Wild Sign Viking Gustafsson Nyberg To Entry-Level Deal
April 9: The Wild announced a two-year, entry-level deal for Gustafsson Nyberg that begins immediately. He’ll be on the NHL roster for the rest of the season and will be a restricted free agent in 2027. He is now ineligible to be returned to Iowa until next year, nor can he log playoff action for Minnesota, but he will be a regular-season option for the final few games. He had an assist and a +1 rating in two outings for the AHL club this week. Per PuckPedia, his contract carries a $975K cap hit that breaks down into an $877.5K salary, $97.5K signing bonus, and a $85K minors salary in both seasons (prorated for 2025-26).
April 6: The Wild are on the verge of signing UConn defenseman Viking Gustafsson Nyberg to an entry-level contract that begins this season, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports Monday. In the interim, the team announced they’ve signed him to an amateur tryout that will allow him to make his pro debut this week for AHL Iowa.
Having Gustafsson Nyberg sign a tryout first will allow him to get minor-league action in while still allowing him to be an NHL option for at least one game in the regular season, while burning a year off his contract. Since he’s not a Wild draft pick and wasn’t on their reserve list at the trade deadline, he would not be eligible to play in the AHL this year once he signs an NHL contract.
The 22-year-old Swede will check into the pro ranks after a three-year collegiate career. The hulking 6’6″ lefty committed to Northern Michigan as a freshman but entered the transfer portal the following year, landing in Connecticut for his sophomore season.
Gustafsson Nyberg has been a shutdown standout for the Huskies. His offensive utility is limited; he’s scored just three goals with 22 assists for 25 points in 110 career NCAA games. However, his +18 rating this year led UConn while serving as an alternate captain.
He’ll turn 23 during training camp next year, but he’ll still be 22 on Sep 15, so that’s his signing age for the purposes of his entry-level contract. That means it’ll be a two-year deal when he puts pen to paper, so even if the contract starts now, he’ll have to wait until 2027 to test restricted free agency. It seems unlikely he’ll be in serious contention for an NHL roster spot in the fall but should be a welcome defensive presence for Iowa as the Wild look to replenish their cupboards after dealing away a significant amount of prospect capital this season.
2026 College Free Agency Preview: Goaltenders And Defensemen
The NCAA tournament is down to four teams and those who aren’t participating have seen their seasons come to an end. With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at some of the free agents that could be drawing attention from NHL teams in the coming weeks. After looking at the forwards separately, the focus is on goaltenders and defensemen here.
As always, note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will be signing NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.
Goaltenders
Several of the top options from this class have already signed (Josh Kotai, Max Lundgren, and Alex Tracy) but a couple of others could still land NHL deals.
Jan Spunar (North Dakota) – There has been an uptick in younger free agent signings in this year’s free agent class which bodes well for Spunar who is just wrapping up his freshman season. The 21-year-old had a quiet showing in the USHL in 2024-25 but has taken over the starting role on a team with Final Four hopes. His stock is definitely up but there’s a case to make that staying for one more year might be the better long-term approach. But with goaltending in high demand across the league right now, teams might want to start working with him now.
Lawton Zacher (Northeastern) – Some goalies draw attention for their raw tools but need a lot of work to refine them. Zacher is largely the opposite of that as he’s more technically sound and used that to post a breakout season after transferring from Brown University over the offseason. He still has one year of eligibility remaining but if he decides to turn pro, he won’t be lacking for suitors as Elite Prospects’ Ryan Lambert notes that there are already teams vying for his services.
Defensemen
Boston Buckberger (Denver) – Buckberger was on this list last year and frankly, last year’s write-up would largely still apply. He is a quality consistent offensive blueliner, ranging between 27 and 30 points in each of his first three seasons. Even with a good defensive game though, his smaller stature will likely limit his interest. He’s worthy of a professional contract and after three years of near-identical player, there might not be big upside in returning for his senior season; his stock now is probably around where it’d be in 2027.
Tyler Dunbar (Union) – After two very quiet seasons at Colorado College, Dunbar entered the transfer portal last spring and the move has unlocked his game. He had a breakout year offensively with 32 points in 37 games while bringing a lot of physicality to the table. Staying one more year and doubling down on being that type of impactful piece could help his market in the long run but if there’s NHL interest now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make the jump to the pros now.
Viking Gustafsson Nyberg (UConn) – A lot of players on this list are here for their offensive game with the thought that parts of it will translate to the pros. Gustafsson Nyberg has all of one goal over two seasons. No, he’s here for being more of a throwback defender, big, tough, and physical. Those are elements that teams will covet on a third pairing. That said, if he thinks one more year in college would help his development offensively, that might be the better route for him in the long run.
Jake Livanavage (North Dakota) – Another returnee from last year’s list, the same elements are largely in play. Good offense (at least 25 points in his three NCAA seasons), strong skating, and undersized to the point where some teams will likely shy away. That said, Livanavage more than held his own against pros at the Spengler Cup back from December which will help his cause. He has one year of eligibility left but this may be the right time for him to turn professional.
Evan Murr (Minnesota State Mankato) – Another player in the steady but undersized category, Murr has picked up the pace offensively in recent weeks at the perfect time. He had 30 points this season, a tick higher than his first two NCAA campaigns. Murr is also in that category of not having much more to prove so although he has another year of eligibility remaining, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him forego that.
Isaiah Norlin (Colgate) – There are some parallels to Dunbar. He had a very quiet first year with the University of Nebraska-Omaha last season, then went to the transfer portal, and things took off from there. Norlin finished in a tie for the team lead in scoring and at six-foot-six and a right shot, he has elements that teams will covet. He’s a late-bloomer but that shouldn’t deter teams from taking a flyer on him.
Senior Options: There is one player who exhausted his eligibility and warrants at least a quick mention. Ben Dexheimer (Wisconsin) fits into the category of being a little undersized but reliable piece. He may not ultimately land NHL contracts but is likely to land a pro deal in the coming weeks.