When the Minnesota Wild hit the ice for the 2026-27 season, forward Marcus Foligno hopes his older brother Nick will be there with him.
Nick was acquired by the Wild from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline on March 6 as a veteran reinforcement for the playoffs, giving the brothers a chance to play together for the first time in their careers.
Nick put up two goals and an assist in 11 playoff games as the Wild were eliminated in five games in the second round by the Colorado Avalanche.
With the two brothers set to return to Sudbury, Ont., for the off-season, Marcus knows the two will have long conversations about Nick’s future for next season. Nick will turn 39 on Oct. 31.
“It’s up to Nick, his energy level and what he has left in the tank,” Marcus told The Athletic’s Joe Smith. “I do believe, and we’ve talked about it — if there’s a chance to come back for one more year, it’d be a no-brainer to come back to Minnesota and try to do this thing to win the Cup. That’s the big thing. We had so much fun together.
“He loves the guys in the room. Nick showed he’s a great role piece for this team and can do some damage when it matters the most. He likes the makeup of the team. He wants to win the Cup. We all do. But it all comes down to walking into that first workout and saying, ‘Let’s do this,’ or ‘I’m done.’”
Nick has played 19 NHL seasons, skating in 1,287 career games split between the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Blackhawks, and Wild.
“I owe it to [my family], I owe it to myself, I owe it to the team I want to play for that I’m all in,” Nick said of his commitment to another season.
Postseason success has eluded Nick in his NHL career. Including this season, he has made it past the first round just three times but has never made it past the second round.
Nick is one of eight unrestricted free agents on the Wild roster and, if he was to return for a 20th season, he would like it to be in Minnesota.
“I got to live out a dream with Marcus, and not just Marcus, with these guys,” Nick said. “I really enjoyed this group. Take away the fact I finally got to play with my little brother and experience that, which was a thrill of a lifetime for our family, for us. I still think we had moments, even as months went on, of just, ‘This is really cool. We’re really doing this.’ And then to play in the playoffs, the high stakes, and seeing him out there and how he played and performed and doing that together, it was special.
“So, yeah, is it something I would love for it to continue? Yeah. I’m invested in this group. But we’ll see where it goes. I’ve got to talk to my family. I’ve got to figure out what’s next. I’m a little longer in the tooth, not in the hair, but in the tooth. So, we’ll see where it goes.”
