On the Road to Expansion: Minnesota Wild

The Seattle Krakens will make their NHL debut in the 2021–22 season, and to build on their roster, the league’s 32nd team will participate in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on July 21. Kraken must select one player per team, who are left unprotected. Each team, with the exception of the Vegas Golden Knights, who are exempt from this procedure, may have seven forwards, three defenders and one goalkeeper, or eight skaters, regardless of their position, and one defending goalkeeper. Full rules for detail draft can be found Here.

By July 17, the deadline for teams to submit their safety lists, LNH.com will prepare a diagram of each team’s status in the league with respect to the players they must protect and the options they have. to do this. Today, Minnesota Wild.

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players must be protected : zach parris (a), matt zucarello (a), Jared Spurgeon (d), Ryan Sutter (d), Jonas Brodin (d)
To protect the players without hesitation : Joel Ericsson a (a), Kevin Fiala (a)
players who complete the list : Jordan Greenway (a), Victor Russky (a), nick bjugstad (a), Ryan Hartman (a), nico sturmo (a), Matt Dumb (d), carson saucy (d), cam talbot (G), capo kahkonen (g)

Matt Dumba and Zack Parris’ records are the ones that will attract attention as the expansion draft for the Minnesota Wild approaches.

Five Wild players – forwards Parris and Matt Zucarello as well as defensemen Ryan Sutter, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin – have no-move clauses, a peak in the NHL, so they should be protected. If general manager Bill Guerin opts for a formula with seven attackers, three defenders and one goalkeeper, that is to say, the defense’s file is already settled. But be forewarned, this would mean that Dumba would be available for Seattle.

Is it unthinkable to lose a 26-year-old defenseman of this ability without getting anything in return? Clearly no. However, at the end of the season, the Paris Files shed a lot of ink. The 36-year-old veteran has been sidelined by coach Dean Evans in the last four regular season games and in the opening three games of the first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. With four more seasons to go on his contract, it is doubtful whether Guerin will not ask Paris to lift his no-move clause so that he is exposed to the Kraken or traded to another team.

If necessary, Guérin may choose to defend more than three defenders (formula with eight skaters and one goalkeeper) and thus enlist the services of attackers Zuccarello, Joel Eriksson Eck, Kevin Fiala and Jordan. Can include the name of a dumbass. green Way. Ericsson Eck has just accepted an eight-year, $42 million contract, while Fiala and Greenway, aged 24, represent significant parts of the organization’s future.

But even for an 8-1 formula in this scenario, the puzzle isn’t quite so straightforward for Guerin, who may decide to defend Carson Sausi instead of Dumba. The 26-year-old defenseman, a fifth-round pick (137th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft, developed late, but he has spent the last two seasons in Minnesota and we want to give him more responsibility. He’ll be pocketing $2.75 million a year by the end of the 2022-23 season (Dumba has an average annual salary of $6 million), a significant factor with the salary cap holding steady at $81.5 million. . For this we should keep in mind the young fullback of 21 years Callen Edison, who could be ready to make the leap to the NHL early next season.

On the other hand, if Paris decides not to lift his clause and Guerin opts for the 7-3-1 formula, he will have to choose between Nick Bjugstadt, Ryan Hartmann, Viktor Rusk, Nico Sturm and two other attackers. Marcus Foligno. Either way, the expansion draft could really spell the end of Dumba’s association with Wild, and it should come as no surprise to see him traded in the coming weeks.

A difficult decision on the part of the goalkeepers also awaits Guerin. Cam Talbot has done very well this season – 19-8-5, 2.63 goal-average, .915 percent saves, two shutouts – but Wilde’s future undoubtedly lies with Finland’s Kapo Kahakonen. The rookie is 16-8-0 in 2020-21 with a 2.88 GAA, .902 save rate and two shutouts. Logically, Guerin would protect the 24-year-old so as not to risk losing him for nothing.

The only good news for Wilde is that Calder Trophy winner, Kirill Kaprizov, not required to be protected under the rules. However the latter is a free agent with no compensation and he still has no contract in his pocket for the next year.