We’ve got another edition of NHL rumours to start your work week. The Stanley Cup could be awarded this week, but we’ve got plenty to discuss with other clubs in the league. It’s going to a wild ride to end the month of June and start the month of July. Executives might need to make some deals in order to free up some salary cap space and get some assets. The Minnesota Wild are going to be making some tough decisions due to the salary cap. This edition looks at the Wild and a possible trade of one of their goalies.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Minnesota Wild May Trade Goalie for Cap Relief
Rumour: Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff unveiled his list of possible off-season trade candidates. We look at Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson, who is ninth of Seravalli’s list.
Analysis: The Wild are open for business according to Seravalli. General Manager Bill Guerin has to deal with plenty of dead salary cap space that’s going to total around $15.1 million. The buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter have one more year of pain before the Wild come out the other side.
Guerin has to make some tough deals and might take a bath on some of them. Minnesota has to find a way to shed salary and be mindful of its money. This means some players may go unsigned or be available for trades. Gustavsson is a player that will probably draw some looks from teams that need goaltending.
Balancing the Books
The Swedish goalie was a very important factor in how the Wild made the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, his numbers took a bit of a step back last season. Minnesota does like Gustavsson between the pipes, but it may be a matter of saving a few dollars. He can still challenge for a number one spot on some team’s roster.
Seravalli said that the 25-year-old is a good mid-tier option. His salary $3.75 million and would be a reasonably-priced option for a team needing help in between the pipes. A team could do worse when it comes to a low-cost option that could get his fair share of games. Gustavsson could regain his form from 2023 and be someone that a team can rely on.
Three’s a Crowd
Another reason that Gustavsson would be squeezed out is the tandem of Marc-Andre Fleury and Jesper Wallstedt. Fleury is a year-to-year sort of proposition in goal with him being at the tail-end of his career. His deal is for one year and at $2.5 million, which is a decent value contract.
Wallstedt is someone itching to get more game time and it seems that Fleury is going to take up the role of mentor. The 2021 first-round selection has a low-cost deal at $925,000, which is music to Guerin’s ears. Wallstedt is going to get his chance to prove himself in goal and get some game time at the NHL level.
It seems like there’s not enough games to go around for the three netminders. The Montreal Canadiens had a three-goalie rotation until Jake Allen was traded at the deadline. Minnesota would probably not want to deal with a similar situation to what the Habs dealt with last season. This also wouldn’t be maximizing the Wild’s limited cap space carrying three goalies.
Gustavsson’s salary may only be a small drop in the bucket. However, every little bit of cap savings is going to be needed with the Wild being in the situation they are in.
Main photo by: Jeffrey Becker – USA TODAY Sports
