After trading Calen Addison to the San Jose Sharks this morning, the Minnesota Wild have traded for another defenseman to take his place. The Wild have acquired Zach Bogosian from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 7th-round draft pick in 2025.
Trading Addison away and receiving Bogosian has a few upsides for the Wild. While Addison was a power play specialist, Bogosian is a more defensive defender. They also gained $25,000 in cap space and went from a 7th-round pick in 2025 to a 5th-round pick in 2026. The extra cap space is welcome, even if it is small. With the Wild being so close to their cap ceiling, every dollar counts.
Bogosian is a right-shot defenseman. He’s played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, and, most recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bogosian was also with the Lightning when they won the Stanley Cup in 2020. He was drafted third overall in the 2008 by the Atlanta Thrashers.
While Bogosian sometimes lacks discipline in the defensive zone, he has a heavy shot and likes to push the puck up the ice. He’s also a physical player who should fit in well with the Wild’s gritty team. Bogosian played in Tampa with Pat Maroon, who was an off-season Wild acquisition. Adding another veteran who has been on a Stanley Cup run will help with the leadership in the locker room, especially while Jared Spurgeon is still injured.
This move makes even more sense because Bogosian lives in Minnesota during the off-season as does his brother, who works for the Wild.