By Thomas Williams -
And the signings keep on coming. Make it three on Wednesday as the Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman Joe Hicketts to a two-year, two-way deal.
Destined for the AHL, Hicketts has only appeared in a total of 22 NHL games, but he is a very solid depth option to have in the farm system and the two-year deal reflects that. Having the two-way option means that he will have different salaries depending on the league he is playing in — Hicketts will still require waivers once he’s sent down after training camp.
Last season for the Grand Rapids Griffins, the 5-foot-8, 25-year-old blueliner racked up 18 points in 32 games. Hicketts plays much larger than his actual size and is not afraid of being physical in his own end — he earned a professional contract for being a World Juniors standout for Team Canada in 2016. This is more than enough of a replacement for an Iowa team was losing some big names like Matt Bartkowski and (might) lose Calen Addison to the big club.
Similar to the other minor-league defensemen the Wild currently possess, Hicketts can certanily provide some bottom-pairing cover if the NHL roster is ever in a desperate pinch. Whether it’s Dakota Mermis or a less experienced player, there’s options there.
This is nothing more than some cover, but at least it’s an interesting player that is not afraid of really anything.
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