In a last-minute trade at the deadline, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin traded forward Connor Dewar to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In exchange, the Wild will receive a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and Dmitry Ovchinnikov. Dewar was originally drafted by the Wild in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft, 92nd overall. This was his third season skating with the Wild after he played for two seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild.
Dewar is a fourth-line center who is known for his ability to score and set up shorthanded goals. He’s been a key element of the Wild’s penalty kill. This season, he has played in 57 games and has 14 points (10 goals and 4 assists). Dewar has played in 173 NHL games and has 38 points (10 goals and 4 assists). He scored his first hat-trick this season during the game against the Nashville Predators on November 30, 2023.
On the last year of his two-year contract, Dewar is a pending free agent after this year. He will have arbitration rights during this off-season. His current contract has a $800k cap hit and he signed it on June 22, 2022. His qualifying offer for his next contract is $892,500.
Bill Guerin has been busy collecting draft picks this trade deadline. He has now stockpiled a third and fourth-round pick and a conditional sixth-round pick, all in 2026. The Wild are currently seven points out of a wild card spot and an uncertain road ahead. While a playoff spot is possible, it is not probable.
