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Ryan Hartman Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine

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The Department of Player Safety has decided that Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman’s slew foot on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ross Colton did not rise to the level of a suspension, issuing a $4,250 fine instead. The fine is the maximum allowable under the CBA, based on Hartman’s current salary.

The incident, which occurred late in the first period on Sunday night and resulted in a tripping penalty for Hartman. He then received an additional five-minute major for fighting when Zach Bogosian engaged him almost immediately after he exited the penalty box. Colton avoided a serious injury on the play and ended up seeing nearly 16 minutes of ice time in the game.

Slew-footing has become something of a trend in the NHL this season, with several different players earning fines or suspensions for incidents similar to the one that happened in Tampa Bay. Just last week, Kevin Labanc received a one-game suspension for nearly the same thing, with the league including the explanation that “what causes this play to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the speed the players are traveling and their proximity to the boards.” Perhaps in the Hartman case, they did not feel it included those same factors.

Matt Boldy Activated, Assigned To AHL

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After breaking his ankle and missing the first part of the season, Minnesota Wild prospect Matt Boldy is ready to return to action. The team has activated the young forward off the injured non-roster list and assigned him to the Iowa Wild. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Boldy is expected to make his season debut this weekend for Iowa.

After signing his entry-level contract near the end of last season, Boldy stepped into the AHL and showed he could dominate that level just as much as he did in college. Through 14 games for Iowa, he registered 18 points and looked like he might be ready to step directly into the NHL for the 2021-22 season. The 12th-overall pick in 2019, Boldy was having a strong camp until his injury, which was originally given a four- to six-week recovery timeline.

Now, as he returns from the injury, he’ll have to get up to speed at the minor league level once again. How long he’ll stay down there remains to be seen, but with Minnesota in a strong position and winning their share of games, there isn’t a rush to bring him up. The team is 10-5-0 on the year and sits second in the Central Division, despite losing last night to the San Jose Sharks.

If he does come up, the Wild would be adding a big, talented winger with a history of racking up points at every level. The 6’2″ Boldy had 31 points in just 22 games during his sophomore (and final) season with Boston College, making him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He also took home a World Junior gold medal, scoring five goals in seven games. For now, the focus will be on making sure he’s healthy enough to get his career back on track, but in time the Wild will have another exciting forward to add to the group.

Alex Goligoski, Evan Rodrigues Receive Maximum Fines

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The NHL Department of Player Safety is keeping busy today. After announcing a suspension hearing for Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki earlier, the league has now issued a pair of fines. Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues have been dinged for infractions in their respective Saturday night contests.

Goligoski has received a maximum $5,000 fine for high-sticking Seattle Kraken forward Jordan Eberle. While high-sticking is usually an incidental penalty, incurred due to negligence rather than maliciousness, sometimes a dangerous high stick can rise to the level of supplemental discipline. This is the case for Goligoski, whose high stick actually went unnoticed and uncalled as well, which likely added to the fine decision.

Rodrigues has received a maximum $2,500 fine for tripping Ottawa Senators forward Zach Sanford. Called a “trip”, Rodrigues actually used his stick to buckle Sanford’s knee in a net-front scrum, which is a dangerous play. Like Goligoski, Rodrigues’ penalty also went uncalled but was reviewed by Player Safety after the fact to the effect of a fine. In a nine-goal game, in which Rodrigues and Sanford combined for three tallies, there was enough going on that the the referees missed the call.

Wild Activate Jordan Greenway

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  • The Wild have activated winger Jordan Greenway from IR and will have him in their lineup tonight against Arizona, relays Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The 24-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain two weeks ago versus Seattle and missed the last four games.  It’s a contract year for Greenway who will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer so not missing extended time will certainly help his cause.  He has two assists in seven games this season after recording 32 points in 56 contests in 2020-21.

Injury Notes: O’Reilly, Wild, Schenn

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St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly is likely to return to the lineup Sunday night when they take on the Anaheim Ducks, per Blues writer Chris Pinkert. The 30-year-old center missed the team’s last four games while in COVID-19 protocol. He’s likely to return to top-line duties between David Perron as well as Brandon Saad, who’s also missed time while in COVID-19 protocol this season. Prior to departing the lineup, O’Reilly had five points in five games while averaging 19:13 of ice time per game.

Other injury notes from around the league:

Wild Hoping Alex Goligoski Will Return Tonight

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  • Minnesota hopes to have defenseman Alex Goligoski back in the lineup tonight after he missed the last three games due to an upper-body injury, relays Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The 36-year-old is in his first season with his hometown Wild and has been a steadying presence on their second pairing while chipping in with three assists.  Despite the injury, Goligoski has remained on the active roster so they won’t need to make a roster move to get him in the lineup.

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Lightning, Watson

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The Montreal Canadiens are facing two big game-time decisions for Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks in defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Brendan Gallagher, as reported by The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. Basu notes that Sami Niku will draw in for Petry if he’s unavailable, while Jake Evans, who’s still not 100 percent in his recovery from an undisclosed injury, would play in place of Gallagher if needed. It’s tough news for an already banged-up team that also lost Mathieu Perreault to injury today for two-to-three weeks. Petry and Gallagher have both had extremely slow starts, as Petry has no points through nine games with Gallagher has just a goal and an assist. It’ll undoubtedly force a lineup shakeup for Sunday’s game.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • The status of Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Boris Katchouk is uncertain for Monday night’s game against the Washington Capitals. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that Stamkos was absent from practice Sunday, taking a maintenance day, and head coach Jon Cooper is “hopeful” he’ll play Monday night but isn’t certain. Katchouk was hurt in practice Sunday and could be out longer. The 23-year-old forward has gotten into four games this season and is still searching for his first NHL point.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson is close to returning and could be ready for the team’s game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, per head coach D.J. Smith. Watson hasn’t played this season due to an ankle injury suffered during training camp. The return comes slightly ahead of the four-week timeline issued on October 10th. He could draw into the lineup in place of Logan Shaw, who’s registered no points in seven games while playing just 8:08 per game.

Minnesota Wild Place Jordan Greenway On Injured Reserve

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The Minnesota Wild placed winger Jordan Greenway on injured reserve Friday afternoon, recalling Adam Beckman from the Iowa Wild in his place, per a team release.

Greenway suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday night’s game against the Seattle Kraken after taking a hit from Kraken captain Mark Giordano.

The Athletic’s Michael Russo expands on the nature of a recent injury bug that’s hit the Wild, stating defenseman Alex Goligoski is out one to two weeks with an upper-body injury while Dmitry Kulikov is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

If Beckman draws into the lineup, it will be his NHL debut. The 75th overall pick in 2019 has seen his stock rise sharply and now finds himself mentioned in a trio of skilled forward prospects in Minnesota’s system, along with Marco Rossi and Matthew Boldy. Beckman has three points in four AHL games this season.

Greenway’s had somewhat of a rough start to the season with just two assists in seven games. He was expected to be a major contributor in the team’s top-six forward group after scoring a career-high 32 points in 56 games last season.

Beckman could certainly get a look playing directly in Greenway’s spot with Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno, but head coach Dean Evason could also shuffle the team’s line combinations to put Beckman in less of a checking role.

Rem Pitlick, Mats Zuccarello Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Minnesota Wild have placed Rem Pitlick and Mats Zuccarello in the league’s COVID-19 protocol, after reports surfaced yesterday suggesting that testing had brought back positive results. The team has recalled Connor Dewar, Kyle Rau and Jon Lizotte from the Iowa Wild to reinforce the NHL lineup.

Minnesota did not indicate whether either Pitlick or Zuccarello have tested positive for coronavirus, and it is important to remember that inclusion in the protocol does not mean that a player has. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.

The Wild canceled practice yesterday with the test results pending, and now will appear to be without the services of two forwards for tonight’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that the pair will continue to test over the next two days to try and confirm a positive result.

Zuccarello in particular is an extremely important piece for Minnesota, who has averaged more than 18 minutes a night this season and has seven points in six games. The 34-year-old continues to be one of the more effective playmakers in the league, and is coming off a season with 35 points in 42 games.

Pitlick meanwhile made his Wild debut on Tuesday, registering an assist in just over nine minutes of action. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers earlier this month from the Nashville Predators and has shown a strong goal-scoring ability in the minor leagues. A former Minnesota Golden Gopher, he looks like a nice addition for the Wild early on.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Minnesota Wild

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading for the 2021-22 season and beyond.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Minnesota Wild

Current Cap Hit: $78,453,086 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

Minnesota has some players who could see time with them at some point this season in Matt Boldy (two years, $881K) and Marco Rossi (three years, $894K) but neither figure to play prominent roles or reach their Class A bonuses.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Jordie Benn ($900K, UFA)
F Nick Bjugstad ($900K, UFA)
F Kevin Fiala ($5.1MM, RFA)
D Alex Goligoski ($5MM, UFA)
F Jordan Greenway ($2.1MM, RFA)
G Kaapo Kahkonen ($725K, RFA)
D Jon Merrill ($850K, UFA)
F Rem Pitlick ($918K, RFA)
F Victor Rask ($4MM, UFA)
F Nico Sturm ($725K, UFA)

The decision the Wild made to take Fiala to arbitration was a bit of a curious one.  While it ensured he’d be with the team for training camp, it also gave him the opportunity to elect a two-year term that would walk him right to UFA eligibility.  That didn’t happen as they settled on this one-year pact which still gives Fiala the right to opt for arbitration next summer and take another one-year deal.  It also gives Minnesota one more opportunity to try to lock him up long term but with the dead cap money they have on the books for the next few years, fitting it in could be tricky.  This situation will be one to monitor.

Rask’s contract is finally set to come off the books after being acquired in a trade two years ago that hasn’t worked out well at all.  As someone who is better suited for a very limited role now, he may have to settle for a quarter of his current rate next summer.  Greenway’s bridge deal gave the Wild some extra short-term flexibility and a chance to evaluate his potential for being a long-term fixture.  He has shown some improvement but he hasn’t quite established himself as a top-six piece either.  A one-year deal that keeps him RFA-eligible next summer may be in Minnesota’s best interest.  Bjugstad, Pitlick, and Sturm are all role players that will need to be willing to sign for similar low-cost rates to stick around.

Goligoski decided to sign with his hometown team in the offseason, taking a higher one-year deal over a multi-year pact that carried some longer-term security.  He’s more of a fourth or fifth option at this stage of his career and could be looking at something closer to the $3MM mark next summer.  Benn and Merrill are both depth defenders that didn’t have a lot of interest in free agency this year – it took a month for Benn to get this deal – and similar contracts are likely unless one of them plays their way into a bigger role.

Kahkonen has settled in as the backup but barring something unexpected, his experience in terms of NHL appearances is going to be limited – likely somewhere in the range of 55 career games.  That’s not going to help his case in arbitration.  He has two years of team control remaining so he either takes a one-year deal (likely in the $2MM range) or a multi-year pact closer to $3MM but the latter may be tough to afford.

Two Years Remaining

F Brandon Duhaime ($750K, RFA)
D Mathew Dumba ($6MM, UFA)
F Frederick Gaudreau ($1.2MM, UFA)
D Dmitry Kulikov ($2.25MM, UFA)
G Cam Talbot ($3.667MM, UFA)

Gaudreau has largely been in the minors in his career but a good showing in limited action with Pittsburgh took him from a two-way deal to two years at seven figures.  He’ll need to lock down a regular role in each season to land that contract in 2023.  So far, so good on that front.  Duhaime earned the final spot on the roster in training camp and he has done well on the fourth line.  He’ll get a small raise on his next deal with the next increase in the NHL minimum salary and could get a bit more than that if he can stick with the Wild and not be shuffled down to Iowa.

Dumba’s future is about as secure as it has been for a while as gone are the days that had him in frequent trade speculation.  He’s one of their top blueliners and will only be 29 when his deal is up so a max-term contract or close to it shouldn’t be off the table.  He should come in a tier below some of the big deals handed out this past summer but something that pushes the AAV near the $8MM range certainly seems doable at this point.  Kulikov makes a bit much for the spot on the third pairing he currently occupies but if he can hold his own in the top four when injuries arise, they’ll get an okay return on this deal.

Talbot is well below the median salary for starters but did well in that role last season.  Even so, it’s hard to forecast a guaranteed raise for him since he’ll be 36 on his next deal and may be better off with one-year deals with incentives that could push the total compensation around the $4MM mark; those aren’t available on multi-year pacts for 35-plus players.

Three Years Remaining

F Marcus Foligno ($3.1MM, UFA)
F Ryan Hartman ($1.7MM, UFA)
F Mats Zuccarello ($6MM, UFA)

Zuccarello had a quiet first season but was certainly better in 2020-21, producing at a level that’s close to the top line which is what he’s being paid to do.  He’ll turn 37 for his next contract and is another candidate to do a one-year, incentive-laden deal at that time, especially if his production drops off towards the end of the contract.  Foligno’s contract seemed a little high when it was signed back in January but with how the UFA market went over the summer, it’s a market-value contract.  Whether or not he can stay healthy will go a long way towards what his next deal will be as staying in the lineup has been an issue and the style he plays doesn’t always age well.  Hartman has been able to work his way up the depth chart compared to where he was in his previous stops and a middle-six winger signed for $1.7MM for three years is pretty good value although he’ll need to step up his production past the 20-point mark to have a shot at landing a much pricier deal in 2024.

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