The Minnesota Wild picked up left-handed defenseman Declan Chisholm this afternoon. He was placed on waivers by the Winnipeg Jets yesterday. Wild GM Bill Guerin has been looking for players to pick up to boost the blueline in Minnesota and Iowa. With Jared Spurgeon out for the rest of the season and having dealt with several lengthy absences from other defensemen, this pickup will give the club more confidence about the depth of their blue line.
Chisholm has good offensive senses, although he is more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer. He’s got the skills to be a good third-pair defenseman who could even skate occasionally on the second pairing. He can run a power play and chip in more there offensively. Chisholm is also known for being able to make good outlet passes to start the rush.
Moving to the Wild may help give Chisholm the chance that he deserves. While he’s been named one of the better prospects of the Jets, he’s only been given two limited shots at playing with the NHL team. With the inconsistency on the blue line in Minnesota, perhaps this is Chisholm’s time to take his chance and run with it. It is unknown, however, if he will start in Iowa or Minnesota. That will most likely become clearer once the All-Star Break is over.
Drafted by the Jets during the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Chisholm was picked 150th overall. Chisholm has played 4 games in the NHL for the Jets over the course of two seasons. He picked up his first NHL point (an assist) on December 2nd against the Chicago Blackhawks. This season, he has played 6 games with the Manitoba Moose and has 6 assists/points on the scoresheet. During the 2022-23 season with the Moose, he put up 43 points (5 goals and 38 assists) over the course of 59 games.
For more Minnesota Wild game recaps and vibe checks, listen to Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast. Updated 2+ times a week.
