Where Are They Now? Recent Wild Players Edition

In the last few years, Bill Guerin has signed a core group of players to multi-year contracts (for better or worse). However, it has also been a time when Minnesota Wild fans have lost a few fan favorites since the 2021-22 season. So, let’s review and see where some of them will be for the 2024-25 season.

Brandon Duhaime

Beloved Dewey1 has been a fan favorite ever since he fell during his rookie lap. He was the loveable butt of the joke, but he was a physical force that could push into the opponent’s zone to prepare for the first line to score. Losing him was devastating.

We all saw the writing on the wall. After going to arbitration last year for his salary, combined with the tight salary cap space and other players higher on the re-sign priority list, Duhaime knew it was almost impossible to stay in the Twin Cities. What made it even worse was how often he stated that he loved Minnesota and wanted to stay. He’s been back for bits of the summer to spend time with his former teammates.

After being traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2024 trade deadline, Duhaime became a free agent this summer. He signed a two-year deal with the Washington Capitals, where he will make $1.85 million per year.

Connor Dewar

It’s only natural that we follow Dewey1 by talking about Dewey2. Losing Dewey2 was another big blow at the trade deadline, especially because it was so last minute that it wasn’t actually announced until after the trade deadline. Dewar said that he thought he made it without being traded. But the Wild traded the quieter half of the Pinky and the Brain Dewey pairing to his “hometown” team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dewar showed his best side while playing for the Leafs, killing penalties and being a physical presence despite his smaller size. The Leafs extended a qualifying offer to him. While Dewar opted to take contract negotiations to arbitration, it looks like he could get a good pay raise somewhere around $1.4 million.

Mason Shaw

While trading the Deweys away stung, not extending a qualifying offer to Mason Shaw was a knife to the heart to many fans. There’s no need to rehash his entire story because Wild fans have it memorized. Shaw finally reached the NHL and tore his ACL for the fourth time. That video is hard to watch because everyone just instantly knew what happened.

His “Let’s Play Hockey” call for the first game of the 2023 playoffs is legendary and will never be topped. And after staying all summer in Minnesota last year to rehab his knee, he stayed again this summer, seemingly just because he liked it so much (and for a girl, but it still counts as liking Minnesota).

I will give Guerin credit for one thing: He promised Shaw that he would re-sign him once he was medically cleared to play, and he did that. Even though he didn’t elect to bring him back for the next season, he allowed Shaw to go out and prove to other NHL clubs that he was still just as good as he ever was.

Unfortunately, Shaw signed with the Winnipeg Jets, which means that there is now exactly one Jets player who Minnesotans are required to root for. It is a one-year deal, so Shaw may sign with a more palatable team after this season.

Dakota Mermis

The curse of the Iowa Wild captain hit again this past season when Mermis was named captain in Iowa before being pulled up to Minnesota in what turned out to be a permanent stay. While Iowa struggled without him, Mermis was finally given his first real shot in the NHL. He made the most of it, impressing everyone while skating on the third pairing.

While it was hard to see him leave the Wild franchise, it is exciting for him to get an NHL contract. He signed with Toronto for one year at league minimum. The most exciting part is that this is his first one-way contract, meaning his salary won't change even if they have him play in the AHL. 

Matt Dumba

After signing a one-year deal with the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes (RIP), they traded him to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. Dumba enters this offseason as a free agent. No matter what your thoughts are on Dumba and some of his on-ice play, no one can deny that he is an amazing person off the ice. He’s made Minnesota his home. Despite playing for another team, he has continued his community work here in the State of Hockey.

The bad news is that Dumba has also signed a contract with a close enemy, but the good news is that it really pissed off the team’s fans. Signing a two-year, $3.75 million contract with the Dallas Stars gives Dumba a little bit of security. Hilariously enough, Stars fans absolutely loathe Dumba after his hit on Joe Pavelski during the 2023 playoffs. Having him sign with their team has forced many Stars fans to re-evaluate their life choices when it comes to hockey.

Tyson Jost

Jost wasn’t actually with the organization for very long, but he was a fun addition to the team while he was here. Brought in at the 2022 trade deadline from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Nico Sturm, Jost was good on the ice and fun off of the ice. He also stayed in Minnesota that summer and played with Da Beauty League. But after an amazing show in the 2022-23 preseason, Jost could not reproduce any success and ended up being traded to the Buffalo Sabres.

Jost also struggled with the Sabres, playing part of the season with their AHL affiliate. The Sabres passed on re-signing him, and Jost was picked up during free agency by the Carolina Hurricanes for a one-year league minimum contract.

Other Former Players

Jake Lucchini signed a two-year league minimum with the Nashville Predators this off-season.

Vinni Lettieri was traded to the Boston Bruins in June for Jakub Lauko. He will be playing the second year of his two-year, league-minimum contract.

Pat Maroon was traded to the Boston Bruins at the deadline and signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2024-25 season.

Nic Petan was traded to the New York Rangers at the deadline, where he finished out his year. He is currently unsigned.

Nico Sturm is entering the last year of a three-year contract with the San Jose Sharks, where he's earning $2 million a year.

Cam Talbot played last season for the Los Angeles Kings and has now signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings for $2.5 million a year.

Adam Beckman was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Graeme Clarke and signed a one-year contract for the league minimum this summer.

Jordie Benn played last season in Sweden with the Brynas IF in the Allsvenskan League. He was on a one-year contract and is currently unsigned.

Nick Bjugstad is currently in the second year of a two-year contract with what is now the Utah Hockey Club. His cap hit is $2.1 million a year.

Nicolas Deslauriers is starting year three of a four-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. His cap hit is $1.75 million.

Kevin Fiala is still with the Los Angeles Kings after the Wild traded him there during the 2022 off-season once it was evident that his next contract would be too large for the Wild’s salary cap situation. He is two years into a seven-year, $7.875 million-a-year contract with the Kings.

Alex Goligoski is currently unsigned. While it’s always possible that he could sign a short-term deal somewhere, it’s more likely that he is easing into retirement from hockey.

Kaapo Kahkonen signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Winnipeg after a two-year stint with the San Jose Sharks. (Okay, so maybe there are 2 Jets players we need to cheer for.)

Jordan Greenway was traded to the Buffalo Sabres at the 2023 trade deadline, permanently putting the infamous GREEF line to bed. He's heading into the last year of a three-year, $3 million contract with the Sabres.

Dmitry Kulikov just won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, impressing Wild fans with how much better he was on the ice in Sunrise, Fla., after hitting Joel Eriksson Ek in the face with a friendly-fire high-stick during a pivotal playoff game. (No, I’m not bitter. Why do you ask?) He just signed a four-year, $1.15 million contract with the Panthers.

Steven Fogarty announced his retirement from hockey just a few weeks ago. He is 29 years old and played between the NHL and the AHL for 8 years.

John Klingberg played for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season but had season-ending hip surgery on December 6, 2023, and is currently unsigned.

Gustav Nyquist is on the back end of a two-year, $3.185 million contract with the Nashville Predators.

Oskar Sundqvist unfortunately also suffered a season-ending injury after tearing his ACL on March 27. Fortunately, he had already signed a two-year, $1.5 million contract extension with the St. Louis Blues shortly before that.