The Wild have signed Jared Spurgeon to a seven-year, $53.025 million ($7.575M AAV) contract extension.
Spurgeon’s $7.575M AAV cap-hit makes him the highest paid player in Minnesota Wild history (by AAV). Spurgeon is coming off of a career-year, posting 14 goals and 29 assists (43 points) in 82 games. In 2020 he will be heavily featured in the Minnesota top-4 and his career 7.2 SH% makes him a threat for for double-digit goals every year.
The Wild have re-signed Kevin Fiala to a two-year contract worth $6 million.
Fiala struggled after being traded to the Wild last season, scoring just three goals with four assists (seven points) in 19 games. Heading into his first training camp with Minnesota, Fiala has a chance to start the season on the top-line with Eric Staal and Jason Zucker, putting him back on the map for a fantasy hockey breakout. He has great shot volume and that will only get better with first line minutes.
The Wild have re-signed Louie Belpedio to a one-year, two-way contract.
Belpedio had six goals and 15 assists (21 points) in 70 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) last year. The 2014 third-round pick appeared in two games with Minnesota but is set to start 2020 in the AHL for the second straight season.
The Wild have re-signed Joel Eriksson Ek to a two-year contract extension worth $2.975M ($1.45M AAV).
Since being picked No.20 in 2015, Eriksson Ek has not topped 16 points in his first two NHL seasons. However, once Mikko Koivu went down last year, Eriksson Ek had five goals and two assists in 22 games while averaging 15:23 TOI/gm—averaged 12:22 prior. Koivu will likely be eased back into action early in the season, giving Eriksson Ek an opportunity to get off to a hot start in 2020.
The Wild have re-signed Hunter Warner to a one-year contract.
Warner had seven points (1G / 6A) in 73 games with Iowa (AHL) last season. The 23-year-old had played with Iowa for the last three seasons, picking up a combined 17 points (3G / 14A) across 162 games.
The Wild have re-signed Carson Soucy to a one-year contract.
Soucy improved on his first AHL season, posting 20 points (5G / 15A) in 66 games with Iowa. The 6-foot-5, 208 lbs. defenseman has the kind of size that the Wild’s blueline lacks but he likely sits eighth on the depth chart at the moment, so look for him to remain in Iowa to start 2020.
Signing
The Wild have re-signed Nico Sturm to a one-year contract.
After finishing his Junior season at Clarkson University, Sturm turned pro and appeared in two NHL games with the Wild at the end of 2019. The 24-year-old led Clarkson with 45 points (14G / 31A) in 39 games. Sturm has NHL-size (6-foot-3, 207 lbs.) but with Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu, Joel Eriksson Ek and Victor Rask ahead of him on the depth chart, he is likely headed for the AHL to start the year.
Signing
The Wild have re-signed Ryan Donato to a two-year contract worth $3.8M ($1.9M AAV).
The Wild acquired Donato in the Charlie Coyle trade and the Harvard grad picked up 16 points (4G / 12A) in 22 games with Minnesota after the trade. The 24-year-old has gifted hands and middle-6 potential but his position to start 2020 is uncertain. He had a strong showing to end last season but the additions of Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman will likely push him down the depth chart and maybe to the AHL to being the year.
The Wild have signed Gabriel Dumont to a two-year, two-way contract.
Source: @mnwild 07/1/19, 10:11 pm EST
Signing
The Wild have signed Luke Johnson to a two-year, two-way contract.
The Wild have signed Ryan Hartman to a two-year, $3.8M contract ($1.9M AAV).
The Wild have signed Mats Zuccarello to a five-year deal worth $30.0M ($6.0M AAV).
The Stars have acquired Ryan Hartman from the Flyers for Tyler Pitlick.
Hartman is a pending RFA, who split last year between the Predators and Flyers. Overall, he had 12 goals and 14 assists (26 points) in 83 games. Hartman should be an offensive upgrade in the Stars’ bottom-6.
The Wld have signed Brad Hunt to a two-year, $1.4 million ($700K AAV) contract extension.
Hunt has bounced around the NHL over the last few seasons but will stick in Minnesota for a couple of seasons. Hunt was acquired from Vegas in the middle of the 2019 season and finished with five points (3G / 2A) in 29 games with the Wild—12 points (5G / 7A) in 42 games overall.
The Wild signed Matt Bartkowski to a one-year deal worth $700K.
Bartkowski, 31, spent most of the 2018-19 season in the AHL, where he had 19 points (4G / 15A) in 70 games. The veteran defenseman had one goal in two games with Minnesota and has 48 points (8G / 40A) in 255 career NHL games.
The Wild have signed Fedor Gordeev to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Gordeev, 20, was originally selected in the fifth-round by the Maple Leafs but his rights were traded to Minnesota. Gordeev had seven goals and 25 assists (32 points) in 63 games between Flint and Guelph (OHL).
Signing
The Wild signed Gerry Mayhew to a two-year, two-way contract.
Mayhew has become one of Iowa's (AHL) top offensive players this season, setting a club record with 27 goals during the regular season. He's kept that pace going in the postseason as well; his nine goals leads all players in the Calder Cup Playoffs. His 60 points during the regular season nearly doubled his total from last year, his first full season as a professional.
Source: Wild 04/17/19, 6:09 pm EST
Zuccarello missed the morning skate but will play in Game 3.
Basically Zuccarello still has some discomfort in his arm and they will allow him to take morning skates off so that he is able to remain in the lineup. Through the first two games of the series, Zuccarello has one goal on one shot.
Brown (illness) will not play on Saturday.
