NHL Rumor Roundup: Could Pavel Dorofeyev Become An Offer Sheet Target? Plus Wallstedt Buzz

Once the Stanley Cup playoffs end, the focus of fans and pundits will shift toward the business of hockey, including the draft, free agency and the off-season trade market.

The off-season is also when RFAs can sign offer sheets from rival clubs.

It's a rarely used tactic with a low success rate. Since the implementation of the salary cap in 2005, 12 players have signed offer sheets, with only four being successfully signed away.

The Wild Believe Their Window Is Open - And Bill Guerin Is Ready To Swing Big

Fueling a newfound sense of urgency, Minnesota is leveraging assets and cap flexibility to hunt for a top-line center and transform legitimate contention into a championship reality.

Shifting to the Minnesota Wild, there is ongoing speculation that they might pursue a first-line center in the trade market.

GM Bill Guerin reportedly made an unsuccessful offer to the St. Louis Blues for Robert Thomas before the March trade deadline.

Dane Mizutani of The Pioneer Pressbelieves Guerin must find that center, whatever the cost, if it helps turn the Wild into a Stanley Cup champion. He recommended including promising goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in a trade package to address that need.

Wallstedt was the subject of trade speculation during this season as Guerin scoured the market for that elusive first-line center before the trade deadline. However, the Wild GM is unlikely to consider moving him until starter Filip Gustavsson has fully recovered from off-season hip surgery.

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 8:50 AM.