![](https://hockeywilderness.com/uploads/pages_media/0_hw-default.jpg)
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin and his staff are slowly making their way through their offseason to-do list. They’ve already cleared cap space by trading away winger Kevin Fiala for a pick and top prospect, and most recently — according to some reports — they have re-signed top-four blueliner Jake Middleton to a three-year, $7.35-million deal, keeping him in Minnesota through the 2024-25 season.
Darren Dreger later confirmed that the AAV of Middleton’s deal will be $2.45 million.
At the age of 26 years old, Middleton was just one year away from unrestricted free agency and was set to be a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights. This deal forgoes any contract negotiation-caused headache in the middle of the summer and leaves both parties happy. A defenseman that just got a regular NHL gig last season is handsomely paid for being an adequate partner for Wild captain Jared Spurgeon, and Minnesota gets their top-four defensemen solidified for next season.
With this signing, the Wild now have approximately $4.93 million left in cap space to fit one goaltender and two forwards. We can presume that Marco Rossi and his $863,333 cap will be one of those forwards, and we do know that Guerin really wants to bring netminder Marc-Andre Fleury back to St. Paul.
We’ll keep you updated.
And...UPDATE:
It’s official. A three-year deal for Middleton that comes with a cap hit of $2.45 million.
Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.