Minnesota Wild Sign Ryan Hartman to Contract Extension

The Minnesota Wild have come to terms with forward Ryan Hartman on a three-year deal that sees him make $1.7 million per season on the salary cap.

The 26-year-old is a rugged winger who plays with speed and toughness and while the Wild are still looking for some high-end skill up front, they are going to need players like Hartman who love to battle each and every night.

So far this season the former first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks has appeared in 40 games and has recorded six goals and 18 points. He's been a pleasant surprise on a team that's having more success than a lot of people thought they would.

Hartman was set to become a restricted free agent at season's end. The Wild now have three pending RFAs remaining: Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, and Joel Eriksson Ek. The team projects to have nearly $21 million in cap space via CapFriendly.com, since UFAs Marcus Johansson, Nick Bonino, Nick Bjugstad, Ian Cole are coming off the books.

Keep an eye on general manager Bill Guerin this offseason as it will be interesting to see how he spends his money and what type of forward talent the Wild end up with next season.

One thing's for sure, Ryan Hartman will be occupying a wing spot on the third-line.