

Gaudreau, 32, is in the third year of a five-year, $10.5 million contract with an annual average value of $2.1 million. The move frees up valuable cap space for the Wild, who now have almost $18 million to work with ahead of the start of NHL free agency.

The undrafted center has played 410 career NHL games with the Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Nashville Predators, amassing 61 goals and 152 points. Gaudreau joined the Wild in the 2021-22 season. During that season, he recorded a career-high 44 points, including 14 goals and 30 assists. In the 2024-25 season, the Bromont, Que., native played in all 82 games, scoring 18 goals and 37 points.

For the Kraken, Gaudreau brings a veteran presence and versatility to their forward group. He is a reliable two-way player who can contribute offensively while also being responsible in his own zone. Gaudreau's experience will be valuable for a Kraken team looking to continue its development and compete for a playoff spot.

The Wild, on the other hand, gain additional flexibility with the added cap space and an extra draft pick. The team now has five picks in the upcoming draft. This will allow them to potentially add more young talent to their prospect pool or use the pick as part of another trade to address other needs on their roster. The Wild will have to figure out how to replace Gaudreau's production, as he was one of only three Wild players to appear in all 82 regular-season games.

This trade marks the beginning of what is expected to be a busy offseason for both the Wild and the Kraken as they look to improve their teams for the upcoming season.