Just before the puck dropped on the Wild's preseason opener at Winnipeg, the team announced captain Mikko Koivu has signed a two-year, $11 million contract extension.
Mikko Koivu signs 2-year, $11 million contract extension
Now in his 13th season with the Wild, Koivu is the Wild's all-time leader in seven statistical categories. He would have been an unrestricted free agent after this season.
September 19, 2017 at 12:26AM
Koivu, 34, was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Instead, he will remain with the Wild through 2019-20. The deal will pay Koivu $6 million in 2018-19 and $5 million in 2019-20.
He is in the final season of a seven-year, $47.25 million deal.
Now in his 13th season with the Wild, Koivu is the franchise's all-time leader in seven statistical categories, including games played (843), assists (435) and points (614). He had 58 points last season, the fourth-highest total of his career and his most since 2010-11. His 18 goals were the most he had scored in a season since 2009-10.
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2001 draft, Koivu remains the only full-time captain the Wild has ever had, having been given the job in 2009. He was a finalist for the NHL's Selke Trophy last season, given to the league's best defensive forward.
Koivu was tied for 16th among NHL forwards with 65 blocked shots, a career best. He also was fifth in the league in faceoff wins (938) and was tied for eighth with a career-best plus-minus rating of plus-27.
The longest contracts on the Wild belong to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, who signed identical 13-year, $98 million deals in 2012.
With the playoffs a month away, the Wild is starting to play in tight contests because goals are hard to come by.
