In this series, Heavy Sports is looking at what every NHL team has done over the offseason. Next up is the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are coming off a successful season, in which the club once again punched a ticket to the postseason. Minnesota won their first playoff series since 2015 in their round one victory against the Dallas Stars. Their season came to an end in a round two elimination versus the Colorado Avalanche. The team aims to remain near the top of the central next season in what is a ruthless division.
Who are Minnesota’s Additions?
Key additions: Blake Coleman, Justin Kirkland, Olli Maatta, Calvin Pickard, Maxim Shabanov, Mason Shaw
The biggest addition for this team is forward Blake Coleman from the Calgary Flames. Coleman has been a consistent 20 goal threat in a secondary scoring role throughout his career. Justin Kirkland also comes over from the Flames; he will have to fight for a roster spot. Maxim Shabanov is a dark horse add; he could be an x-factor. He struggled with the New York Islanders in his first season in the NHL last year, but he previously lit up the KHL ranks. Veteran Olli Maatta adds depth to the defense. Calvin Pickard will slot in behind Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt in net. Recent trade deadline acquisition Nick Foligno was extended for another season; having been acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks. Michael McCarron received a six year $20 million extension with the club. This team has more business to take care of in regards to extensions, with star defenseman Quinn Hughes entering a contract year. Whether that contract gets signed this summer or next, that deal projects to be a historic marker.
Who are Minnesota’s Subtractions?
Key subtractions: Robby Fabbri, Marcus Johansson, Ben Jones, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Jacob Middleton, Jeff Petry, Vladimir Tarasenko, Mats Zuccarello
Mats Zuccarello is the most notable departure; he heads off to the Los Angeles Kings. He was a solid top-six producer for this team, often lining up with franchise player Kirill Kaprizov up front. The team lost a couple more significant forwards with Vladimir Tarasenko and Marcus Johansson moving on. Jacob Middleton will be missed on their blueline; he has been a stable presence on their back-end. Jeff Petry will also not return on defense.
It will be interesting to see if the Wild remain active this offseason. General manager Bill Guerin may not be done making moves; his team has been near the top in terms of preferred trade destinations for the Detroit Red Wings Dylan Larkin. Even if this team is done, this should still be a competitive group again next season. The insertion of Hughes onto this team has made a huge difference in moving them a major step forward. They could use more from Kaprizov next year in what will be the first season his long-term $17 million extension kicks in. This is still a franchise looking for its first Stanley Cup victory; we’ll see if this core assembled can get the job done.
All transactions are available via Puck Pedia.
Minnesota Wild Offseason Recap