Wild Get Nick Foligno in Trade with Blackhawks

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the Minnesota Wild are trading for Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno for future considerations.

This latest development comes with the NHL trade deadline being slated for 3:00 p.m. EST on March 6. Foligno, who is 38, currently wears the "C" for Chicago. The trade appears to be the Blackhawks wanting to provide Foligno with the opportunity to chase a Stanley Cup prior to retirement. No retention is being reported surrounding the deal, as Chicago currently does not have any retention spots left. Foligno's younger brother — Marcus — currently plays for the Wild.

The Minnesota Wild are nearing the top of the Central Division with 82 points; only the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are above them in the standings. Minnesota currently boats a 36-16-10 overall record.

The Wild are trading for Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno, where he can play with his brother Marcus per sources.

This is Chicago doing their captain a solid to chase a Cup. No retention (Blackhawks don’t have retention spots left)
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) March 6, 2026

Nick is a New York native and was originally selected by the Ottawa Senators with the No. 28 overall pick back in 2006. He was traded to the Blackhawks by the Boston Bruins in June of 2023.

The left wing has 608 points across 1,270 games played in the league. This year Foligno has posted 11 points (three goals, eight assists) for Chicago.

Marcus — who is also a left wing — has also tallied 11 points on the year for Minnesota.

Nick was in the midst of the final year of his contract with a $4.5 million cap hit. Per reports, he was contemplating about whether he wanted to finish the year with Chicago or attempt to pursue hoisting a Stanley Cup, something that has since escaped him in his 19-year long career. Now, he’ll get to pursue his first championship alongside Marcus, who is in his ninth season with the Wild.

Nick previously almost signed with the Wild in 2021 but chose Boston because he felt it would be too hard to play with his brother at that point in time.

Nick also shared on March 5 a bit on his recent conversations he'd had with Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson.

“It’s tough,” he said, according to The Athletic. “I’ve made it no [secret] how much I care about this group, especially as a guy who’s led this group for a few years. You feel weird when you have those hard conversations. But it’s the reality of where we’re sitting ... When you have expiring contracts or the age I’m at, there’s always a personal thing that you go through, too. You want to still compete and battle and win, and so that’s the fight that you have. I believe in this group so much, and it’s been an absolute honor to be the captain here. … But there’s a competitor inside you, too, that wants to be playing meaningful games.”

The Blackhawks were among the worst teams in the league during Foligno’s three seasons. Chicago previously also traded away Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers, with young star Connor Bedard taking over wearing the "A" in his place.

Chicago next sees action on the evening of March 6 against the Vancouver Canucks. Puck drop is slated for 8:30 p.m. EST.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!