Wild Acquire McCarron, Predators Add to Roster in Tuesday Trades

The Minnesota Wild bolstered their forward depth on Tuesday by acquiring veteran Michael McCarron from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. Simultaneously, the Predators traded forward Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for defenseman prospect Christoffer Sedoff and a third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.

McCarron Heads to Minnesota

McCarron, 30, brings a physical presence and face-off ability to the Wild. In 59 games with Nashville this season, he recorded 12 points (five goals, seven assists) and led the Predators with 165 hits. He too took 811 face-offs, was third in blocked shots with 60, and sixth in takeaways with 17, leading their forwards in short-handed ice time per game at 2:29.

“He brings a lot, and face-offs are one element of his game that we really like,” said Wild General Manager Bill Guerin. NHL.com Guerin also highlighted the coaching familiarity, as Wild coach John Hynes previously coached McCarron. “The right shot, it’s hard on your off side, and I think just to have that right-handed guy is important also.”

McCarron is in the final year of a two-year, $1.8 million contract ($900,000 AAV) signed with Nashville on February 16, 2024. He has 74 points (33 goals, 41 assists) in 361 career regular-season games with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators. He was originally selected by Montreal in the first round (No. 25) of the 2013 NHL Draft.

The Wild (36-16-10) currently sit third in the Central Division, trailing the Dallas Stars by three points and the Colorado Avalanche by nine.

Predators Adjust Roster with Smith Trade

In a separate transaction, the Predators moved forward Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for defenseman prospect Christoffer Sedoff and a third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. Smith, 30, had 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 42 games this season, ranking second on the team in hits (119) and fourth in short-handed time on ice per game (2:16). He is also in the final year of a two-year, $2 million contract ($1 million AAV).

Sedoff, 24, has four assists in 38 games with the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League this season. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Golden Knights on March 2, 2023.

Nashville (27-26-8) is five points behind the Seattle Kraken for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. Vegas (28-19-14) holds first place in the Pacific Division.