Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Wild.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Bobby Brink – Minnesota doesn’t have too much on its plate regarding free agents under their control this summer. Brink should be a player to consider in the Wild’s future. In the final season of his two-year, $3.0MM deal ($1.5MM AAV), he scored 15 goals for 30 points in 68 games between two NHL teams this year. Before adding five points in 17 combined games post-trade deadline, Brink saw the majority of his production come from his time with the Flyers, but with many winger prospects on the way in Philadelphia, the 24-year-old’s future in orange was limited. The Minnetonka native hasn’t seen a full 82-game season in his young NHL career, but the Wild should expect 30-40 points from a healthy former second-round pick within the middle-six on the right wing.
D Carson Lambos – The Wild finally awarded former first-round pick Carson Lambos with his NHL debut this season – but the feat seemed to do little for Lambos’ momentum. He returned to the minors after just one game and ended his year with another 19-point campaign. Once a highly-acclaimed, two-way prospect, Lambos has dwindled into a quiet role in the AHL. His free-agency will mark how Minnesota wants to move forward with a recent high-pick. A cheap, two-way contract will extend his fight to acheive his draft-day potential, while a missing qualifying offer could open the door for Lambos to find his stride somewhere new.
Other RFAs: D Daemon Hunt, F Caedan Bankier, F Oksar Olausson, F Cameron Butler, F Bradley Marek, D Roman Schmidt, D David Spacek, G Samuel Hlavaj
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Mats Zuccarello – By opening night of 2026-27, Zuccarello will be age 39. The winger finished his 2025-26 with 54 points in just 59 games for the Wild, capping off the second season of a two-year contract at $8.25MM ($4.125MM AAV). His 82-game point pace was at 75, and as Kirill Kaprizov‘s linemate, he is credited as a positive influence for the Russian star forward. Wild GM Bill Guerin was open about wanting him back, but the question comes down to whether the Norwegian will take a short-term contract with lesser guaranteed money or a bonus-focused deal.
F Vladimir Tarasenko – After a 2024-25 season that only saw 11 pucks cross the goal line from his stick, Tarasenko found his scoring touch this past season with 23 goals for 47 points in 75 games, adding 5 points in 11 playoff games for the Wild. The Russian winger slowly connected with his game again, proving to be clutch with depth scoring and a valuable presence on the second power-play unit. The only vague area of the situation is what the contract looks like as he enters his age-35 year.
F Michael McCarron – Both parties want each other back, there’s no doubt about that. Five points in 20 games for the Wild rounded out a 79-game 2025-26 season that saw 12 points in Nashville before he was traded for a second-round pick in 2028. For the 6-foot-6 forward who has never seen an annual intake above $1.0MM, he wants to ensure he can capitalize on the money and term but also wants to win, understanding Minnesota’s spot in the NHL’s food chain. The points aren’t everything; McCarron also brings solid faceoff numbers to a team that is dry and needs more at the center position.
Other UFAs: F Marcus Johansson, F Robby Fabbri, D Zach Bogosian, D Jeff Petry, F Nicolas Aube-Kubel, F Ben Jones, D Ben Gleason, G Cal Petersen
Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images (Brink)
RFA Samuel Hlavaj should be resigned. Posted some good international play numbers. I would take a flyer once again on Oskar Olausson. I think there’s some untapped upside there.