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Jason Zucker

Snapshots: Kessel, Malmquist, Vladar

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It’s been confirmed by many sources now that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel himself nixed the proposed deal that would have sent him to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Jason Zucker, among other pieces. What was unclear is exactly why. Kessel is a native of nearby Wisconsin and played his college hockey for the University of Minnesota. It would seem that the Wild would have been a nice fit for the veteran scorer. However, as noted by the Athletic’s Michael Russo, Kessel’s reasoning for turning down the destination is quite simple: he doesn’t think the team is a contender. In fact, after talking to those close to Kessel, Russo phrases it as Kessel didn’t think the team was even “close to contending”. GM Paul Fenton certainly left a mark in his first season at the helm, trading away established veterans Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, and Nino Niederreiter and on paper the team does look to be in more of a rebuild than a title window. Fenton reportedly called Kessel to try to change his mind, but to no avail. Kessel will be 32 next season and has already showed signs of slowing down, so the star winger apparently has his sights set on competing for more Stanley Cups before his playing days are over. That could make the prospect of dealing him that much harder for Penguins GM Jim Rutherford, further limiting Kessel’s trade options to contenders on his eight-team trade list that have both the means and interest in acquiring him. Meanwhile, Fenton and the Wild have to hope that other prominent players, free agents or trade targets, don’t share in Kessel’s pessimistic outlook on the team’s chances or they may have a hard time improving this off-season.

  • Kessel’s home of Madison, Wisconsin is set to see another promising player make his way into town in a couple of years. Liam Malmquist, a standout high school forward from Edina, Minnesota, has announced his commitment to play his college hockey for the University of Wisconsin. However, Malmquist will not join the Badgers until 2020-21 and will play next season for the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, the team announced today. Malmquist, 18, is an undersized scoring forward, whose lack of stature and relatively weak competition level likely kept him off the radar of NHL team’s in his first time through the draft last year. However, after recording 52 points in 24 games this year, he’s entered the conversation as a possible late-round overage waiver this June. Malmquist’s older brother, Dylan Malmquist, remains unsigned but just wrapped up a strong collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame. Even if Malmquist is not drafted, he can stay in the pro picture if he is able to replicate or top his brother’s numbers while at Wisconsin. He should be surrounded by plenty of talent too, as Malmquist joins a talented Badgers team that will add top 2019 prospects Alex Turcotte, Cole Caufield, Ryder Donovan, and Owen Lindmark, as well as intriguing 2020 name Dylan Holloway next season and another top 2020 prospect in Tanner Latsch the year after.
  • The Boston Bruins have already lost forward Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and defenseman Emil Johansson to Europe this off-season – even though the team’s off-season has yet to begin – and for the good of their minor league depth hope to avoid any other such losses. However, it is worth noting that AHL goaltender Dan Vladar was the subject of a recent trade in the KHL. Vladar’s rights were acquired by contender Lokomotiv Yaroslavl from HK Sochi in exchange for 22-year-old active KHL forward Alexander Polunin, a somewhat hefty price for just a player’s rights. There has been no word as to whether Vladar has talked about jumping overseas, prompting the trade, but it certainly shouldn’t be ruled out. Vladar, a 2015 third-round pick of the Bruins, is still only 21 but has yet to make an NHL appearance in three pro seasons. Vladar played as the Providence Bruins’ backup this season, making 31 appearances to starter Zane McIntyre’s 47. Both goalies put up just pedestrian numbers and McIntyre, a pending unrestricted free agent, is not a lock to return. With NHL backup Jaroslav Halak also signed for just one more season, it could be that Vladar remains on the fast track to start for Providence next season and one day back up Tuukka Rask. One would think that position would keep the young net minder stateside. However, he now faces a challenge from other promising young goalies in the pipeline like Kyle Keyser and Jeremy Swayman and may no longer feel that he is guaranteed to ever see time with the Bruins. Such a mindset could see Vladar off to Russia this summer.

Morning Notes: Zucker, Zaripov, Dunn

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Twice now in the span of a few months the Minnesota Wild have come close to trading away Jason Zucker. Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the recent trade talks between Minnesota and the Pittsburgh Penguins which were focused on a Zucker-Phil Kessel swap, and details the situation that the Wild forward now finds himself in. Zucker is obviously on the block as GM Paul Fenton continues to shake things up in Minnesota, and Russo reports that the Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames have all expressed interest of late, while last year the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes had discussed him.

The recent trade proposal from Pittsburgh seems to have been shut down by Kessel himself, but that could change at any minute if he decides to waive his no-trade clause. Either way, it seems like Zucker is destined to play for another team in 2019-20. The 27-year old forward has four years remaining on his current deal which carries a $5.5MM cap hit, and is coming off a 21-goal, 42-point season.

  • Danis Zaripov was once on the radar of NHL teams after receiving a two-year doping ban from the KHL in 2017. That ban was eventually reduced to just six months and Zaripov stayed in Russia, something he’ll be doing once again in 2019-20. The 38-year old forward has signed a one-year extension with Ak Bars Kazan, giving him a chance to add to his outstanding history in the KHL. Zaripov is a legend in Russian hockey, with five Gagarin Cup championships, five World Championship medals, and even a league title from before the KHL formed a decade ago.
  • Vince Dunn took part in the morning skate for the St. Louis Blues today, wearing a regular visor instead of the full cage that he has donned the last few days to protect his injured jaw. Still, he won’t play tonight in game one of the Stanley Cup Final according to head coach Craig Berube. Dunn has developed into a key part of the Blues’ defense corps over the last two seasons, and has an impressive seven points in 16 playoff games so far. Robert Thomas, another young player making an impact for the Blues these playoffs will be in the lineup tonight, Berube confirmed.

Minnesota, Pittsburgh In Trade Talks Regarding Phil Kessel

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2:40pm: Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has actually heard that Kessel may not waive his clause for a deal to Minnesota. Other teams that are on his small trade list have contacted the Penguins, and LeBrun believes it is a matter of “when not if” for a trade at this point.

1:05pm: The Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t been secretive about their plans to shake up the roster this summer, and Phil Kessel’s name has been front and center in all of the trade speculation. That seems to be coming to a head, as Josh Yohe of The Atheltic (subscription required) reports that the Penguins are in talks with the Minnesota Wild on a trade revolving around Kessel. Yohe notes that Jason Zucker, who has also been available in recent months, would likely be going the other way if a deal can be reached, while Jack Johnson and Victor Rask have been discussed.

The trade has apparently been “on the table for days” with Kessel’s no-trade clause the only impediment at this point. That trade clause allows Kessel to submit a list of only eight teams he can be traded to, though he can obviously waive it to accept a deal anywhere else.

Kessel, 31, is coming off another point-per-game season that saw him register 27 goals and 82 points while continuing his near decade long iron man streak. The veteran winger is an incredible offensive player but has often been critiqued for his inconsistent defensive effort and prickly personality. While teammates will often speak extremely highly of the Wisconsin native, he has proven difficult to coach at times and has already been traded twice in his career.

Still, his offensive ability and Stanley Cup experience are exactly what the Wild are looking for after failing to make the playoffs this season. Owner Craig Leipold recently made it clear that he wants the team to get back to the postseason tournament next season, and GM Paul Fenton has already done quite a bit of work to break up the former veteran core. Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter have all been shipped out over the last few months, and Zucker could now be on his way out as well.

Yohe’s colleague Michael Russo detailed earlier this week how Zucker was being shopped around, and even listed Kessel first in his examination of potential returns. The fact that Kessel provides a right-handed shot for the Wild forward group, an attribute they are desperately in need of, makes him an even more attractive option.

Obviously if a deal is completed it will likely include more than just the two forwards, but in a vacuum they don’t represent very different financial commitments. Zucker has four years left on his contract that carries a $5.5MM cap hit while Kessel carries a $6.8MM hit over the next three. The Wild would actually end up paying less actual salary, give the front-loading of Kessel’s deal and the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs are still retaining $1.2MM per season.

Snapshots: Trouba, Zucker, Vrana

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The Winnipeg Jets suffered an early defeat in the Stanley Cup playoffs after lazily struggling through the last part of the regular season. Something seemed off for months as the team lost their grip on the Central Division, and failed to crack 100 points despite being 34-16-2 at the beginning of February. That may lead to some changes this offseason as the team decides how they can better compete, and Jacob Trouba’s name has come up in trade talks once again. Both Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun and Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription required) examined the Trouba situation and the potential outcomes.

Most prevalent in both pieces is a trade of the right-handed defenseman, given his unwillingness to sign a long-term contract to this point. Trouba was previously unhappy with his role on the team, playing behind Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien or asked to hit the ice on his unnatural left side. This year much of that changed and Trouba became the premiere offensive weapon on the Jets’ blue line, recording 50 points in 82 games. Unfortunately he is now without a contract and just a single year away from unrestricted free agency. If the Jets don’t trade Trouba, he could elect salary arbitration again in order to secure himself a one-year deal.

  • It’s hard to talk trade these days without mentioning the Minnesota Wild, who are expected to be active this summer in their pursuit of a return to the playoffs in 2020. Wild GM Paul Fenton has already torn apart the previous core of the team by trading the likes of Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund, but has more work to do in order to get his team back to the promised land. Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that Jason Zucker is being dangled once again in trade talks, as he was at the deadline when he was almost sent to the Calgary Flames. Russo examines potential trade fits for the Wild including Phil Kessel, Tyler Johnson and William Nylander, though it is not clear who Fenton is targeting at this moment.
  • While writing about the upcoming cap crunch facing the Washington Capitals, Chris Kuc of The Athletic (subscription required) notes that the team is exploring a two-year bridge deal with restricted free agent Jakub Vrana. The two sides, Washington and agent J.P. Barry have also discussed a “slightly longer” deal for Vrana, and conducted initial talks on another client, Carl Hagelin. The Capitals are in a tough cap situation heading into next season, and much of it will depend on what number they can get Vrana at. That’s why a bridge deal makes sense, though Vrana is coming off a 24-goal season and will be looking for a healthy raise regardless.

2018-19 King Clancy Finalists Announced

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The NHL has released the finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award is given to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last season was the first time it was awarded to a pair of players, as the Vancouver Canucks’ Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin took home the trophy for their long history of helping the Vancouver community.

Each team nominated one player for the award. The finalists are:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes

Jason Zucker, Minnesota Wild

Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

Deadline Notes: Ferland, Vaakanainen, Draft Picks

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The 2019 NHL Trade Deadline came and went yesterday and Micheal Ferland remained with the Carolina Hurricanes. Ferland seems destined to test the free agent market this summer, but the ’Canes opted to hold on to the power forward in the midst of a career years as an “own rental”, writes Pierre LeBrun for The Athletic. However, he adds that it wasn’t an easy decision for GM Don Waddell and company. Early on this season, Ferland’s play was exceeding that of his team and the trade market began to develop for the likely deadline casualty. However, Carolina has been one of the league’s hottest teams since the calendar turned to 2019 and they are now in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild card race. That improvement all but took them out of “seller” status, but LeBrun states that the team continued to field calls on Ferland write up until the deadline. Specifically, LeBrun says the Nashville Predators made a hard push and he speculates that Ryan Hartman, who was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Wayne Simmonds, was the likely offer. Yet, Waddell stuck with Ferland, who has fit in so well in Raleigh, and hopes that the decision will help the team end their nine-year playoff drought. LeBrun also adds that Carolina, who largely stood pat at the deadline, had interest in Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker. Given the early results of the trade those two teams made earlier this season, it’s no surprise that the Wild weren’t eager to make another deal with the Hurricanes.

  • To no surprise, The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver reports that Urho Vaakanainen, Jack Studnicka, and Trent Frederic were hot names in the trade talks that the Boston Bruins had with sellers at the deadline. The trio are arguably Boston’s top three prospects, each one an early draft pick over the past few years. Both Vaakanainen and Frederic have made their NHL debuts this season while mostly playing in the AHL, while Studnicka has been tearing up the OHL. In particular, Divver hears that Vaakanainen was a “non-starter” for the Bruins; the team was unwilling to give him up regardless of the return. The 20-year-old defenseman was the No. 18 overall pick in 2017 and his poise and vision as a two-way, puck-moving defenseman have been apparent both in Providence and with the gold medal-winning Team Finland World Junior Championship entry. With 42-year-old Zdeno Chara potentially retiring at the end of the season and Torey Krug’s contract expiring at the end of next season, the Bruins likely see Vaakanainen as having a regular role on the Boston blue line sooner rather than later. Not only did Boston avoid trading any of these three, but they landed Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson without surrendering any of their young prospects. The pair came at the cost of second-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks and Ryan Donato, who will be 23 next month.
  • The Bruins were an outlier in that regard at the deadline, as the trend this season ended up with teams favoring moving players and prospects rather than picks. On deadline day, 35 players were moved compared to just 16 draft picks. In recent years, those numbers have been much closer as teams have been more conservative with their current assets and more willing to move out the unknowns of a draft selection instead. The change of course could be a reflection of the strength of this draft class; after all, of the picks moved yesterday only six were 2019 selections. The upcoming draft class is considered one of the deepest in recent years with high-end talent likely available even into the middle rounds. As such, even deadline buyers weren’t willing to gamble many of their 2019 picks. Except for the Columbus Blue Jackets, of course, who have just two draft picks remaining this June – a third- and seventh-rounder – after their all-out deadline.

Snapshots: Ottawa, Edler, Zucker

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The Ottawa Senators have been in the headlines continuously for their roster transactions this season, but there are more big picture issues facing the team off the ice. The group that includes Senators owner Eugene Melnyk that is trying to develop the LeBreton Flats area in Ottawa for a new arena is embroiled in a legal dispute that is putting the development contract in jeopardy. The National Capital Commission which controls LeBreton had placed a deadline of this Thursday, February 28th to resolve the dispute and today told Canadian Press reporters that there will be no extension.

If the dispute is not resolved by the deadline the NCC has made it clear it will move on to other proposals regarding the land, meaning the Senators may lose their chance at the prime arena location. The area is much closer to downtown Ottawa and would be a huge boost for the team that currently plays in Kanata, some distance outside the city center.

  • Alex Edler has been working with the Vancouver Canucks on an extension, and according to GM Jim Benning did not want to waive his no-trade clause to go anywhere else. Edler has made it clear over the last few weeks and months that he would like to finish his career in Vancouver if possible, and with his relatively strong play this year there’s no reason to think that won’t happen at this point. The 32-year old defenseman has 20 points in 38 games this season and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
  • The Calgary Flames were apparently interested in acquiring Mark Stone at one point before the deadline, and they also showed interest in Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker. Ryan Leslie of Sportsnet even tweeted the team was “in” on Zucker just as the deadline was about to pass, but a deal didn’t materialize. Darren Dreger was on TSN radio today speaking about the situation and said that Flames GM Brad Treliving was “white hot” that the deal didn’t go through for whatever reason. The Flames ended up adding only Oscar Fantenberg on deadline day and will now have to go through the rest of the season without any real forward upgrade.

Wild Shopping Jason Zucker

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As Minnesota looks to continue to reshape their roster, one player that hasn’t received a lot of attention yet is Jason Zucker.  However, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the Wild are heavily shopping the winger.

Last season, the 27-year-old had a career season with 33 goals and 31 assists and it looked like he had taken that big step forward towards becoming an impact scorer on a near-nightly basis.  GM Paul Fenton clearly thought this was the case as well as he signed Zucker to a five-year, $27.5MM extension last summer, one that bought out his final season of RFA eligibility plus four UFA years.

However, things haven’t gone anywhere near as well in 2018-19.  He has just 14 goals and 16 helpers so far this season through 61 games heading into play tonight.  While those aren’t terrible numbers in general, Minnesota is paying him to be a top-six producer and more often than not, it hasn’t been the case.

While that alone could be a reason to try to get out of the deal now, Zucker’s contract carries a ten-team no-trade clause as of July 1st that Fenton may not want to have to contend with.

The question here for the Wild is whether it’s worth selling him when his value is down.  While there should be several suitors for him – mid-tier teams looking to make ‘hockey deals’ could very well be in the mix as well as the contenders – they’re not in a spot to leverage a significant return given Zucker’s performance this season.  However, clearing that contract off their books would give Minnesota a lot more salary cap flexibility over the next several years which Fenton will have to factor in as well.  If they do decide to move him, Zucker could certainly be an intriguing buy-low candidate for someone.

Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes

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With the trade deadline just days away, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  As we continue with the Metropolitan Division, here is a look at the Carolina Hurricanes.

In less than 100 hours, the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline will come and go. While there are many deals still to be made, most teams have at least decided if they are buying, selling, or sitting out at the deadline. Perhaps the one team still waiting to make that call are the Carolina Hurricanes, and for good reason.

Tuesday night was a rough result for the Hurricanes. The team fell to the non-playoff New York Rangers, while the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens both picked up wins. Carolina now trails both of those teams by three points, while the Columbus Blue Jackets occupy the final wild card spot with a one-point lead and a game in hand on the Hurricanes. Despite their strong play of late, Carolina looks like the first team out in the Eastern Conference right now. Of course, that can change before the deadline. The ‘Canes have a winnable match-up tonight against the Florida Panthers, followed by a tougher test against the Dallas Stars on Saturday. How they perform, as well as the results for the Blue Jackets, Penguins, and Canadiens, before Monday will inform their deadline decision.

Carolina holds the NHL’s longest playoff drought of nine years and desperately would like to make the playoffs. At the same time, they are a young team who could really use the return on any trade assets if the postseason doesn’t look realistic. It’s a difficult choice to make, but where they sit in the playoff race after the next few days could cause them to lean one way or another or, perhaps the most likely outcome, no way at all.

Record

31-23-6, fifth in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

TBD

Deadline Cap Space

$76.26MM in full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 43/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: CAR 1st, BUF 2nd, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CGY 6th, BOS 7th
2020: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, BUF 3rd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, BUF 6th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th

Trade Chips

With their status at the deadline still so uncertain, chances are the Hurricanes will be involved in both the buyers’ and sellers’ markets, but could very well choose to do nothing at all. For discussion’s sake though, let’s say the Hurricanes decide to sell. Of the two options, selling is more probable as there are no pieces that Carolina could move that would automatically end their push for the postseason. The one player who would certainly be on the move is impending UFA power forward Micheal Ferland. Ferland, acquired from the Calgary Flames in the off-season, has been excellent in Carolina and is in fact on pace for a career high in points. However, Ferland seems destined to test the free agent market and the recent acquisition of Nino Niederreiter has made his departure manageable. Carolina would miss Ferland’s contributions down the stretch this season, but are prepared for life without him and would likely land a nice return if they chose to trade him. Several contenders are in search of grit and offense at this time of the year and Ferland checks both boxes.

Ferland is the only impending UFA skater thought to have any value on the trade market. Captain Justin Williams is not available and Greg McKegg has been a serviceable player that is more valuable to the ’Canes as a depth option than any low-end return might be. However, goaltenders are a different story. Both Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek are impending free agents and both have performed well this season, especially McElhinney. With Scott Darling still under contract next year, young Alex Nedeljkovic in consideration, and a strong goalie free agent class, it’s unclear if McElhinney or Mrazek will be back in Raleigh next season. With that in mind, the Hurricanes may be willing to part with one or the other at the deadline if the right offer presents itself. It goes without saying that if the team could move Darling, they would.

Elsewhere in the lineup, there continues to be speculation that the Hurricanes would like to deal from a position of strength on defense. With Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, and Trevor van Riemsdyk on the roster, Carolina is flush with talented right-shot defenders. Chances are one will be dealt at some point soon. However, it will be in a hockey trade, with the ‘Canes getting a top-nine forward back in return. Such trades are uncommon at the deadline, so don’t hold out hope that the team will be make such a move before the off-season.

What if the Hurricanes are buyers? Then the list of trade chips is a slightly more extensive. Charlotte Checkers defensemen Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown continue to wait patiently for roles in Carolina that may never come and the time may have arrived for the Hurricanes to move them in the right deal. The same could be said for another pair of impending RFA’s, forwards Andrew Poturalski and Saku Maenalanen, both of whom have been productive in the minors but underutilized at the top level. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what is an impressive pipeline for the Hurricanes, but as they’re not expected to be major buyers, top names like Martin Necas, Janne Kuokkanen, Jake Bean, and Adam Fox are likely untouchable. Carolina has plenty of draft picks to peddle as well, rather than moving their top prospects

Five Players To Watch For: F Micheal Ferland, G Curtis McElhinney, D Haydn Fleury, D Roland McKeown, F Saku Maenalanen

Team Needs

1) Top-Six Forward: It’s no secret that the Hurricanes desire a top-six forward. The team was in on William Nylander for months before he re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs (they could revisit that option this summer) and eventually swung a deal with the Minnesota Wild for Nino Niederreiter. However, scoring is still an issue. This season, only the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders have scored fewer goals per game than Carolina among teams in playoff position. The offense is stagnant at times and has been carried by Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen all year. Looking ahead, the likely loss of Micheal Ferland could further diminish scoring next season. Although the pipeline is loaded with capable forward in Carolina, the team needs a long-term top-six addition. It remains to be seen if such a player is available at the deadline this year. Expect the ’Canes to kick the tires on Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Hoffman, as well as the likes of Jason Zucker or Adam Henrique.

2) Value Forwards: If Carolina decides to buy in to playoff run this year, but the prices are too high on a long-term forward acquisition, the team would be better off trying to wait out the market to add some bargains than give up considerable future pieces for top rentals. For example, the idea of an Eric Staal return is great, but not an affordable option for Carolina. Instead, players like Richard Panik, Sven Andrighetto, or Alex Chiasson would come at a much lesser cost and would be less risky acquisitions in light of Carolina’s current playoff position, but would help fill some gaps in the lineup and create some more offense. The Hurricanes may very well stand pat at the deadline, but making even just a minor addition up front could go a long way.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Minnesota Wild

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert 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 into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of 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: $77,729,424 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Luke Kunin (two years, $925K)
F Jordan Greenway (two years, $917K)
F Joel Eriksson Ek (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses:

Kunin: $500K
Eriksson Ek: $425K
Greenway: $400K

Total: $1.35MM

The team has just three entry-level players and all three will be critical to the team over the next couple of years. Their 2016 first-rounder, Kunin, suffered an ACL injury in April that required surgery. While he is close to be ready to return, he’s still being held out to allow his knee to fully heal. Regardless, the team has high expectations for him. He struggled to capture a full-time role with Minnesota last year, but scored 10 goals in the AHL in just 36 appearances there, while getting 19 games in with the NHL club. The team will need him to step into a full-time role as soon as he’s healthy. Eriksson Ek, the team’s 2015 first-rounder, got himself a full-time role, but struggled to put up points in the bottom-six, posting six goals in 75 games. A bigger role could allow him to take that next step.

The team also has big hopes for Greenway, who the team pried away from Boston University this spring. The 6-foot-6, 226-pound winger should provide the team with a solid power forward, who could jump into the team’s top-six immediately.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Eric Staal ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Eric Fehr ($1MM, UFA)
D Gustav Olofsson ($725K, RFA)
F Matt Hendricks ($700K, UFA)
F Matt Read ($650K, UFA)
D Nate Prosser ($650K, UFA)
G Alex Stalock ($650K, UFA)
G Andrew Hammond ($650K, UFA)

The team will have an interesting decision to make on Staal at the end of this season. Staal, who was coming off a disappointing 13-goal season a few years ago, signed a three-year, $10.5MM deal, which has been one of the team’s best signings in their history. Staal, who many thought might be slowing down, responded with 28 goals in 2016-17 and followed that up with a 42-goal season last year. Now at age 33, what will Minnesota do in a year when he’s 34 and in need of another deal? If he posts another impressive season, the Wild will have to pay up to keep his services. A disappointing year could mean the end of a thrilling ride.

The rest of the group are full of one-year deals in which the players must prove their worth. The team brought in Fehr, Hendricks and Read to shore up their fourth line, which struggled at times last year, while the team also has a pair of veteran netminders fighting for the backup goalie spot in Stalock and Hammond.

Two Years Remaining

F Mikael Granlund ($5.75MM, UFA)
F Mikko Koivu ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Jared Spurgeon ($5.18MM, UFA)
F Charlie Coyle ($3.2MM, UFA)
F J.T. Brown ($688K, UFA)

The team gave Koivu a two-year extension a year ago, but the 35-year-old is starting to fade after a 14-goal, 31-point performance last season and could be moved down a line, especially if Eriksson Ek continues to improve. Koivu still remains the all-time leader in both games played and points, however, but this could very likely be his last contract.

Granlund could also be an interesting situation. The 26-year-old has improved his game over the last two season, posting a combined 47 goals and he had a career-high in assists last year with 46. His second half was also a big success as he posted 45 points in 46 games, almost a point a game. If he can keep that production up, the Wild should look good. Fortunately, the team has two more years to monitor his success before they have to offer him a new contract. Coyle is another player, who has the ability to put up big points, yet Coyle has struggled more recently, posting just 11 goals and 37 points in 66 games. However, a broken fibula could have been a cause of his on-ice struggles. The team hopes that he can bounce back and prove he belongs in the team’s top-six.

Spurgeon has been perhaps the team’s best defenseman this season. The 28-year-old missed 21 games with a partially torn hamstring and rushed back for the playoffs, but wasn’t 100 percent. Already injury-prone, the team still has the veteran for another couple of years before they have to decide on another long-term contract.Read more

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