Minnesota Re-Signs Finnish Forward, Mikael Granlund
by Staff Writer / Minnesota WildThe Minnesota Wild has re-signed center Mikael Granlund to a two-year contract.
Granlund, 23, collected 39 points (8-31=39), a plus-17 rating and averaged 17:54 in TOI/game in 68 games with Minnesota in 2014-15. He ranked third on the team in plus/minus and fifth in scoring and set career highs in games played, plus/minus, hits, faceoffs taken and faceoffs won and TOI/game. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound native of Oulu, Finland, added six points (2-4=6) and a plus-2 rating in 10 playoff contests. Granlund has tallied 88 points (18-70=88) in 158 NHL games during three seasons with Minnesota and owns 13 points (6-7=13) in 23 playoffs matches.
He has participated in eight international tournaments for Finland, was named the 2010 Rookie of the Year in Finland and helped lead HIFK Helsinki to the 2011 playoff championship after leading the league in playoff scoring. Granlund was originally selected by the Wild in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.