Think back to July 1st, 2016.
The NHL Free Agent Frenzy was in full force, and headline signings were happening left and right. Big money went to the top forwards available, many of which were connected to the Minnesota Wild, who were looking to upgrade at forward.
General manager Chuck Fletcher decided that the Wild weren’t going to be competitive for those big names, so he went bargain-hunting instead. Fletcher settled for a player that fit a need at center, but was on the downswing of his career. One who had completely flopped after a trade to a Cup Contender.