Wild Winger Has NHL's 9th-Best Contract

The Minnesota Wild have not been heralded for their business as of late, as we stare down another season that could feature a familiar first-round exit. But, according to one analyst, the Wild deserve their flowers for locking up one of their top wingers for a bargain.

The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn put out an article Tuesday going over the 10 best contracts in the NHL. While "best" is maybe a loose term to use, this study goes over the market value for each player and how much under they are and if it is for a long amount of time, that also helps their case.

Anyways, Luszczyszyn named Matt Boldy as the player with the ninth-best contract in the entire NHL.

It was just over two years ago, in January 2023, that the Wild inked Boldy to a seven-year, $49-million contract that would keep the young winger in Minnesota through the 2029-30 season, until he is 29 years old. Therefore, the team is getting one of the best young two-way wingers through their prime, for the same salary that the Anaheim Ducks just gave Mikael Granlund.

No matter what, we can agree that if Boldy magically hit unrestricted free agency this summer, he would be getting a whole lot more money. Could we confidently say that his salary would be in the double-digit millions? Maybe, maybe not. But Boldy is worth a whole lot more than he is currently being paid, and being paid for five more seasons.

• Zeev Buium is going to be a key figure this Wild season and he should have an immediate impact on the Wild's power play. [Hockey Wilderness]
• Wild prospect Aron Kiviharju is in Minnesota with Finland for the World Junior Summer Showcase, and he's fitting right in. [Pioneer Press]

Off the trail...

• Three things learned at the third day of the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase. [NHL.com]
• Jimmy Vesey might be heading to the KHL. Not too long ago he was slated to be one of the top college free agents ever. [RG Media]