The Minnesota Wild have landed a prospect that was running out of time, signing Simon Johansson to a two-year entry-level contract. The 22-year-old defenseman could have become an unrestricted free agent if not signed by June. Instead, he’ll start his contract in 2022-23 with Minnesota, though he may end up overseas once again.
Selected 148th overall in 2018, Johansson spent this season playing for Ilves in Liiga, where he is still contracted through next year. If he fails to break camp with Minnesota, it is a possibility that he’ll be loaned back to Finland.
If that does happen, it would be a huge boost for his club team there, as Johansson was a standout this season. With 32 points in 58 games he was among the highest-scoring defensemen in the league, and he added another seven in ten playoff contests. A natural powerplay quarterback, he is an interesting option for the Wild in the future if he can continue to develop his defensive game.
Obviously, Minnesota will need some inexpensive roster options in the coming years as they deal with massive buyout penalties from Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. While Johansson may not be ready for that just yet, getting him under contract was the only way to know for sure.