In order to retain their rights and officially make them restricted free agents, the Wild announced that it extended qualifying offers (it actually happened several days ago, but today's the deadline) to Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Mike Reilly, Kurtis Gabriel, Steve Michalek, Zack Mitchell and Zach Palmquist.
Wild re-signs Gustav Olofsson, cuts loose Christian Folin
There is some news with a couple Wild defensemen today. But they aren't the big names who were in the news last week.
By mikerusso
June 26, 2017 at 7:17PM
The Wild has re-signed defenseman Gustav Olofsson to a two-year, $1.45 million deal ($725,000 AAV, $675K Year 1, $775K Year 2). It's a one-way deal, meaning he'd have an inside track toward making next year's team.
The Wild did not tender qualifying offers to Christian Folin, Brady Brassart, Alex Gudbranson and Guillaume Gelinas.
The Wild would still like to sign Folin to a two-way contract, but at this point, one would think the big defenseman will test free agency when the market opens Saturday to see if he can get a one-way contract.
Folin would have been uninterested in his QO because it's a two-way that pays him something like $35,000 in the minors.
And the Wild was uninterested in giving him a QO because he would have likely filed for arbitration and gotten a one-way. The Winnipeg Jets just signed Ben Chiarot, a possible Folin comparable, to a two-year deal worth $1.4 million annually.
If Folin got an award in that vicinity, that just wouldn't have been doable for the Wild.
If Folin decides not to sign a two-way with the Wild, his departure leaves a void on the right side.
The Wild could pursue a third-pair right D or bring back Nate Prosser, an unrestricted free agent whom I think would be interested in returning.
I'll have a lot more in tomorrow's paper, but the Wild has called a number of agents today regarding potential fourth-line left wings, centers and backup goalies.
Some, interesting names that either means the Wild's just doing its due diligence or, as I have been saying, still may trade a defenseman like Marco Scandella.
I still think the Wild wants to move a contract to create flexibility to re-sign Niederreiter and Granlund and sign a couple free agents.
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mikerusso
Another failure against a Central Division team is all the Wild have to show for the effort after they pounded first-period shots at the Jets.
