NHL Rumors: Wild Interested In Reunion With Winger

According to David Pagnotta, the Minnesota Wild are now linked to New York Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck.

Clutterbuck was originally drafted by the Wild with the 72nd overall pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. From there, he played in six seasons with the team, where he had 62 goals and 110 points in 346 contests. However, his time with the team ended after the 2012-13 campaign, as he was traded with a third-round pick to the Islanders for Nino Niederreiter. From there, he emerged as a mainstay and good leader for New York.

With the Islanders out of the playoff picture, they are expected to be sellers at the deadline. Clutterbuck has an expiring contract, so naturally, he is somebody who likely will be dealt. If acquired by Minnesota, he would provide them with more grit and overall toughness - which is always welcomed during the postseason. He carries a $3.5 million cap hit, however, so New York would likely need to retain some of his salary for any trade to come to fruition.

In 53 games this season, Clutterbuck has five goals, eight assists, and a minus-6 rating.