A different type of season for WIS

 WIS ended last year on a sour note going out way to early in the playoffs, in my mind. So the 25-26 season started with doubt if the team was good enough to really go all the way, since the payroll was now way too high as well. A dismal start to the season set the ball moving to be a seller. So not a complete fire sale, but rather cost reducing trades while keeping an competitive team, at least for the long term.

So a review of the record breaking amount of trades for WIS for the season.

(06/20/25) FOR trades Victor Eklund-p to WIS for Konstan Helenius-p…

This trade was a preseason prospect swap, a swede for a finn goes any day.

(08/06/25) CHP trades CHP 1st-27 & CHP 3rd-27 to WIS for R. Rakell..

Rakell can be brilliant but also have his down seasons. This was a too good offer to pass up even though the sell out was not decided on yet.

(10/11/25) AMO trades I. Shesterkin, T. Stutzle, Sacha Boumedienne-p, AMO 5th-27 & FOR 5th-27 to WIS for K. Kaprizov & L. Ullmark…

When Kirill signed the crazy contract on an already too costly squad his future with the Donuts was counted in days. AMO passed by and made a good offer, where Stutzle was the price. Stutzle really took the trade in stride and produced excellent numbers both in CCHL and in the NHL.

(10/27/25) CHP trades Will Skahan-p & Michael Hrabal-p to WIS for B. Carlo…

There wasn't a plan to sell Brandon but it made sense in a sell mode. Hrabal hopefully will be the goalie of the future to make it worth it.

(11/01/25) FOR trades A. Mangiapane, David Edstrom-p & HFX 3rd-26 to WIS for T. Toffoli…

Toffoli was a high price reserve all of last season so this was a cost reducing move.

(11/11/25) CHP trades U. Luukkonen, L. Reichel, K. Stenlund, Max Psenicka-p & AMO 4th-26 to WIS for R. Pulock & I. Shesterkin…

Igor was good return but the salary was too high for a non-contending team and the team already had good goaltending in Gustafsson and youngster Wallstedt in the waiting. Ukko-Pekka is such a great name and he had a bad season in NHL at that point but I was convinced he could do a lot better. He turned his NHL season around and since Wallstedt continued to do well there now is a three way battle in the net for next season.

As it turned out, WIS kept their place in the standings all season and really came out big in the playoff going to the finals. That is pretty good for a sell out team and the playoff bonus will be most welcome.

A few number to sum it up.

• Rakell, Karpizov, Ullmark, Carlo, Toffoli, Pulock all left the original team (a pretty good starting line up on it own), while also Shesterkin was flipped further.
  
• 5 prospects coming to WIS not counting the early prospect flip, where probably Sacha and Hrabal are the most certain at this point.
  
• 6 picks to WIS in 26 and 27, one 1st rounder while the rest 3-5 rounders