VANCOUVER ‐ The Wild expected to have to subtract to add to continue to shake up their roster, and that's exactly how they brought in another forward.

They dealt Jakub Lauko, Marat Khusnutdinov and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick Thursday night to Boston for Justin Brazeau ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline.

Brazeau was in Raleigh with the Bruins for their game against the Hurricanes, so it's unclear if he'll join the Wild in Vancouver in time to play Friday night vs. the Canucks.

A 6-foot-6, 227-pound right winger, Brazeau had 10 goals and 10 assists in 57 games with Boston and is known as a net-front presence who has a knack for holding onto pucks in the offensive zones — traits that could help the Wild's scoring depth, including on the power play, while giving the team more size, which is lacking compared to other teams around the league.

Before breaking into the NHL with the Bruins last season, Brazeau, 27, played for their minor-league affiliate after stints in the ECHL and Ontario Hockey League. He will wear No. 15.

After acquiring veteran playmaker Gustav Nyquist from Nashville for a second time last Saturday, the Wild were going to have to move money out to move money in because they are saving their salary cap space for Kirill Kaprizov's return from surgery on a lower-body injury that has sidelined the superstar scorer since Jan. 28.

Bruce Bennett
Brett Pesce (22) of the Devils checks Boston's Justin Brazeau (55) during a game in January. The Wild acquired Brazeau on Thursday night.

(If the Wild believed Kaprizov wouldn't be ready before the regular season ends, they could keep him on long-term injured reserve and spend that cap space, but the team hasn't been operating under that impression.)

To even have enough flexibility to activate Kaprizov, the team had to send Khusnutdinov — and fellow forward Liam Ohgren — to the minors after Khusnutdinov had been with the Wild exclusively since coming over from Russia last year.

The center left the Wild with three goals and eight assists in 73 games after the team drafted him during the second round in 2020. A prized prospect leading up to his NHL arrival, Khusnutdinov was mostly a fourth-liner with others ahead of him on the Wild depth chart.

His contract is expiring after the season, as is Lauko's.

He is returning to Boston after the Bruins traded him to the Wild last offseason for Vinni Lettieri. Lauko showcased a speedy grit but only in spurts; he was limited to 38 games because of injury, which knocked him out of the lineup on three separate occasions. The fourth-line winger chipped in three goals and three assists.

His cap hit is almost identical to Brazeau's, with Brazeau's only $12,500 cheaper, so this trade didn't free up much more capital for the Wild. Brezeau is eligible for free agency after the season.

Instead, they'll have to keep pursuing player for player change if they want to further adjust before the 2 p.m. Central Time deadline — unless, of course, they get word Kaprizov will remain out for the rest of the regular season.

If that's the case, they would have plenty of wiggle room.

Center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin are also hurt, but neither has been placed on long-term injured reserve.