CALGARY, Alberta – Wild coach Dean Evason doesn't know any Swedish words, but he could be hearing the language quite a bit more.
"I got lots of texts saying that we coaches need to learn," Evason said.
All four additions the Wild made before the NHL trade deadline are Swedish, with the team picking up forwards Marcus Johansson and Gustav Nyquist last Tuesday before acquiring forward Oskar Sundqvist and defenseman John Klingberg on Friday.
"I'm going to learn very soon," Marcus Foligno said.
Klingberg, whom the team landed from Anaheim for minor leaguer Andrej Sustr, the rights to prospect Nikita Nesterenko and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick, was to make his Wild debut on Saturday at Calgary after getting to the team's hotel around midnight, but Sundqvist couldn't arrive in time and will meet the group back in Minnesota.
Earlier in the week, Klingberg found out the Wild were interested in trading for him, and this is where he wanted to go.
"I think my role fits good within the team, and the defensive structure is going to help me as well," said Klingberg, who was to wear No. 3 and pair up with Jon Merrill. "I'm very excited."
A mainstay with Dallas for eight seasons, Klingberg signed a one-year deal to join the rebuilding Ducks and left a minus-28.
He said he was "probably trying to do too much" at the beginning of the season and that's usually when he struggles. Since the Christmas break, though, Klingberg has felt better about his performance, which ignites offense when he's rolling. The 24 points he brought with him are the third-most on the Wild among defensemen.
"It has been kind of a tough year," said Klingberg, who took reps with the first power-play unit before the game. "I'm very excited to get kind of a fresh start here. I'm excited. Just go in and try to play my game and not try to chase offense too much. Instead, I'm going to try to let the game come to me and take it from there."
With Sundqvist unavailable and Jordan Greenway gone after the Wild moved him to Buffalo on Friday, Foligno returned against the Flames after missing the previous game with a hip flexor issue, and Sam Steel suited up for the first time since Feb. 15; he was a healthy scratch for eight in a row.
Brandon Duhaime (upper-body injury) did not play after leaving the 2-1 win at Vancouver on Thursday early following a fight. He'll be re-evaluated when the team is back in Minnesota.
As for what the Wild anticipates Sundqvist will bring to their lineup after adding him from Detroit for a 2023 fourth-rounder, "he goes to the net," Evason said. "He's a net-front presence. He's played on the power play. He's a playoff type of performer."