The Minnesota Wild’s biggest problem might end up being the same thing that makes them dangerous: too much money tied up in too few names.
Kirill Kaprizov is already attached to a $136 million contract, and the number keeps climbing from there - $17 million per year, then Cale Makar’s $20.4 million AAV, and the suggestion that Quinn Hughes is likely in line to make even more than Kaprizov. Stack those deals on top of each other and the roster starts to look top-heavy in a hurry.
That’s the tradeoff now. The Wild’s current core is built around star power, not the kind of layered depth that defined their last playoff round-winning team in 2014-15.
That club had four 20-goal scorers - Zach Parise with 33, Nino Niederreiter with 24, Thomas Vanek with 21, and Jason Zucker with 21 in only 51 games - plus Jason Pominville at 18. Scoring 20 goals was tougher then too, with league offense down more than 10% from what the sport has seen over the past five seasons.
And that wasn’t even the whole picture. Mikko Koivu gave them elite two-way play, while the bottom six included Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, Erik Haula, Kyle Broadziak, and Ryan Carter. Some of those younger players went on to show more in later seasons, and others settled in as dependable role players.
The blue line was just as deep. Ryan Suter, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella, Christian Folin, and Matt Dumba formed a defense corps that helped the Wild allow the sixth-fewest goals in the NHL. That kind of number doesn’t happen unless all 18 skaters are making very few mistakes night after night.
The current group doesn’t work that way. Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Johansson bring value, but Kaprizov and Matt Boldy are the engines in the top six.
Quinn Hughes has a similar impact on Brock Faber, though to a lesser degree. The reality is that the Wild can’t keep stocking the roster with young scorers and extra defensemen the way they once did.
The bottom half now has a different job: survive the minutes the stars aren’t on the ice and protect the leads they build.
That’s the uncomfortable part of a roster like this. The Big Three define the team in the way depth once did for the 2014-15 group, and now that the stars are getting paid, the rest of the lineup has to be thinner. But the alternative is worse - letting elite talent walk for nothing, or flipping it for draft picks that probably won’t come close to matching Hughes or Kaprizov.
There is, at least, one wrinkle that could soften the blow. Bill Daly reportedly wants an expansion team to begin play in 2029-30, which would likely mean an expansion draft in the 2029 offseason. If Hughes signs an extension for at least three years, he’d still be on the Wild then, eating up nearly or even more than $20 million in cap space.
If you’re losing a depth piece anyway, that changes the calculus.
The Athletic recently ran a mock expansion draft and had Minnesota protecting forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Danila Yurov, Ryan Hartman, Blake Coleman, and Bobby Brink; defensemen Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, and Jonas Brodin; and goalie Jesper Wallstedt. In that scenario, Filip Gustavsson was the player taken from the Wild.
That might sound strange, since goaltending is Minnesota’s deepest position by far. And yes, Gustavsson has a no-trade clause.
But the source of the concern isn’t hard to see. He could waive that protection if expansion becomes real, even if that seems unlikely because he has a family in Minnesota.
The Swedish goalie, after all, has a one-of-a-kind mind.
If he doesn’t want to leave for an expansion club to take on a leadership role, a move somewhere else could still be on the table. And even if all of that gets set aside, his no-trade list drops to 15 teams by the 2029 offseason. That means the Wild could always move Gustavsson to one of the other 16 teams before the actual expansion draft if they decide Jesper Wallstedt is the keeper they want to protect.
In Other News...
Wild Took A Low Cost Scoring Swing Fans Should Watch Closely
Minnesota kept its offseason cost low but still made a move that could matter if it clicks, signing Russian forward Maxim Shabanov to a one-year deal after the New York Islanders declined to qualify him as a restricted free agent. For a Wild club always looking for affordable ways to add skill, it is the kind of transaction that does not make a huge splash on paper but can quietly shape the forward group if the player settles in quickly.
The appeal is obvious: low risk, potential scoring upside, and a chance to see whether Shabanov can translate his game into a new setting with Minnesota. The Wild have been willing to shop in this part of the market before, and this is the sort of move that could look clever in hindsight if he finds a role, or fade into the background if he does not. Still, for a team trying to squeeze value from every roster spot, it is one worth following closely. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Camp Suddenly Centers On A Forward Battle That Really Matters
Less than a month before the regular season, the Wild still have a roster picture that is not fully settled, and that makes training camp feel more like a live audition than a formality. Offseason departures left gaps that have yet to be filled, even as Minnesota is expected to open camp with most of the group healthy. The one notable absence is Filip Gustavsson, who is recovering from hip surgery, leaving the club to sort through the rest of the roster while it waits for the season to get closer.
That uncertainty puts extra weight on the forward group, where the organization is mixing established pieces with prospects trying to force their way in. Charlie Stramel and Hunter Haight are among the younger players competing for spots, and the Wild still have to figure out line chemistry and whether additions are needed before opening night. For a team that already knows what it has on defense, the next few weeks are really about finding out which forwards can make the group fit. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Fans May Be Overlooking One Crucial Kaprizov Line Decision
Ryan Hartmans place in Minnesota has always seemed to come with a little extra debate attached to it. Since joining the Wild in 2019, he has bounced through different roles and public perceptions, but he also put together a career year next to Kirill Kaprizov and has continued to matter as more than just a supporting piece. Even with injuries and suspensions complicating his standing at times, Hartman has remained a dependable scorer and a useful driver of 5-on-5 shots and points.
So when the Wild start sorting out Kaprizovs line, Hartman is still a name that deserves real consideration. There has been some chatter about possible lineup changes involving Danila Yurov, and Hartmans name has also surfaced in trade discussion, but the simplest answer may be the one fans overlook: he still looks like a legitimate fit for the top line. For a team trying to maximize its best player, that kind of stability can matter more than the temptation to chase something new. [Read more 🡒]