After missing the playoffs for only the second time since 2012, the Minnesota Wild have one more season of cap pain ahead of them.
There’s no doubt the pressure is building on the Wild to be ready to prove to fans that all this cap pain was worth it once it’s largely off the books in 2025-26.
But first things first. While the salary cap in 2024-25 is expected to rise to $87.5 million, the Wild won’t just have $14.7 million of dead money next season, they will also have a cap overage of $425,000 for Marco Rossi hitting goals and time-on-ice bonuses, plus potentially another $212,500 if Rossi is named to the NHL’s all-rookie team.
Assuming Liam Ohgren and Marat Khusnutdinov make the team out of camp, the Wild have 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies locked with $6,499,746 in cap space at this point (minus perhaps another $212,500).
Wild 2024-25 depth chart
Forwards
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
|
Kaprizov ($9M) |
Eriksson Ek ($5.25M) |
Boldy ($7M) |
|
Ohgren ($918K)/UFA |
Rossi ($868,333) |
Zuccarello ($4.125M) |
|
Johansson ($2M) |
Hartman ($4M) |
Foligno ($4M) |
|
Ohgren/Iowa/UFA |
Khusnutdinov ($925K) |
Gaudreau ($2.1M) |
|
Iowa/UFA |
Vying for spots: Khusnutdinov, Ohgren, Heidt ($950,000)*, Lettieri ($775,000), Shaw (RFA)**, Beckman (RFA), Walker (RFA), Raska (RFA), Firstov ($925,000), Haight ($897,500), Toporowski ($870,000), Milne ($861,667), Novak ($846,667)
Pending restricted free agents: Shaw**, Beckman, Walker, Raska
Pending unrestricted free agents: Lucchini, Khaira, Elson, Fogarty, Swaney
* Heidt can only return to the WHL or play for the Wild.
** If the Wild think Shaw would be awarded a one-way contract in arbitration or he won’t agree to a two-way contract, they may not tender him a qualifying offer and he’d become an unrestricted free agent.
Defensemen
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
|
Brodin ($6M) |
Faber ($925K) |
|
Middleton ($2.45M) |
Spurgeon ($7.575M) |
|
Chisholm (RFA) |
Bogosian ($1.25M) |
|
Merrill ($1.2M) |
Vying for spot: Hunt ($828,233), Lambos ($863,333), Masters ($865,000), Spacek ($862,500), O’Rourke ($855,833), Peart ($925,000)
Pending restricted free agent: Chisholm, Johansson.
Pending unrestricted free agents: Goligoski, Mermis, Butcher.
Goaltending
| Goalies |
|---|
|
Gustavsson ($3.75M) |
|
Fleury ($2.5M) |
|
Wallstedt ($925K) |
Vying for spot: Wallstedt*
In the system: Hlavaj ($875,000)
Pending restricted free agent: Jones
Pending unrestricted free agent: McIntyre
* Even though Wallstedt is included in the depth chart, his cap charge isn’t included in our tabulation.
Cap space
Salary cap hit: $81,000,254 (including $14,743,488 in dead money, $425,000 in Rossi bonus overages and assumes Ohgren and Khusnutdinov make the team)
Projected salary cap: $87.5 million
Salary cap space before re-signing Chisholm, signing unrestricted free agents and possible internal additions: $6,499,746*
* If Rossi makes the all-rookie team, the Wild’s cap space will decrease by another $212,500 to $6,287,246
This will be make for an interesting summer as the Wild are expected to consider trading Filip Gustavsson and perhaps Rossi, and to sign Brock Faber to a whopping contract extension.
General manager Bill Guerin is seemingly bringing the same group back, although we suspect he’ll be in the market for a veteran top-six winger who would sign a one- or max two-year deal. If they missed the playoffs this past season, what are the expectations next season?
We want to know what you think. So please take some time and tackle The Athletic’s 2024 offseason Wild fan survey. Voting will close at 12 p.m. CT on Monday, and we’ll analyze your responses shortly after.
(Note: Readers who are using our app on an Android device might need to use two fingers to scroll through the survey. Still unable to get to the survey? Try this direct link.)
(Photo of Kirill Kaprizov: Nick Wosika / Getty Images)
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Courtesy : https://theathletic.com/5480329/2024/05/08/wild-fan-survey-offseason-2024/