NHL Rumors: Wild Haven't Started Extension Talks With Winger

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Minnesota Wild have yet to begin extension talks with forward Kevin Fiala.

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— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 2, 2022

This is noteworthy, as the Wild just signed winger Jordan Greenway to a three-year, $9 million extension. With that, due to the team buying out Ryan Suter and Zach Parise last offseason, they are going to have a cap penalty of $12.7 million next season. Then, it will jump up to $14.7 million in the following two years. Therefore, general manager Bill Guerin may have to get creative to find a way to keep Fiala around.

Guerin also noted that he'd like to keep Minnesota's current roster together as best as possible. Therefore, although extensions talks with Fiala haven't begun, that doesn't automatically mean that they won't start. However, this is still a story to pay attention to moving forward, as the Wild will have to find a way to fit him under the cap ceiling if they want him back for at least next season. Thankfully, he will still be a restricted free agent, so they will at least have control over him.

It's been another very good season from Fiala this campaign. In 41 games, he has 13 goals, 21 assists, and a plus-10 rating. He has blossomed into a very important forward for the Wild, so it will be interesting to see what occurs from here.