Calen Addison Couldn’t Meet An Impossible Standard – Minnesota Wild

Calen Addison became the primary target for Bill Guerin when he began building the prospect pool for the Minnesota Wild. Guerin, familiar with the smooth-skating offensive defenseman from their time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, acquired him for the Wild as part of the Jason Zucker trade, seeing Addison as a potential Kris Letang or Jared Spurgeon for the team.

However, lofty comparisons like these almost never come true for prospects. If every prospect fulfilled their potential, it would create an overwhelming number of talented players. In reality, players often struggle to live up to these high expectations set for them, even if they possess significant talent.

The Wild’s message to Addison has been to emulate Jared Spurgeon, an undersized yet highly skilled defenseman, known for his exceptional performance on the ice. But as Addison failed to reach the level of Spurgeon’s play, the team’s expectations seemed to shift from encouragement to frustration.

The reason for this frustration stemmed from the fact that Spurgeon’s performance is nearly flawless, making it difficult for a 23-year-old like Addison to meet such high standards. Despite Addison’s potential to be a top-four defenseman in the NHL, the burden of matching Spurgeon’s abilities led to the Wild’s disappointment.

Surprisingly, the Wild chose to trade Addison, who had already demonstrated considerable NHL experience and potential, for a fifth-round pick. This decision was perplexing, especially considering that Addison’s performance was statistically significant and he had returned to the team with a strong determination to make an impact.

Amidst the trade rumors, Addison’s contributions on the ice remained substantial, as he demonstrated his value through offensive impact and overall performance, ranking third on the team in xStandings Points Above Replacement (xSPAR) this season.

Despite being traded, Addison’s statistical impact on the Wild’s defense over the past year was impressive, placing him as the third-best right-shot defenseman on the team. This highlighted his significant contribution to the team’s success, proving that he was a better choice than any potential replacement.

However, it’s clear that Addison couldn’t match the excellence of the Wild’s best defenseman, Jared Spurgeon. Nevertheless, there was no need for him to become someone he wasn’t, as the team already had capable players to fulfill those roles.

Ultimately, the trade was a disappointment for the Wild, as they lost a valuable, young defenseman, seemingly out of frustration. This decision was an unexpected step in the wrong direction for a team in need of talented and affordable players.