It's Time for the Wild to Upgrade Their Home

Ed. note: We’ve updated this article to reflect how the Parise and Suter buyouts affected the Wild’s cap numbers.

The Stanley Cup Finals might be still going on, but here in Minnesota we’ve been in offseason mode for over a month, again. It’s already the dog days of summer, which brings upon the season of hypothetical trades, which prospects are good fits at this month's draft, and which free agent bargains the Wild could pursue in July.

There’s no topic off the table this time of year. How about an arena upgrade? 

Before I upset our fragile Minnesota pride, let me preface this by saying the Xcel Energy Center is still a premier NHL arena. Especially considering it’s been home to the Minnesota Wild for over 20 years. But the three biggest years of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts provide a unique opportunity for Wild ownership. While all the talk has been centered on the sort of proverbial hole they place on the on-ice product, there hasn’t been nearly the amount of discourse about the off-ice ramifications.

When the Parise and Suter contracts were bought out in the summer of 2021, they each had four years remaining on their deals, with just a total of $10 million in actual money owed over that span. Their contracts were heavily front-loaded in cash, a structure legal at the time but deemed illegal just a few months later with the newly negotiated CBA.

The NHL retroactively placing potential cap recapture penalties on the Wild for them was the driving force for Bill Guerin to buy out both players in 2021. But I digress. It’s been a hot talking point in Minnesota for quite some time and will continue through these cap crunches.

But what hasn’t been discussed nearly enough is the sheer amount of money the Minnesota Wild are saving with these buyouts. While the dead cap hits total roughly $42M over the three years they hit the Wild’s roster the most, the actual money paid to Parise and Suter is just $1.6M per year. For these three years, Wild will spend about $28M less than nearly every other contender.

It’s important to note that while the Wild are saving real money compared to the salary cap in the next few years, it was the opposite in the first few years of those deals. While the Parise and Suter cap hits were $7.5M during the 2012 to 2015 seasons, the actual money paid to them was far, far higher.

Credit to the Wild’s ownership and GM for maintaining a playoff-caliber roster with these current constraints. But with the Wild spending less than every other perennial playoff qualifier, the situation raises an interesting question. What to do with those savings?

Perhaps it’s a timely opportunity for the Wild and the city of St. Paul to come together and boost the arena and surrounding community.

While the arena remains the poster child for premier sight lines and a fantastic viewing experience, I’m sure the Wild faithful would revel in a boost in fan experiences.

Maybe an upgrade to the dining options inside 199 West Kellogg Boulevard, particularly for those sitting in the upper bowl. The Wild have added intriguing options over the years, such as the Wild Market, featuring Amazon’s Walk-Out technology. The additions of local favorites such as Revival and Snuffy’s Malt Shop also provide a unique experience.

But “The X” lacks a newer, younger experience other thriving franchises have brought their fan bases. The type of in-arena experience which entices a younger generation into becoming life-long fans. In markets such as Vegas, Nashville, and Tampa, they feature world-class restaurants with more than just good burgers and your typical arena hot dogs and brats. Breweries and even clubs exist for between-period entertainment. Sure, it can lead to some fans being slow to return to their seats to start periods, but place these types of places in the upper bowl, and the TV cameras won’t even notice.

The West 7th Street area has built its reputation as a solid pre and postgame gathering spot. Could they attract more fans to spend a cold winter day in St. Paul with a skyway system connecting West 7th and the arena itself?

Breweries are extremely popular in Minnesota, yet not even one exists in the arena district itself. The city could attempt to make the area more attractive for new establishments to have a chance at surviving.

Skating on an outdoor pond in Minnesota is a right to hockey passage. Why not construct an outdoor ice rink for young families to enjoy before games?

The Wild have called St. Paul home for over two decades. They’ve helped provide a hockey-crazed community with an NHL fan experience for at least 41 home games a year. Even more, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon with the addition of their TRIA practice rink on the other side of downtown St. Paul.

Maybe now is an excellent opportunity to attempt to revitalize the in-arena experience and surrounding community. Give the fans a new experience beyond just what they put on the ice.