The Minnesota Wild signed restricted free agent Brandon Duhaime on Sunday. The deal helps both sides avoid the hassle of salary arbitration. The arbitration hearing was scheduled for July 20. The contract comes at one year with a $1.1 million cap hit.
Signing Duhaime helps Minnesota solidify their bottom six. Duhaime scored nine goals and one assist in 51 games for the Wild last season. Duhaime is expected to slot in on a 4th line role along with Connor Dewar and newly acquired Pat Maroon.
Although the $1.1 million is a raise from his previous deal of $750k, the one-year term will lead Duhaime to unrestricted free agency next summer. This sets Duhaime up for a “prove it” year that the forward can cash in on next summer if all goes well. The South Florida native has expressed interest in signing with Minnesota long-term.
With Duhaime signed, only upstart goaltender Filip Gustavsson and oft-scratched defenseman Calen Addison are left to sign. Despite only $5.4 million in cap space, Minnesota should be able to squeeze both under the salary cap. Addison will likely come in at around $1 million cap hit, if not under. Gustavsson’s deal, on the other hand, has a bit more of a range. We took a deep dive on projecting Gustavsson’s next contract earlier this month. The deal could come in anywhere from a $2.5 to $4.5 million cap hit. Gustavsson’s arbitration hearing is set for August 4th.
Barring any major shake-ups, the Minnesota Wild lineup looks pretty much set. Youngsters Marco Rossi and Brock Faber are expected to make the team. Although some roster hopefuls, like Adam Beckman and Sammy Walker, could end up tweaking the roster a little. Unless General Manager Bill Guerin has some tricks up his sleeve, this could very well be the lineup we see in St. Paul on opening night.
Stay tuned for more NHL content, including trades, signings, and various updates.
Featured image courtesy NHL Public Relations via Twitter
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