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Minnesota Wild Finally Have Salary Cap Certainty For 2021-22

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One of the offseason’s biggest stories has undoubtedly been the salary cap situation of the Minnesota Wild. General manager Bill Guerin was faced with an extremely tricky deck of cards this summer – the team’s three best forwards were all restricted free agents and needed new contracts. With a frozen salary cap and increasing market value, it was never going to be easy for the Wild to continue icing a contending team in 2021-22.

However, with Kevin Fiala inking a one-year $5.1MM contract today to stay in Minnesota, the team finally has some clarity in how they’ll be rolling their lineup in the near future. What’s for certain now is that the team will have enough financial flexibility to have Kirill Kaprizov on the roster, at least for next season. With Fiala signed and a full roster, the Wild have $13.1MM in cap space with only Kaprizov left to sign.

But, it seems with every passing day that Kaprizov’s eventual signing price will likely be astronomical, and on a short-term deal as well. The likely outcome here by most accounts is Kaprizov signing a deal equal to or shorter than four seasons, likely between $7-10MM. It’s certainly doable for 2021-22, but the main concerns have never been just about next year.

Moving forward, it’ll be even tougher for Minnesota to stay cap-compliant. The promise of a slightly increasing Upper Limit helps somewhat, but not by much. While 2022-23 sees the combined $9MM cap hits of Victor Rask and Alex Goligoski vanish, they’ll also need a new deal for Fiala, gritty winger Jordan Greenway, and promising netminder Kaapo Kahkonen. The total cap hit increase of those deals, plus an $8MM increase in cap penalties due to the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts, make a scenario in which all three players are retained nearly impossible, even with some team-friendly deals.

The deal Fiala signed is likely very similar to what he would have been awarded had the case gone to arbitration. It doesn’t exactly show long-term commitment to the relationship between player and team, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see another transaction involving Fiala within the next calendar year.

While cost certainty helps create a clearer picture for the upcoming 2021-22 season, the long-term landscape still remains treacherous for the up-and-coming squad.

All salary cap figures from CapFriendly.com

Minnesota Wild, Kevin Fiala Avoid Arbitration

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With an arbitration hearing just a day away, the Minnesota Wild and Kevin Fiala have come to an agreement. The two sides have settled on a one-year, $5.1MM contract almost exactly the midpoint between their two arbitration filings. Fiala had asked for a one-year, $6.25MM contract, while the team had countered with a $4MM deal. The two sides will no longer need the hearing tomorrow.

The 25-year-old Fiala will still be a restricted free agent next summer, but will require a qualifying offer equal to this $5.1MM salary in order for the Wild to retain his rights. He will also be arbitration-eligible once again, meaning a raise is actually a possibility. It was a bet on himself to sign a one-year deal, after becoming one of the most important players on the Wild roster. Over the past two seasons, Fiala has 43 goals and 94 points in 114 games while continuing to post outstanding possession numbers. Though some of that offensive success is due to the deployment the team has offered, there’s no doubting Fiala’s raw talent.

It was Paul Fenton, the oft-ridiculed former GM of the Wild who brought Fiala to Minnesota in a trade for Mikael Granlund a little over two years ago. In terms of offensive contribution, Fiala has been much more effective, yet the two will now head into next season earning almost the same salary. Granlund signed a new four-year, $20MM deal with the Nashville Predators this offseason to continue his strong two-way play, while Fiala will be relied on as the “game-breaker” that Fenton called him when defending the move.

With Kirill Kaprizov still to sign, the Wild have plenty of work to do, but they can now be certain in their financial structure. The team still has more than $13MM in cap space this season, and though things will get tight in the future when the harsh penalties from Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s buyouts kick in, they at least know they can fit everyone in for 2021-22. A long-term deal for Fiala would have made that more difficult, as buying out UFA years would have sent the average annual value of Fiala’s deal skyrocketing. Despite only turning 25 last month, Fiala has five seasons under his belt already, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the 2022-23 season.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the news on Twitter

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kevin Fiala, Minnesota Wild Exchange Arbitration Figures

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The next arbitration hearing is scheduled for Tuesday between the Minnesota Wild and restricted free agent Kevin Fiala. The two sides have now submitted figures, though they can continue to negotiate a contract up until the moment the hearing starts. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Fiala has filed for $6.25MM while the Wild have submitted for $4MM. Michael Russo of The Athletic notes that Fiala actually filed for a one-year term, meaning he will still be a restricted free agent next season.

It is important to remember that the two filings are meant to be the absolute limits of a negotiation, and arbitration almost always results in a contract somewhere in the middle. The midpoint of these two filings would be a $5.125MM cap hit for Fiala next season.

Given that it was the Wild who elected salary arbitration in this case, the term of the award was actually up to Fiala. He could have chosen a two-year deal to get him to unrestricted free agency, but by filing for just one he has essentially bet on himself. If say, the two sides can’t agree on a multi-year deal before Tuesday and a $5MM contract is awarded, Fiala will be owed that much as a qualifying offer again next offseason. He would then be able to file for arbitration again and earn a raise, still getting to the UFA market at the age of 26. The only real risk in this method is if the Wild decide not to qualify him for whatever reason, but unless there is a major injury or huge decline in play, that would be unlikely.

In fact, Fiala is likely worthy of a much more expensive contract after his recent performances. In 2019-20 he truly broke out, scoring 23 goals and 54 points in just 64 games for the Wild. At that point, he was still averaging just over 15 minutes a game. This year he was given more ice time and more responsibility and rewarded the Minnesota coaching staff with 20 goals and 40 points in 50 games. He posted outstanding possession statistics, even if they were helped by strong offensive deployment, and represented an outstanding one-two punch with rookie Kirill Kaprizov.

The question of course, as it will be for every contract the Wild sign over the next few years, is how they can fit in Fiala with such a huge cap penalty coming. Minnesota will face a $14.74MM cap charge in both 2023-24 and 2024-25 thanks to the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, making it very difficult to fit in the rest of the roster. Given the team still has Kaprizov to sign, it’s hard to know exactly how much room they’ll have. Perhaps that’s why a one-year arbitration award for Fiala isn’t the worst outcome, with the two sides restarting negotiations a year from now.

Snapshots: Kaprizov, Elias, Robert Morris

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While no one wants to see dynamic and entertaining talent Kirill Kaprizov leave the NHL after just one year, especially after waiting so long for his arrival, the ongoing negotiations between he, the Minnesota Wild, and allegedly the KHL’s CSKA Moscow has been an intriguing storyline to say the least. However, the recent report that CKSA has an eight-figure offer out to Kaprizov is almost certainly a farce. As first pointed out by Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland, the KHL salary cap is equivalent to about $12MM, making an eight-figure offer one that eats up at least 83% of the team’s payroll on just one player. Even if they did want to make that kind of unrealistic commitment to Kaprizov, the perennial contenders are already flush with talent, including recent NHLers Joakim Nordstrom, Lucas Wallmark, Mikhail Grigorenko, Nikita Nesterov, and several others. There is no possible way that CSKA can afford Kaprizov for anything more than Minnesota’s best offer, leading Strickland to call this “one of the worst bluffs in sports history.” So, rest easy Wild fans. Minnesota maintains all of the leverage in this negotiation and isn’t about to lose Kaprizov and certainly not to an imaginary KHL offer.

  • Following a strong performance at the recent Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, Sports Illustrated’s Steven Ellis reports that talented young Slovakian goalkeeper Rastislav Elias has decided to make the move to North America and will play in the USHL this season. Unlike the past few draft classes, which have featured elite goaltending prospects that were long considered first-round picks, the title for top goalie prospect in the 2022 NHL Draft is still up for grabs. Elias hopes that by joining the Green Bay Gamblers and testing himself in a new league, having only played in Slovakian juniors to this point, will earn him some consideration for that label. The spotlight will be on Elias in 2021-22, who is already considered one of the top prospects in net alongside Canadian Tyler Brennan and Russian Sergei Ivanov in particular. Not only will NHL teams be eying Elias, but NCAA programs will also be heavily scouting the talented prospect, who is still eligible to go the college route if he so chooses.
  • Robert Morris University made waves this spring – and not the good kind – when they shockingly terminated their men’s and women’s hockey programs. The decision spurned numerous outside efforts to raise money to bring the programs back before the coming season, but there had been no update as to whether those attempts had been successful. That official word came down today, as the Pittsburgh-area university announced that they will not be icing hockey teams in 2021-22. Robert Morris reports that they have raised $1.34MM in contributions and pledges, but would require $1.4MM in immediate contributions and another $1.4MM in future pledges in order to reinstate the programs. The school notes that it is “eyeing [a] comeback in 2022-23” if fundraising continues, but by then the players from both teams likely will have transferred and the program will be starting from scratch. It is a disappointing result and seeming lack of dedication and effort on the part of Robert Morris, especially as schools around the country are adding Division I hockey programs, not subtracting them.

Wild Making Progress On Kevin Fiala's Contract; Jesper Wallstedt To Remain In SHL

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The Wild have made some progress in discussions with RFA winger Kevin Fiala, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link).  While the 25-year-old didn’t file for arbitration, Minnesota opted to elect to take him to a hearing earlier this month, a move that teams don’t often make as it gives Fiala the right to elect an award that would walk him to unrestricted free agency if he wanted.  However, it ensures that he’ll be signed long before training camp.  Fiala is coming off a 20-goal, 40-point season that has him well-positioned to earn a sizable raise on the $3MM AAV he had on his bridge deal.  Submissions to the arbitrator will be required on Sunday with the hearing scheduled for a week from today so they’ll need to work quickly to get something done.

  • Still with Minnesota, Wild prospect Jesper Wallstedt has opted to stay with Lulea of the SHL, notes Aftonbladet’s Jonathan Nilsson. The 18-year-old was the 20th-overall pick in last month’s draft which gives them the right to assign him elsewhere as entry-level deals for first-round picks supersede existing contracts overseas.  However, some more time in the SHL certainly makes sense for Wallstedt, who posted a 2.23 GAA with a .908 SV% in Sweden’s top division last season.

Latest On Kirill Kaprizov

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Earlier this offseason, there were reports that CSKA Moscow was interested in bringing back Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov to the KHL if things didn’t go well in terms of negotiating a new contract with Minnesota.  While it was widely viewed as posturing, it appears the threat could be a real one as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that CSKA has an agreement in place with the 24-year-old that would be announced on September 1st if an NHL deal can’t be reached by then.  He adds that the value of the one-year contract would be in the eight-figure ($USD) range.

It’s worth noting that the KHL threat is the only leverage that Kaprizov has in negotiations.  He doesn’t have enough service time to be eligible for an offer sheet nor was he arbitration-eligible.  This basically was the only card that his camp can play.

Minnesota’s long-stated intention has been to lock up the Calder Trophy winner to a max-term deal or close to it but that type of term isn’t necessarily ideal for Kaprizov’s camp.  Even if the Upper Limit of the salary cap only rises marginally over the next few years, that’s still a bit more money available then than there is now with the potential for more years to be in a cap environment where the escrow owed to owners has been paid off.  From his standpoint, then, a short-term contract that takes him to UFA eligibility would be preferable though that clearly wouldn’t work for the Wild.

The end result would appear to be something in the middle as Seravalli notes that a medium-term deal is something that Minnesota is open to working out.  Such a contract would buy out a year or two of UFA eligibility while still giving Kaprizov a shot at hitting the open market with a shot at a max-term deal in a financial landscape that projects to be considerably better than it is now.

With more than $19MM in cap room per CapFriendly, Wild GM Bill Guerin can easily afford the substantial raise that is coming Kaprizov’s way and the decision to take Kevin Fiala to arbitration sets up the potential for a cheaper short-term agreement there which would give them even more flexibility heading into next season.  Of course, that flexibility will be short-lived with the buyout penalties for Ryan Suter and Zach Parise increasing sharply for 2022-23 through 2024-25.

Minnesota Wild Sign Will Bitten

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Aug 8: Bitten’s contract has been announced by the Wild, confirming the reported details.

Aug 7: The Minnesota Wild have signed Will Bitten to a one-year, two-way contract, according to CapFriendly. The restricted free agent forward accepted his qualifying offer, meaning he’ll earn $840K in the NHL and $75K in the AHL next season.

Bitten, 23, was the 70th overall pick in the 2016 draft, selected by the Montreal Canadiens. He never played a single game (outside of exhibitions) for that organization though, as he was flipped to the Wild in a 2018 trade for Gustav Olofsson. With his new club, he has spent three seasons in the AHL, scoring 69 points in 145 games. Though not a big player, Bitten is a ball of energy, willing to chase down defenders with a relentless forecheck. His offensive ability wasn’t what got him drafted, but he was a pretty strong contributor this season with 19 points in 31 games for Iowa, numbers that obviously earned him a qualifying offer.

The fact that he doesn’t rely on high-skill plays to contribute may actually help Bitten in his quest to reach the NHL, given his ability to slot in on a fourth line without a problem. Minnesota doesn’t actually have a ton of NHL locks at the forward position compared to some other clubs, meaning there may actually be some competition in camp for the last few spots. While his ceiling isn’t as high as some of the team’s other prospects, Bitten may get a chance to play some games as an injury replacement in the near future, even if it is limited minutes available at the bottom of the lineup.

Wild Took Fiala To Arbitration To Ensure Deal Is Done Before Training Camp

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  • The Wild’s decision to elect salary arbitration for winger Kevin Fiala earlier this week raised some eyebrows as it’s a move that’s rarely made. Michael Russo of The Athletic posits (subscription link) that the team wants to ensure Fiala is at training camp at the start which wasn’t the case two years ago when talks dragged out longer than either side would have liked.  While a deal will be done within the next two weeks – his hearing is August 17th – there is certainly some risk that Minnesota is taking as Fiala could simply elect for a two-year award to take him to UFA eligibility in 2023, a move that certainly would hurt his trade value as well if it gets to that point.

Marco Rossi To Play In Olympic Qualifiers

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Last year was tough for many prospects, but perhaps none quite as much as Marco Rossi. Dealing with complications from COVID-19, Rossi was not only held off the ice but told he couldn’t even train, allowed on only short walks. His account of the situation is absolutely harrowing, as he told Michael Russo of The Athletic that “every time before I went to sleep, I was so scared that I won’t wake up anymore.” For a 19-year-old kid who was selected ninth overall and could have potentially made the jump immediately to the NHL, it was devastating.

Now, after a long recovery period, Rossi is ready to return to action. Russo and colleague Scott Wheeler both report that the young forward will take part in the Olympic qualifiers later this month, suiting up for Austria. The games take place between August 26-29, while the training camp will open on August 16 and include two exhibition matches.

It’s a huge deal for Rossi to get back on the ice in a game situation before Minnesota Wild training camp later this year. After posting 120 points in his draft year with the Ottawa 67’s, there were many who believed he could potentially step directly into the NHL for the 2020-21 season. A polished, two-way center, his upside for the Wild seemed limitless, even if there were still some concerns about his durability. Rossi stands just 5’9″ and will still have to show he can handle the grind of a professional season in North America.

Still, it’s incredible to hear that Rossi is back. Expectations may have to be lowered after missing an entire year—a crucial development one at that—but just getting him on the ice and playing is enough for excitement to build in Minnesota. Already signed to his entry-level contract, the first year slid forward, meaning he’s signed through 2023-24. It can actually slide again, depending on where he spends this season.

Wild Elect Salary Arbitration For Kevin Fiala

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Minnesota and winger Kevin Fiala will be heading to salary arbitration after all.  While he wasn’t among the players to file for a hearing yesterday, the Wild announced (Twitter link) that they have elected to take Fiala to a hearing.

The 25-year-old is coming off a strong season that saw him notch 20 goals and 20 assists in 50 games, good for second on the team in scoring behind fellow RFA winger Kirill Kaprizov.  It was a strong follow up to his first full season with Minnesota in 2019-20 where he had 23 goals and 31 helpers in 64 games which has certainly bolstered Fiala’s value heading into these contract talks.  He was qualified at $3.5MM but stands to earn considerably more on his next contract.

There are a handful of different rules in place for club-elected versus player-elected arbitration.  The first is that no matter what the ruling is, Minnesota can’t walk away.  As Fiala was filed on, he gets to determine the term of the contract.  That’s certainly notable as he’s two years away from UFA eligibility and as a result of this decision from the Wild, he could simply opt to go to a hearing and elect the two-year term that would take him to the open market in 2023.  Not that it would happen here but Minnesota cannot offer less than Fiala’s salary from last season; teams that are filed on can go slightly lower.

Fiala will now be added to the list of players that will have an arbitration hearing scheduled from August 11th through the 26th.

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