NHL Free Agency Rumors: Who Will Wild Pursue In Free Agency?
With the buyout penalties for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter dropping from $14.7 million to $1.7 million and the NHL salary cap rising, general manager Bill Guerin has the financial flexibility to make some significant moves.
The upcoming free-agent class lacks elite talent, but the Wild have been linked to a few notable names.
Brock Nelson was considered a top target, but he may extend with Colorado. Mitch Marner will be too expensive, and veterans like John Tavares, Jamie Benn, and Claude Giroux are past their primes.
Brock Boeser, a Minnesota native, could be an option, but as Smith and Russo note, “overpaying for him may not be the best plan” given his underwhelming trade deadline market.
JOHN TAVARES RIPS ONE
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 13, 2025
The Leafs capitalize on their first shot of the game and they take the early lead! pic.twitter.com/uda1u33TGm
Beyond free agency, Guerin could look to the trade market to address critical needs.
The Wild need a legitimate top-six center, a more reliable faceoff presence, and penalty-killing help—issues that were not resolved at the deadline. David Jiricek, acquired in a midseason trade, has yet to crack the lineup, raising questions about whether a veteran like Jared Spurgeon or Zach Bogosian could be moved to clear space.
The team’s struggles in 2024-25 were apparent, ranking near the bottom of the league in goals per game and penalty killing. “We’ve got a plan going for four years, and I’m not going to screw it up being short-sighted,” Guerin said after the trade deadline, suggesting he may be more aggressive this summer.
37 year old Claude Giroux won't stop putting up numbers. #Flyers pic.twitter.com/TMWOhAUJPw
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A major focus will be convincing Kirill Kaprizov to stay long-term.
The franchise star can sign a contract extension on July 1, but he has played just three games since Christmas due to injury, and his future remains uncertain. Kaprizov wants to win, and as Smith and Russo point out, “there’s no plan—three-year, five-year, etc.—that doesn’t involve him being the centerpiece.”
If Guerin wants to secure Kaprizov’s commitment, he must deliver a roster capable of competing with the top teams in the Western Conference.
“Our time will come,” Guerin insisted. But with cap space available and expectations rising, that time needs to be now.
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