Wild trade defenseman Kallen Addison to Sharks for Adam Raska, draft pick: How the move benefits both teams

The Minnesota Wild are trading defenseman Calen Addison to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Adam Raska and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick, the teams said Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Addison, 23, has five assists in 12 games this season. He participated in 62 matches last season, providing 26 assists and three goals.
• Drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018, Addison recorded 33 assists and five goals during his four-year career with the Wild.
• Raska, a native of the Czech Republic, was selected in the seventh round by the Sharks in 2020. He appeared in eight NHL games between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

Why Trade Addison Now?

It certainly looks like something else could be going on because even with Jared Spurgeon soon to be off extended injured reserve, the Wild’s depth on the blue line has taken a hit with Alex Goligoski also on LTIR with an ankle injury. This, for now, keeps Dakota Mermes in the NHL but it still looks like this could be a precursor to another trade soon.

However, Addison’s time in Minnesota hit a wall. He was scratched in 20 regular-season games last season, including 15 times in the final 20 regular-season games, and in all six games in the playoffs.

Addison was acquired in the Jason Zucker trade along with a first-round pick and Alex Galchenyuk in 2020, and was trade-shopped last offseason to no avail. With the Wild using the first power-play unit with five forwards currently and the ability of Jonas Brodin or Spurgeon to handle the second-unit power-play duties, Addison is expendable. — Michael Russo, Wilde’s senior writer

What sharks get in edison

While William Eklund scored on a four-on-three margin that became the deciding goal in San Jose’s first win of the season over Philadelphia on Tuesday, the Sharks were operating without a mobile defenseman who could run their power play. And creating offense from the back end. They will now have one in Addison.

Such was their lack of offensive-minded puck drives in the post-Erik Karlsson season that the Sharks deployed five forwards at the top of their power play unit. Addison should bring some good vision in the offensive zone, mobility up the ice and some creativity along the blue line. His game comes with defensive warts on five-on-five play, and he has lost the trust of Wild coach Dean Evason several times. Don’t count on him killing penalties because he didn’t.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier hinted at looking for a puck mover when he met with reporters Monday, but that player needs to fit into his current and long-term vision as the team is deep in the rebuilding process. Addison is only signed for this season. Maybe he will do really well and become part of the Sharks’ future. Maybe he’ll at least be good enough to upset the deadline. His maximum fee would be just $825,000 and the cost of acquiring him was minimal. — Eric Stevens, NHL staff writer

what are they saying

“Kalen is a talented young defenseman who sees the ice well and moves the puck well,” Greer said in a statement released by the team. “He is a very good power play player, and we are excited to add him to our group.”

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(Photo: Bryce Hemmelgarn/USA Today)