Wild Trade Setoguchi To Winnipeg

The Wild have traded F Devin Setoguchi to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for the Jets' 2014 2nd round draft pick. The move comes hours after free agency opened and teams tossed money around like no other to a mostly forward crowd. The Jets were a team that stood pat this afternoon and watched most of the UFAs get signed up.

Setoguchi, 26, was acquired by the Wild during the first round of the 2011 NHL draft with Charlie Coyle and the 26th overall pick (Zack Phillips) for D Brent Burns. Seto had two up and down seasons in Minnesota, scoring 19 and 13 goals respectively. He was a dominant force with Matt Cullen on the second line in the last half of the season and helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

From the fans perspective, you hate to see Seto go for just a draft pick. But with the trade for Nino Neiderreiter last week, it made Setoguchi and his $3 million cap hit expendable. And now that Matt Cullen is gone, you had to wonder if Seto would ever get close to what he was in the second half of the season.

So from the hockey ops perspective, this is a good deal. Getting a second round (it will be a high 2nd round pick in all likelihood) pick in return for a very inconsistent goal scorer is a great deal. The move freed up his $3 million cap hit, giving the team just over $4.5 million in cap space.

Best of luck to Seto as he goes up north to Winnipeg, the Wild's new division rival.