Despite continuing to be hamstrung by the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the Minnesota Wild are in the midst of one of their best starts in franchise history in 2024-25. John Hynes’s team is 24-11-4 through 39 games, good for second place in the Central Division and just four points back of the President’s Trophy leading Winnipeg Jets.
Considering the Wild missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs altogether last season — the first time that had happened in five campaigns previously — it’s an extremely encouraging sign in Saint Paul. Minnesota at one point occupied the No. 1 spot in ClutchPoints’ weekly NHL Power Rankings, and although they’ve fallen down the list in recent weeks, the team remains well above average.
Hart Trophy contender Kirill Kaprizov has been the catalyst for the Wild in the early going, leading the team with 23 goals and 50 points in just 34 games. The Russian superstar was recently placed on injured reserve, and he’s missed each of his club’s last four games. Without him, the Wild have still managed to win four of their last five, which is a hugely encouraging sign.
Bolstered by phenomenal goaltending from Filip Gustavsson, the Wild look more potent than they’ve been in any of the last couple of seasons. Although there’s still another half of the year to go, this looks like a shoo-in to advance to the postseason come spring. General manager Bill Guerin would love improve the roster even further ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline, but that’s easier said than done with the cap issues the organization is facing.
Wild’s front office will have a tough time buying at deadline
In 2024-25, the Wild are still paying Parise and Suter, to the tune of just over $7.3 million each, per Puck Pedia. But that number drastically reduces to $833,000 for each of the next three seasons, which will finally allow Guerin and the front office to make the team better externally. That hasn’t really been the case over the last while, as paying $14 million to two players who are no longer on the team makes cap compliancy quite difficult.
The fact that the Wild are playing this well with the current roster is an excellent sign for fans of the franchise. And although the squad should be getting better at the deadline in order to make a run, things are complicated. Marco Rossi, who has been excellent with 33 points in 39 games, will be a restricted free agent on July 1 and will command a significant raise on his new deal. Kaprizov only has one year left on his contract, which pays the superstar $9 million. He’s going to be one of the highest paid players in the National Hockey League soon, whether that’s Minnesota or another NHL team paying him.
What isn’t certain is the role that a couple of veterans will play on this team going forward. There are a plethora of forwards specifically on the wrong side of 30 who could be nearing the end of their tenure in the State of Hockey.
That includes Marcus Foligno, who will make $4 million for three campaigns after 2024-25 but hasn’t provided much offense over the last few years. It also applies to 30-year-old Ryan Hartman, whose game has fallen off without exposure to Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello as linemates. Frederick Gaudreau is also 31 and has managed just 16 points in 39 games.
There’s a very real chance that one or more of Foligno, Hartman or Gaudreau are playing their last season in Minnesota, as the front office will certainly look for more effective –and potentially younger — middle-six pieces going forward through either the trade market or free agency. That will be especially true once Guerin has an extra $14 million to improve the roster.
The future of a couple of important Wild players is up in the air, although it’ll likely be months before we see any kind of resolution. But one player who certainly should be moved — as soon as possible — is Marcus Johansson.
It’s time for Wild to cut ties with Marcus Johansson
In the same mold as Foligno, Hartman and Gaudreau, Johansson is a veteran forward who has seen his production dip steadily over the past couple of seasons. The 34-year-old had his best season with the Washington Capitals in 2016-17, recording 24 goals and 58 points over a full 82-game slate.
But Johansson has struggled in Saint Paul. It started promisingly; after being traded from Washington to Minnesota three quarters of the way through the 2022-23 season, he was excellent at the end of that regular-season, amassing 18 points in 20 games. But despite playing 78 games last year, Johansson managed to chip in just 11 goals and 30 points on a non-playoff team.
It’s been much of the same in 2024-25; Johansson has struggled mightily, chipping in just four goals and 14 points in 38 games. The Swedish forward is clearly past his offensive prime, and unlike Foligno, Hartman and Gaudreau, his contract is ending. Johansson is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and it’s hard to see a world where the front office gives the 34-year-old another contract — even if it’s short-term. He’s making just $2 million as it is, and is probably due for a change of scenery.
When Kaprizov is healthy, he figures to play on the top line alongside Rossi and Zuccarello, while Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy and Hartman should round out the top-six. Johansson isn’t a very effective bottom-six player, but the way he’s playing, he doesn’t deserve to be in the top-six.
Even if Guerin can only get draft capital for Johansson, he should certainly be trading the pending UFA ahead of the trade deadline. While that might not be the most popular decision, especially with the way the team has played overall, better to recoup something than to lose the player for nothing in free agency come July.
The Wild will have a ton more flexibility to make moves next year, but with how strapped they are to the salary cap — and considering Johansson’s offensive futility and pending UFA status — it’s high time for the front office to move on from him.
