Wild sign Goligoski to help defense, power play
36-year-old returns to native Minnesota looking to win second Stanley Cup title
© Michael Martin/Getty Images
2020-21 season:35-16-5; third in Honda West Division; lost in first round of Stanley Cup Playoffs
Key arrivals
Alex Goligoski, D:The 36-year-old signed a one-year contract July 28. The native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, scored 22 points (three goals, 19 assists) in 56 games for the Arizona Coyotes last season and could help the power play; 141 of Goligoski's 429 NHL points are with the man-advantage. …Dmitry Kulikov, D:The 30-year-old signed a two-year contract July 28. He had four assists in 48 games for the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils last season and did not have a point in three playoff games. … Jon Merrill, D:The 29-year-old agreed to a one-year contract July 29. He had five assists in 49 games for the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings last season and no points in 13 playoff games.
Key departures
Ryan Suter, D: He signed a four-year contract with the Dallas Stars on July 28 after his contract was bought out by the Wild on July 13. Suter scored 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 56 games last season and had one assist in seven playoff games. … Zach Parise, F: The unrestricted free agent had the final four seasons of his 13-year contract bought out by the Wild on July 13. Parise scored 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 45 games last season and three points (two goals, one assist) in four playoff games. He ranks third in Wild history in goals (199) and points (400). … Marcus Johansson, F: He signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Kraken on Aug. 6 after scoring 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 36 games last season and not scoring a point in three playoff games. … Nick Bonino, F: He signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on July 28 after scoring 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 55 games last season and did not score a point in seven playoff games. … Ian Cole, D: He agreed to a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 28 after scoring eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 54 games last season and not scoring a point in seven playoff games.
On the cusp
Matthew Boldy, F: The 20-year-old, the No. 12 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, scored 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in his sophomore season at Boston College before signing an entry-level contract with the Wild on March 30. He scored 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 14 games for Iowa of the American Hockey League. … Marco Rossi, F: The 19-year-old played one game for Zurich SC of the National League, the top professional league in Switzerland, before missing the rest of the season because of complications from COVID-19. Rossi, the No. 9 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is expected to compete for a roster spot in training camp. … Calen Addison, D:Acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 10, 2020, with forward
Alex Galchenyuk
and a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (defenseman Carson Lambos) for forward Jason Zucker, Addison did not have a point in three regular-season games for the Wild last season and had one assist in three playoff games. The 23-year-old scored 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 31 games for Iowa last season.
What they still need
To sign restricted free agent forward Kirill Kaprizov. The 24-year-old, who won the Calder Trophy voted as NHL rookie of the year last season, led first-year players in goals (27), points (51), power-play goals (eight) and shots (157) in 55 games. He averaged 18:18 of ice time per game and had the most goals, assists and points by a rookie in Wild history.
They said it
"I think everyone has that desire to play for their home state if they have a team. I think it's a great fit for me. And I think the team is good too, and that was a big thing for me. I want to play some winning hockey. … I'd love another crack at a Stanley Cup, for sure." -- defenseman Alex Goligoski, a Cup winner as a rookie with the Penguins in 2009
Fantasy focus
Defenseman Jared Spurgeon sparked the power play in his final 26 games last season, scoring 19 points (T-6th at position in span) and nine power-play points (T-3rd). Minnesota's power play ranked third in the NHL (29.6 percent) over that span compared to last (8.5 percent) from the start of the season to March 21. With Suter out of the picture, Spurgeon should be the Wild's No. 1 fantasy defenseman and a fixture among the top 30 rankings at the position. -- Pete Jensen
Projected lineup
Kirill Kaprizov -- Victor Rask -- Mats Zuccarello
Jordan Greenway -- Joel Eriksson Ek -- Kevin Fiala
Marcus Foligno -- Ryan Hartman -- Nick Bjugstad
Kyle Rau -- Nico Sturm -- Frederick Gaudreau
Jonas Brodin -- Matt Dumba
Alex Goligoski -- Jared Spurgeon
Dmitry Kulikov -- Jon Merrill
Cam Talbot
Kaapo Kahkonen
