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New York Times
an hour ago
- Business
- New York Times
Wild free-agency primer: What centers and wingers could Minnesota pursue?
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Bill Guerin has been tempering expectations all week about the Minnesota Wild's free-agency plans, and for good reason. The president of hockey operations and GM sees what everyone else does: The trade market is 'quiet' and the free-agent crop is very lean, to put it kindly, as most teams have cap space, want to get better and are keeping their own guys. One by one, they've gone off the market, from John Tavares to Sam Bennett to Claude Giroux. Advertisement Guerin doesn't want to blow all of his $17.7 million in cap space in one day, knowing how useful it can be in making impactful moves next season. After years of dead cap hits from Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, the Wild will finally be 'in the game,' as Guerin puts it, for big-name trade hunting. But the Wild do need, and plan, to sign some players on Tuesday's opening day of free agency, notably a bottom-six center/faceoff guy and scoring winger, along with a third goalie to play in Iowa but be NHL insurance. Guerin also indicated that he may look for a depth defenseman after trading Declan Chisholm on Saturday, and with Jonas Brodin likely to miss the start of the season. Free agency won't likely be splashy, or 'like Christmas' as owner Craig Leipold had hoped last fall, but there's still some work to be done. And the problem is that there are going to be many teams going after the same people. 'That's the thing: with the cap going up, everybody has space, everybody is going for players, everyone is trying to improve,' Guerin said. 'It's a much different offseason than we're used to.' Here are the Wild's needs and potential targets: The Wild's biggest need going into the offseason was upgrading their center position, with Guerin saying he wanted to get some help for Joel Eriksson Ek. Well, Minnesota traded veteran Freddy Gaudreau last week to Seattle for a fourth-round pick they used on Saturday, and there's still uncertainty surrounding restricted free agent Marco Rossi, who could very well end up re-signing but is eligible to receive offer sheets as early as Tuesday. As of Sunday night at least, there had been no contract talks between the two sides in nearly three weeks, according to multiple league sources. And whatever the Wild do in free agency, they'll have to leave space to sign Rossi or match an offer sheet. Advertisement Still, Minnesota needs help up the middle. As well as Ryan Hartman played in the playoffs, and as much promise as touted prospect Danila Yurov brings, there's some uncertainty at a very important position. All the big-name centers are off the board at this point, and the Wild's main goal will be finding a third- or fourth-line center who can win draws and kill penalties. Plus, they'll pursue potential depth centers, like perhaps former Minnesota Mr. Hockey Riley Tufte. It's hard to believe it has been six years since Sturm made his NHL debut for the Wild after choosing Minnesota over several other suitors as a free agent out of Clarkson. But after being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in March 2022, Sturm won a Stanley Cup with Colorado and earlier this month with Florida. STANLEY CUP CHAMPION!! Nico Sturm becomes the 2nd Golden Knight to hoist the Stanley Cup twice! Congratulations to Nico and the Panthers on a great run! — Clarkson Men's Hockey (@ClarksonMHockey) June 18, 2025 Now 30, the 6-foot-3 hard forechecker can kill penalties, skates terrifically and is one of the best faceoff guys in the NHL. His faceoff percentage was 58.8 last season, fifth-best in the NHL for centers with a minimum of 422 draws. He's coming off a $2 million average annual value. Sturm was traded for Tyson Jost by Guerin not long after he turned down a five-year extension in the $2.5 million range, per team sources. But that was a different stage of Sturm's career, and Sturm, who lives in the Twin Cities with his fiancee, said he would consider the Wild in free agency. 'The winter before I got traded for Colorado, I think I was in a place where I tried to explore whether I could be more than a fourth-line center,' Sturm said last week. 'It ended up not turning out that way. I think this is what I'm really, really good at. This is the player that I am, that I'm going to be the rest of my career. Advertisement 'But I think at that point, I was three, four years into my career. I didn't see at the time with the guys that were ahead of me in the lineup and how many minutes I played that I was going to get that chance (to be more). So obviously contract negotiations about an extension at that point fell apart, but it was never because I didn't like the team, the setup or anything like that. I obviously love Minnesota. It's the reason I live there now in my offseason, and you get treated extremely well by the organization. So it was just a career decision at the time. I got nothing but good things to say about Minnesota and the Wild. It's definitely a team that I'd consider signing with. It's my home now.' Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 1 year, $1.013 million; 2 years, $1.171 million; 3 years, $1.48 million This wouldn't be the first time the Wild are after Dvorak. Less than a month into the job as GM in 2018, Paul Fenton offered the Phoenix Coyotes Jason Zucker and Nino Niederreiter for Dvorak and Christian Fischer, according to league sources. It fell apart because the cash-strapped Coyotes didn't want to assume more than $10 million (Zucker was arbitration-eligible and would ultimately re-sign with the Wild that summer at $5.5 million per, and Niederreiter had four years left at $5.25 million) while only giving the Wild $4 million in players. While Dvorak, 29, has certainly not turned into the offensive dynamo people expected when he scored 56 goals and 121 points in his final year with the London Knights, he's a perennial 30-point-per-year producer who's an excellent penalty killer and is consistently one of the best players in the league on the draw. Since 2017-18, he's 54 percent from the circle. He's coming off a $4.45 million AAV. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 2 years, $3.017 million; 3 years, $3.816 million; 4 years, $4.237 million; 5 years, $4.878 million Kuraly, 32, the former Boston Bruins Stanley Cup champion, spent the past four seasons with the Blue Jackets. He's strong on the faceoff, boasting a 54.3 percent rate last season (31st best in the NHL, minimum 543 draws). Short-handed, he's at 45.5 percent, having averaged 54 seconds of short-handed time on ice per game. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound left-shot center has the kind of size the Wild would be looking for, too. (Imagine him on a forecheck with Yakov Trenin.) Kuraly is known to be a tremendous culture guy and is coming off a contract with a $2.5 million cap hit. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 3 years, $1.932 million; 4 years, $3.062 million Advertisement Blackwell, 32, was with the Dallas Stars this past season, though he was mostly a healthy scratch during the playoffs as part of a deep forward group. He had an OT winner early in the playoffs. The 5-8, 190-pound right-shot is scrappy, a strong skater and good in the dot. Blackwell spent a good chunk of his time on the penalty kill with the Stars' fourth-best PK in the NHL (1:54 average penalty-kill TOI). It helped that Blackwell boasts a 49 percent win rate on faceoffs, both overall and short-handed. He doesn't move the needle offensively and likely maxes out at a 4C, but that's what the Wild need at this point. Blackwell would probably be cheap, coming off a contract with a $775,000 cap hit. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 1 year, $885,600; 2 years, $1.291 million; 3 years, $1.834 million The longtime Stars center played one year with the St. Louis Blues last year, where he racked up a 57 percent faceoff win rate, tied for ninth-best in the NHL. He was a key penalty killer, averaging 1 minute, 18 seconds short-handed, though St. Louis did struggle on the PK (28th in NHL at 74.2 percent). His contract had a cap hit of $3.25 million, so that would have to drop a good chunk to fit in what the Wild are thinking for this spot. One possible connection is that Guerin has a terrific relationship with his agent, Allan Walsh, who represented retired goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and currently represents prospects David Jiricek and recently drafted Adam Benak. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 1 year, $1.302 million; 2 years, $1.963 million; 3 years, $2.01 million. Also watching: Lars Eller, Nick Bjugstad, Luke Glendening The Wild put their best foot forward in an offer to pry JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres, but the restricted free agent got dealt to the Utah Mammoth. Minnesota could use support on the wings in the top six to provide balance if Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov are put together on a line again, like they were in a dynamic playoff performance. Again, there are not a ton of options (at least currently) on the market, and those that are will get plenty of attention from other teams. Advertisement It feels like the Wild are always linked with Boeser, the Burnsville native who has been a very reliable goal scorer the past nine seasons with Vancouver, including scoring 40 goals two seasons ago. Minnesota wanted to acquire him at the deadline a couple of years ago, but the cap space wasn't there. While this would be a great story for the hometown kid to play for the Wild, it's very much not a guarantee. The Wild are interested, but perhaps on a shorter-term deal than others on the market are willing to give him. There are rumblings of other teams, including the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets, creating space to make a run at him. It could make for a difficult decision for Boeser. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 3 years, $6.651 million; 4 years, $7.373 million; 5 years, $7.053 million; 6 years, $7.587 million; 7 years, $8.151 million Perry, 40, is still playing at a high level, even though he's nearly two decades removed from his Hart Trophy and Stanley Cup title while with the Ducks. He tallied 10 goals during the Oilers' latest run to the Stanley Cup Final and played minutes alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He can play anywhere from the top six to the fourth line, still has an edge to his game and boasts strong hands around the net. There was interest from the Wild in previous seasons, including before he signed with Chicago. During a recent interview with Sportsnet's Colby Armstrong, Perry laughed out loud when his son chimed in from the wings that 'Mom' says he's retiring after one more season. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 1 year, $1.394 million 'It takes a little skill mentally to play with those guys as well.' Corey Perry chats with @armdog about longevity, playing with McDavid and Draisaitl, his drive for another Stanley Cup, and more! FULL ➡️ — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 13, 2025 After agent Pat Brisson finalized a deal for Giroux to return to Ottawa on Sunday, he turned his attention toward trying to re-sign Kane with the Detroit Red Wings, league sources said. Kane wants to return to Detroit, where it has been a terrific fit. But if he goes to market, the Wild could swoop in and try to sign him over what is bound to be several other suitors. Advertisement The likely future Hall of Famer is 32 points from passing Wild hockey operations adviser Mike Modano for the most points among U.S.-born players in NHL history. Kane, 36, finished fourth on the Red Wings last season with 59 points and scored 12 goals and 29 points on the power play. He's coming off a $4 million cap hit. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 1 year, $2.985 million The Florida Panthers continue to try to bring the Conn Smythe Trophy runner-up back for a three-peat bid in South Florida, but if he goes to market, the Wild would have tons of competition from several teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and his old Bruins. But the one thing those places don't have that Minnesota does? The headquarters of Dairy Queen. The Panthers went undefeated during the Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup Final when Marchand took a group of players to DQ (St. Cloud native Nate Schmidt always paid, for the record). In all seriousness, Marchand, 37, scored some of Florida's biggest goals in the playoffs and six times in the Stanley Cup Final. He can still play, but it will be pricey. One league source said Marchand was looking for a four-year deal in the $8 to $9 million range if he left Florida. He's coming off a $6.125 million AAV. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 3 years, $7.189 million; 4 years, $7.596 million Coming off a 25-goal, 46-point year with the Canucks, the 29-year-old from Switzerland isn't big at 5-11 and isn't fast, but he's turned into a heck of a player who can slot at wing and center. At wing, he was terrific on a line with Boeser and J.T. Miller this past season in Vancouver and was an elite penalty killer. The former Red Wing has proven solid when put on a line with two skilled players. According to The Athletic's Thomas Drance, his real value is that he 'can play literally anywhere and he'll be good, including helping drive a bottom-six line as a center or helping their best players as a top-line winger.' Advertisement He's coming off a $1.6 million AAV. Evolving-Hockey contract projection: 3 years, $4.021 million; 4 years, $4.651 million Also watching: Nikolaj Ehlers (expensive), Mikael Granlund (the former Wild player would make sense, but the Wild have had ample opportunity to pursue him in the past and haven't under Guerin), Jonathan Drouin, Andrew Mangiapone, Tanner Pearson, Andrei Kuzmenko, Evgenii Dadonov, Max Pacioretty This is like throwing a dart at the board, as is looking at which defensemen the Wild may consider as depth. The criteria here from the Wild's perspective is signing a goalie who they feel would slide through waivers at the end of camp, and from the goalie's perspective, be willing to know they're almost certainly starting in AHL Iowa. Some options include Alex Lyon, Matt Murray, Spencer Martin and Kaapo Kahkonen. (Top photo of Brock Boeser eluding Matt Boldy: Bob Frid / Imagn Images)
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Caps trade for a defenseman and add four players as the draft wraps up
On the second and final day of the NHL draft, the Washington Capitals selected four prospects and made a trade for an established player, bringing in defenseman Declan Chisholm from the Minnesota Wild. Saturday's trade doesn't rise to the level of the move they made on the second day of the draft last year, when they acquired goaltender Logan Thompson from Vegas, but Capitals General Manager Chris Patrick viewed it as an important depth move to position the Capitals for the start of free agency Tuesday. Chisholm, 25, is a restricted free agent who will need a new contract to remain with Washington.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Washington Capitals Trade Chase Priskie To Minnesota Wild For Declan Chisholm
The Washington Capitals announced they have traded defenseman Chase Priskie and the 123rd pick in the NHL draft to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Declan Chisholm and the 180th pick in the draft. Priskie recorded 35 points in 61 game with the Hershey Bears in the regular season before adding five points in eight games in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Advertisement The 29-year-old notched 14 points in 20 games while helping the Bears win back-to-back Calder Cups last season, he played big minutes and powerplay time during the run. A native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Priskie has no points in four career NHL games with the Florida Panthers and 164 points in 314 career AHL games. He also has 20 points in 35 career AHL playoff games. It will be interesting to see if Priskie sees any time with Minnesota or if he will anchor the Iowa Wild blueline. Chisholm put up 12 points in 66 games with Minnesota this season, he had five points in six AHL games with the Manitoba Moose last season. Advertisement The 25-year-old has 21 points in 99 career NHL games and 91 points in 146 career AHL games. He has 11 points in 10 career AHL playoff games. He represented the Central Division at the AHL All-Star Game while a member of the Moose in 2023. Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Photo Credit: © Travis Boyd/Special to the Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Wild NHL Draft takeaways: Jonas Brodin out to start season, most interesting pick, stocking up on D
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild are preparing for Jonas Brodin to potentially miss time at the start of the 2025-26 regular season after the veteran defenseman underwent surgery a couple of weeks ago for an upper-body injury. Brodin, 31, was dealing with the injury during the regular season, and it 'flared up on him' during workouts following the World Championship, Wild president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin said Saturday. Advertisement 'He could have done it during the season, but it started feeling better,' Guerin said. 'It's one of those things where you can leave it alone and it might be fine. And you can leave it alone, and it might not. … It's not a traditional injury. It's more of a wear-and-tear thing that, if you leave it, it could be OK, but it could be painful.' The fact that Brodin could miss time made one of the Wild's Saturday moves interesting, as they traded depth left-shot defenseman Declan Chisholm and their sixth-round pick to the Washington Capitals for a fourth-round and AHL veteran defenseman Chase Priskie. Guerin said he's not sure if they're going to re-sign Priskie, a pending unrestricted free agent. Guerin called Chisholm one of the better waiver pickups he's seen in a while. The Wild claimed him from the Winnipeg Jets in January 2024, and he played 95 games for them over two seasons, including some stretches in the top four. Guerin said the finances didn't match up in signing Chisholm as a restricted free agent, though, and he felt he'd get a good opportunity with the Capitals. Guerin was OK moving Chisholm in part because he feels good about the depth he already has. Even if Brodin isn't ready to start the season, the Wild have two young defensemen in Zeev Buium and David Jiricek in the mix with veteran Zach Bogosian, as well as locks Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon and Jake Middleton. 'We're pretty comfortable with the seven,' Guerin said. 'We know what they can do.' Trading Chisholm also elevates defense prospects Carson Lambos and David Spacek, among others, in the organizational depth chart. They've each spent a couple of seasons with AHL Iowa. 'They've put in some solid time down there and gotten better,' Guerin said. 'For defensemen, it's usually a bit of a longer road. They've shown improvement every year.' Advertisement The Wild made five picks in this 2025 NHL Draft, and the most intriguing might be fourth-rounder Adam Benak. Benak, a 5-foot-7 center, is one of the smallest prospects taken this year, but he gets rave reviews for his skating, hockey sense and competitiveness. As TSN director of scouting Craig Button, a former NHL GM put it, Benak is a 'very skilled, gifted and competitive player — (Mats) Zuccarello-like.' Benak was the leading scorer for USHL Youngstown last season and should receive a lot of attention from CHL teams this fall, according to Wild director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett. 'At first blush, you see the size, but he's a dynamic offensive player,' Brackett said. 'Great vision, skill, speed, tenacious at that size. He's continued to prove it despite his size. He just has that pedigree for being able to create against bigger players. He's a hard guy to bet against. 'Trust me, the creativity, he's a fun player to watch. He's really exciting.' 'People that look at his size should think twice. He's a special player. Just give him some time.' Adam Benak is one of the smallest players in the #2025NHLDraft. He's also one of its fastest and smartest. My feature: — Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) April 27, 2025 Brackett acknowledged there was more pressure with the Wild's second-round pick this year. With no first-rounder (dealt for Jiricek in November) and none in the third round, No. 52 was probably their best chance at finding an NHL player. Whether they have one in second-rounder Theodor Hallquisth, 18, remains to be seen, but the Swedish defenseman has a pretty good (and fitting) model. He even wore his No. 25 on draft day. 'Jonas Brodin is someone I look at a lot,' Hallquisth said. 'I think we're pretty similar in our games. I love to watch him.' Advertisement The Wild have a lot of defense prospects in their system, especially in AHL Iowa with Lambos, Spacek and Jack Peart. Aron Kiviharju, last year's fourth-rounder, called himself the steal of that draft. Jiricek is in line for a shot at NHL time this year. 'Having depth and having competition is good,' Brackett said. 'If bringing in Theodor creates a little more pressure and stress on other players, that's good for us.' The Athletic's Scott Wheeler, who had the Swede No. 85 on his top 100 list, said Hallquisth plays a 'simple, efficient, effective' game and projects him as a third-pair defenseman in the NHL. 'He's clearly a two-way defenseman,' Brackett said. 'He's got the ability to get back on a puck. Good IQ. He feels pressure. He can find his first read and get it out of the zone. He's got good engagement, too. He plays with some bite, which is nice. He's a good, competitive kid, can separate players from pucks. He takes short routes to pucks, is very assertive. We saw improvement in his skating as the year went on — a testament to what he's made of.' The other defenseman the Wild took was Justin Kipkie in the fifth round (No. 141). The 6-foot-4 left-shot was originally drafted by Arizona at No. 160 in 2023. He's had two strong seasons since then with WHL Victoria. Kipkie, 19, racked up 62 points last season, including 22 power-play assists, and served as team captain. 'We saw great development in the last couple of years,' Brackett said. 'He can handle the puck well, moves it well. It's an opportunity for us, where he's going to buy a little more time and go to college. If he continues this growth, we think it's a good late option for us.' The Wild's other fourth-round picks were forwards Lirim Amidovski (No. 123) and Carter Klippenstein (181). Amidovski, a 6-1, 181-pound two-way winger, had 32 points and 38 penalty minutes in 67 games with OHL North Bay. Advertisement 'The first thing you notice about him is his speed,' Brackett said. 'He plays with reckless abandon and is a real heavy forechecker. A north-south style skater. Physical at the point, gets to the net. He's sort of a heat-seeking missile type of player.' Klippenstein, 18, is a hard-nosed two-way center who is a really good penalty killer, Brackett said. He's 6-3, 181 pounds and has played three seasons with WHL Brandon. 'He plays with an abrasive, physical nature,' Brackett said. 'He will stand up for teammates when he has to. He's a shot-blocker, good penalty killer. He thinks there's more emerging skills as he gets older in the CHL, but that's not going to be the hallmark. This is going to be a rugged, two-way Mason Marchment type of player.' (Photo of Jonas Brodin: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Capitals Get Busy In Third Round, Bring In Chisholm & Draft Schafer
Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett — imagn Images The Washington Capitals got to work in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft, making some moves to shift down in the draft while bringing in another depth defenseman. Washington first traded its No. 93 pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the No. 96 pick and a 2027 seventh-round selection. Advertisement Then, before making the 96th pick, the Capitals made another trade, acquiring defenseman Declan Chisholm and the 180th overall selection from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Chase Priskie and the 123rd overall pick. Chisholm answers a key question for Washington, as he's a solid depth left-handed blueliner who can provide insurance and experience to the mix. He's a strong skater and good puck mover with good defensive instincts, and he has the speed and upside to continue developing in the right direction. The 25-year-old had 12 points in 66 games with the Wild last season, and given the team struggled to fill Martin Fehervary's void in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, they add another option that can go into the lineup and be a reliable option. Then, with the No. 96 pick, the Capitals picked German winger Maxim Schäfer. In 15 games with the Eisbären Juniors Berlin U20 team, he had 35 points. At 6-foot-4, he's a force to be reckoned with on the ice and is incredibly aggressive on the forecheck. He uses his size and speed to get to the high-danger areas and knows where to go to get open, too. Washington's next selection comes at No. 155.
