Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno has been traded to the Minnesota Wild, as first reported by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. The 38 year old center will get a chance to win a Stanley Cup in Minnesota with his brother. As Kaplan mentions, this is a “doing right by” move by Kyle Davidson for their captain. Foligno’s $4.5 million will all go to the Wild, with the Blackhawks getting future considerations from the Wild, per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
While this move can seem surprising at first, given he was the captain, it makes more sense once broken down and considering the Blackhawks’ future goals.
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 Foligno traded to reunite with brother
Foligno served as a leader to this young group, including mentoring Connor Bedard. He scored 35 goals and 48 assists in 189 games in a Blackhawks sweater, while also helping protect the kids on the ice. In September of 2024, he was named the 36th captain in franchise history, the first since Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks opted to give the experienced veteran the “C” over Bedard at the time, who was just getting his feet wet in the NHL.
Head coach Jeff Blashill has given Bedard and now Tyler Bertuzzi an “A” for now. There is plenty of speculation that Bedard indeed will be the next captain, which could happen this offseason, but time will tell. It feels unlikely the Blackhawks will not have a captain next season, regardless.
https://x.com/BenPopeCST/status/2029963667626660079
Safe to say, Foligno served his time in Chicago very well and made an impact on the next generation of Blackhawks players. He has been in Chicago since Bedard made his NHL debut in 2023. Regardless of this deadline, Foligno was not going to be a Blackhawk next season as his contract was up, and he is nearing the end of his career. While losing a captain on a young team feels significant, the season is winding down, and it’s all about the future now. It was time for both parties to move on.
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