Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired forward Justin Brazeau from the Boston Bruins in exchange for forwards Marat Khusnutdinov and Jakub Lauko and a sixth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, originally acquired from Boston.
Brazeau, 27 (2/2/98), has collected 20 points (10-10=20) including four power-play goals (third on team) and two game-winning goals, 89 hits and 16 penalty minutes (PIM) in 57 games with the Bruins this season. The 6-foot-6, 227-pound native of New Liskeard, Ont., owns 27 points (15-12=27), 132 hits, 38 blocked shots and 18 PIM in 76 career NHL games in two seasons with Boston (2023-25). Brazeau scored a goal in his NHL debut on Feb. 19, 2024, at Dallas (Oettinger) and owns two points (1-1=2) in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Bruins.
He recorded 118 points (53-65=118), 377 shots on goal and a plus-32 rating in 189 career American Hockey League (AHL) games in parts of five seasons with the Toronto Marlies (2019-21) and Providence Bruins (2021-24). Brazeau added three points (2-1=3) in six Calder Cup Playoff games with the Bruins. He also tallied 75 points (37-38=75) in parts of two ECHL seasons with the Maine Mariners (2021-22) and the Newfoundland Growlers (2019-20) and was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team in 2019-20.
Brazeau collected 238 points (128-110=238) and 84 PIM in 268 games in four seasons (2015-19) with the North Bay Battalion in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and was named to the OHL First Team All-Star and the OHL Overage Player of the Year in 2018-19. He added eight points (6-2=8) in 21 playoff games.
Brazeau signed a two-year, two-way contract with Boston on Feb. 18, 2024.
Khusnutdinov, 22 (7/17/02), skated in 73 career games and owns 11 points (3-8=11) across two NHL seasons (2023-25), with Minnesota. Lauko, 24 (3/28/00) collected six points (3-3=6) and 69 hits in 38 games with Minnesota this season.
(info courtesy of Wild)
