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Marcus Foligno

Wild Sign Marcus Foligno To Four-Year Extension

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Mats Zuccarello isn’t the only player getting an extension from the Wild today.  The team announced that it has signed winger Marcus Foligno to a four-year, $16MM contract extension.  Michael Russo of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the deal carries a full no-move clause in the first two seasons and a partial no-trade clause in the final two seasons.  CapFriendly adds (via Twitter) the breakdown of the money:

2024-25: $5MM
2025-26: $4.5MM
2026-27: $3.5MM
2027-28: $3MM

The 32-year-old has been a fixture in Minnesota’s middle six for the past six seasons after they acquired him from Buffalo back in 2017 as part of the swap that saw the Sabres re-acquire winger Jason Pominville.  Along the way, he has become an important part of their leadership group and currently serves as one of their alternate captains.

The last two seasons were polar opposites for Foligno.  In 2021-22, he posted career highs offensively, notching 23 goals and 19 assists in 74 games.  For context, he had only had two seasons where he had more than 23 points, both coming during his time with Minnesota.  However, he wasn’t able to come close to that output last year as he was held to just seven tallies along with 14 helpers in 65 contests.

The version of Foligno that put up 40 points is probably worth that contract when you factor in his physicality and ability to play on both special teams units.  However, last year’s version doesn’t quite justify that cost.  That makes it interesting that GM Bill Guerin opted for the early extension here before seeing if last season was a blip or a sign of things to come.

The deal represents a $900K increase on his current agreement which runs through the 2023-24 season.  Those savings will come from Zuccarello’s new contract which saw his AAV dip by $1.875MM.  Basically, Guerin was able to get two core veterans signed while still creating a bit of extra wiggle room for next season.  Earlier today, Guerin confirmed that extension discussions are underway with Ryan Hartman, another pending UFA as he tries to take care of his spending before the season gets underway.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minnesota Opens Extension Talks With Foligno, Zuccarello, Hartman

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The Athletic’s Michael Russo shared that, while the team hasn’t acknowledged it yet, it seems they’ve begun talking extensions with their ’big three’ – Marcus Foligno, Mats Zuccarello, and Ryan Hartman. All three veterans are pending free agents, a part of the 10 Wild players facing free agency next summer.

Russo walked through what to expect with each player’s contract talks in turn. Foligno is expected to boast the easiest conversations, as the contract he’s currently on (three years, $9.3MM) could be really close to the details of his next deal. Foligno has become a fan favorite, offering an important amount of grit and physicality to the team’s top six. He recorded 42 points and 112 penalty minutes in the 2021-22 season – career highs in both categories and his first time breaking 30 points – but fell back to Earth this year, only netting 21 points in 75 games. Still, with scoring not the reward of Folingo’s game, there’s some reason to expect he can maintain his impact through the end of his career.

Mats Zuccarello is facing a similarly positive outlook on his next deal. There’s no denying the chemistry formed between Zuccarello and Wild star winger Kirill Kaprizov, both on and off of the ice. That bond alone is enough to warrant a contract extension, although Russo notes it will likely have to come at a reduced cost. Zuccarello currently carries a $6MM cap hit on a deal he signed in 2019. Now 36, a new deal will likely have to carry short-term and short costs. But how much longer Zuccarello, who scored 67 points last year, can play will be an interesting storyline to follow.

While Foligno and Zuccarello seem like sure bets to re-sign, Russo doesn’t express that same optimism with Hartman. The forward has emerged as the team’s top-line center and a dangerous goal-scorer, netting 34 goals in 2021-22. But, like Foligno, Hartman’s scoring didn’t survive through last season. He recorded just 37 points in 59 games. While not a terrible tally by any means, it could be just low enough that Hartman begins to feel pressure as young prospects earn roster spots. The Wild are overflowing with young talent and Hartman is set for a pay raise from his current $1.7MM cap hit. If the Wild can support both of those things at once is yet to be seen, although Russo does note that Hartman would carry great trade deadline value. He was traded for a first-round pick at the 2018 trade deadline, before he was ever the goal-scorer he is today. While he’s now much older, Minnesota has shown the extent of Hartman’s untapped potential – something a team on the playoff bubble could really enjoy. Of course, this trade feels most likely if young centermen like Marco Rossi are able to step up.

Injury Notes: Lindgren, Lazar, Foligno

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The New York Rangers are beginning to roll after some big-ticket trade deadline additions but still have been without a notable piece to their defense core. That may change this week, as Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant told reporters today that he would “bet a lot” on defenseman Ryan Lindgren returning to the lineup on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Lindgren, the normal partner to Adam Fox on the team’s top pair, is widely regarded as the team’s best defensive specialist. The stats back it up, with solid advanced defensive metrics and a team-leading +27 rating. They’ve been without his services for the past three weeks with an upper-body injury, however, forcing depth defender Niko Mikkola into a top-pairing role. He’ll miss his 11th straight game today, but the team is hoping his return this week adds to an already strong stretch of hockey for New York.

  • New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein notes that forward Curtis Lazar will be evaluated for an undisclosed injury upon the conclusion of the team’s road trip this week. A deadline day addition, Lazar left yesterday’s loss to the Florida Panthers with the injury and did not return. Lazar had played just three games in New Jersey after missing time due to work visa complications, and he’s still looking for his first point in his new uniform.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports winger Marcus Foligno will join the Minnesota Wild on their upcoming road trip, signaling a potential return from a lower-body injury that’s held him out of action this week. The news means that Foligno could return to the lineup either Tuesday against New Jersey or Thursday against Philadelphia, a promising development for a Wild team getting hot at the right time. With Marcus Johansson re-emerging as a middle-six force after being acquired from Washington, Foligno could slot back into a more comfortable bottom-six role in his return.

West Notes: Wild, McLeod, Afanaseyev, Kesselring

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The Wild could get several key veterans back in their lineup shortly.  Randy Johnson of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune relays that while defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jacob Middleton plus wingers Brandon Duhaime and Marcus Foligno weren’t in the lineup today, they could all be back for Sunday’s contest against Washington.  Brodin has been out the longest, missing the last four weeks with a lower-body injury which has been a big blow to their back end.  Middleton is dealing with an illness sustained earlier this week.  Meanwhile, Duhaime has missed more than two weeks with a head injury while Foligno has been out for a week with a lower-body issue of his own.  Minnesota is in the midst of a very close three-way battle for positioning in the Central and getting multiple veterans back at once could certainly give their lineup a nice boost.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Postmedia’s Jim Matheson suggests that center Ryan McLeod is dealing with a shoulder injury. He was injured on Tuesday against Ottawa and didn’t suit up versus Dallas on Thursday.  There’s no word on how long the 23-year-old will be out.  McLeod’s in the middle of a decent sophomore season, notching 11 goals and 11 assists in 55 games despite spending a lot of that time in Edmonton’s bottom six.
  • After papering him down, the Predators announced that they’ve recalled winger Egor Afanasyev to AHL Milwaukee. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut last weekend after being brought up and has gotten into three games with Nashville, logging 9:32 per night while being held off the scoresheet.  Afanasyev also has 13 goals and 13 assists in 55 games with the Admirals in the minors this season.
  • A day after being sent down, the Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that they have once again recalled defenseman Michael Kesselring from AHL Tucson on an emergency basis. The 23-year-old has played in three games with Arizona since being acquired just before the deadline, logging 18:35 per contest.  The 23-year-old has also suited up three times for the Roadrunners since the swap, picking up a goal and an assist.

Central Notes: Toews, Seguin, Foligno

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As the season ticks away, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews remains away from game action. Head coach Luke Richardson told reporters today that Toews’ activity has been limited to gym workouts, and the team still doesn’t have a timeline on his return to the ice from general illness that’s kept him out since the All-Star break.

With every day that passes, speculation increases that Toews has played his last game of the season — and potentially his career. Chronic immune response syndrome kept Toews sidelined for the shortened 2020-21 season. He told fans in a statement last month that those symptoms, along with those of long COVID, are impeding his ability to play effectively. In their captain’s absence, the team is 7-9-2.

Other notes on some Central Division injuries:

  • The Athletic’s Joe Smith says not to expect an update on Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Foligno today. Foligno left yesterday’s game with a lower-body injury, and the team could provide an update at practice tomorrow. While he hasn’t missed an extended period of time this season, he has suffered multiple minor injuries. To make matters more concerning, CapFriendly lists Foligno’s current absence as his third lower-body injury in the span of a month. Expectedly so, the 31-year-old’s offense has taken a step back with six goals and 19 points in 53 games, down from a career-high 23 goals and 42 points last year.
  • Dallas Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika reports that center Tyler Seguin is not currently with the team after sustaining a laceration to his left leg in last week’s 10-4 win against Buffalo. However, it’s a possibility he rejoins the team on their current road trip. Seguin is listed as day-to-day, and the team has four more games remaining on a Pacific Northwest swing.

Injury Updates: Ekblad, Bennett, Slavin, Foligno

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Just as the Florida Panthers have begun to make a real push to climb the Eastern Conference standings, the team has been hit with a rash of major injuries. The team is down to an Alex Lyon–Mack Guzda tandem in net, and now it seems they could be without their top defenseman. The Panthers have announced that 2014 first-overall pick Aaron Ekblad and 2014 fourth-overall pick Sam Bennett each suffered an upper-body injury in tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

Per the team, Eklbad is doubtful to return, while Bennett has been ruled out. Ekblad is no stranger to injury troubles, as he has missed chunks of time in each of the past two seasons. Ekblad hasn’t escaped the Panthers’ team-wide regression from their President’s Trophy-winning form of last season, but he still has scored 20 points in 36 games and averages 24 minutes a night. While the emergence of Brandon Montour might help the team weather any extended Ekblad absence, this news is still unwelcome for a club desperate to gain ground on other contenders.

Some other injury notes from tonight’s games:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that defenseman Jaccob Slavin has suffered a lower-body injury, and will miss tonight’s game against the New York Islanders. With Slavin out, the Hurricanes will be missing one of the NHL’s best defensive defensemen. Offseason trade acquisition Dylan Coghlan has moved into the lineup in Slavin’s place, and will have a chance to put some quality play forward in the absence of Carolina’s top blueliner.
  • The Minnesota Wild have announced that forward Marcus Foligno will miss tonight’s game against the Panthers due to a non-COVID illness. While this is unlikely to keep him out of the lineup for any extended period, it does come as another piece of bad news in a difficult season for Foligno. The 31-year-old forward scored 23 goals last season and has seen much of that offense dry up this year, as he’s scoring at just a nine-goal 82-game pace.

Injury News: Wild, Morrissey, Guhle

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The Wild should get a key winger back for tomorrow’s game against St. Louis as Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Marcus Foligno is expected to return from the lower-body injury he sustained a week and a half ago.  The 31-year-old had a career-high 23 goals last season but has managed just three in 27 games so far this year although he’s still averaging more than three hits per game.  Minnesota has an open spot on their roster so no corresponding move will need to be made to activate him off IR.

However, it might not be all good news for the Wild as center Joel Eriksson Ek missed practice today with head coach Dean Evason acknowledging that he’s banged up at the moment.  The 25-year-old sits tied for third in team scoring with 27 points (12-15-27) in 35 games.  He’s listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Although Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey left Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury, head coach Rick Bowness told reporters including Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun that he’s hopeful that the blueliner will be able to play on Saturday against Edmonton. The 27-year-old has already set new career highs in assists (36) and points (42) this season while sitting second among NHL rearguards in scoring.
  • The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss Saturday’s game against Washington due to a lower-body injury sustained late in Thursday’s loss to Florida. The 20-year-old sits third in the league for average ice time for a rookie, logging 20:46 per night while picking up 14 points in 36 games.  David Savard joined the team for practice today and could be activated off injured reserve although they’d have to free up a roster spot for that to happen.

Injury Notes: Wild, Penguins, Zub

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A mixed bag of news is coming out of Minnesota Wild practice this morning. The Star Tribune’s Sarah McLellan reports Joel Eriksson Ek is absent from practice, although injured forwards Brandon Duhaime and Marcus Foligno are skating.

Eriksson Ek has been invaluable to Minnesota, even more so on both sides of the puck this year. He’s on pace for a career year offensively, recording 27 points through 35 contests (tied for third on the team). Duhaime has been very limited this year, playing in just 14 games due to two separate upper-body injuries. On the other hand, Foligno has been out with an undisclosed injury since December 22.

Wild Place Marcus Foligno On IR, Re-Assign Andrej Sustr

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Dec 28: Sustr has been returned to the AHL, after Jacob Middleton was back at practice for the Wild today.

Dec 27: After recalling a pair of forwards yesterday, the Wild have made two more roster moves today.  They announced the recall of defenseman Andrej Sustr from AHL Iowa with winger Marcus Foligno being placed on injured reserve to create roster room for Sustr’s promotion.

Sustr is in his first season with Minnesota after signing a two-way deal with them at the beginning of free agency.  This is the 32-year-old’s second recall of the month although he didn’t see any NHL action in the week and a half that he was up earlier.  Sustr has six points in 20 AHL contests this season and will likely be a reserve defender on this recall as well as the Wild now have eight rearguards on their active roster.

As for Foligno, the veteran has had a bit of a tough year.  He missed time with an upper-body injury earlier this season while it’s a lower-body issue that will keep him out this time around.  The 31-year-old had 23 goals in 2021-22 but has managed just three so far this season in 27 games although he does lead the team with 90 hits.  Michael Russo of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that Foligno’s placement is back-dated to December 21st so he could be activated for Thursday’s game against Dallas if he’s ready to return.

Minnesota Wild To Recall Sammy Walker, Adam Beckman

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5:39 pm: The Wild made the recall official on Monday night. Walker and Beckman join the team ahead of their game against Winnipeg tomorrow.

3:56 pm: According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Minnesota Wild are expected to recall a pair of forwards in that of Sammy Walker and Adam Beckman from the Iowa Wild, their AHL affiliate. Russo adds that forward Marcus Foligno, who is suffering from a lower-body injury, is not expected to travel with the team tomorrow morning to take on the Winnipeg Jets later that night. In addition to Foligno, the Wild are also going to be without forward Mason Shaw, who is serving a two-game suspension.

Foligno, who was injured in Wednesday’s game in Anaheim against the Ducks, missed Thursday’s game against the San Jose Sharks with the injury and now it appears he’ll be missing tomorrow’s game too. There doesn’t appear to be a timetable for Foligno, however after Thursday’s game, Wild head coach Dean Evason told Russo he expected the forward to be okay after the four-day holiday break. Though the veteran clearly isn’t good-to-go just yet, Evason’s comments show this injury likely isn’t to be anything long-term.

Walker, 23, made his professional debut this season after a four-year stint at the University of Minnesota. The former Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick has been a standout thus far with Iowa, registering 24 points in 23 games, and made his NHL debut back on December 10th, skating in four NHL contests to date.

The 21-year-old Beckman has also skated in just four NHL games this season after making his debut last season. The forward turned pro back in 2020-21 after a stellar WHL career with the Spokane Chiefs. A 2019 third-round selection of the Wild, Beckman is off to a solid start with Iowa this season tallying 15 points in his first 25 AHL games.

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