Wild Closing In On Long-Term Deal With Michael McCarron

Last month, it was noted that the Wild and Michael McCarron had mutual interest on extending the forward’s stay in Minnesota.  But one of the key sticking points in talks was McCarron’s understandable desire to get some term on his next deal, a luxury he has yet to have in the NHL; his longest contract was his entry-level deal back in 2013.

It appears he’s about to get his wish.  Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic report (subscription link) that McCarron is closing in on signing a long-term deal to remain with the Wild.  No information was provided about the term or dollar value the two sides were discussing in their talks.

The 31-year-old came over from Nashville a little before the trade deadline with Minnesota flipping a 2028 second-round pick to get him.  Considering that he has largely been a bottom-six forward (at times playing on the fourth line with the Preds), the price tag seemed a little steep on the surface but reflected the shift towards a sellers’ market.

McCarron played in 20 games following the swap, picking up three goals and two assists along with 40 hits, while averaging 12:40 per night, nearly two minutes below his ATOI in Nashville.  However, he was counted on more in the postseason, as his playing time jumped to just under 15 minutes per night while he chipped in with two goals and two helpers in 11 outings.

Offensively, McCarron managed 17 points during the regular season between the two teams, the second-highest total of his career.  Overall, over parts of nine NHL seasons between Montreal, Nashville, and Minnesota, he has 36 goals and 43 assists in 381 games.  Generally speaking, forwards with that type of offensive production aren’t the types of players that teams typically try to lock up on long-term agreements.

However, there are some intangibles that McCarron brings that makes him stand out, literally in a sense.  His six-foot-six frame makes him one of the bigger players in the league while he plays with plenty of physicality.  He can shift between both center and the wing, versatility that came in handy for the Wild down the stretch.  He can also take a regular role on the penalty kill where, again, that positional versatility comes in handy.  It appears GM Bill Guerin is valuing these intangibles if he ultimately winds up doling out a long-term agreement here.

McCarron made $900K this season and it’s safe to say it’s going to take considerably more than that to get him to forego testing the open market this summer.  Speculatively, it wouldn’t be shocking if a deal pushed past the $3MM range, which would give him a per-season salary higher than the sum of money he made over the past three years combined.  Russo and Smith noted that the Wild viewed McCarron as their top priority among their pending free agents and it looks like they’re about to check that off the to-do list.