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Koivu Signed For 2 More Years |
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In the era of salary caps there are always going to be those great contract deals and then some that weight like a boulder holding a team back.
The Wild potentially, have two of those types of deals with Suter and Parise both having seven more years after this season at just over $7.5 million.
Chuck Fletcher yesterday inked captain Mikko Koivu, who was due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, to a new two year $11 million exrension.
Koivu is 34, and has been the model of consistency throughout his career, but this signing appears to be first and foremost premature and a case of rewarding for past performance.
I am all for players getting what they deserve and have earned, but not at the cost of the future of the organization. The Suter and Parise deals really don't allow for such deals as the new Koivu deal.
The Wild are right up against the cap and at year's end they will have to deal with RFAs Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba, two players hitting the prime of their careers, while tying up $5.5 million on Koivu for two more years is too steep in my opinion.
Luke Kunin is coming along and though it appears he will begin the season in Iowa, he will get his chances with the big club for sure. Fast forward to next season and he would be expected to be a full timer in the NHL. But now he has a road block in front with Koivu signed for two more seasons.
Not to get too far ahead here but these are all factors that must be taken into account when offering contracts like this to 34 year old players.
It is a young man's game and being top heavy in the salary department with veterans is a formula for disaster.
Moving on to last night, a nice shootout victory for the Wild especially considering they were playing a Jets team with the majority of their regulars while the Wild dressed their third and fourth lines and the rest primarily Iowa Wild players.
A few takeaways, Charlie Coyle looked very good and appears to be skating like the power forward we have been waiting to see. Newcomers Marcus Foligno and Tyler Ennis both got on the score sheet with assists on Coyle's goal. Foligno looks played like he wants to be a force in front of the net something the Wild has been sorely lacking in recent years.
Mike Reilly looked like a much more mature player and the seasoning appears to be paying off for him as he looks to establish himself as a regular on this team. Ryan Murphy logged just under 22 minutes of ice time which was second to Reilly's 23:26 among Wild defenseman. What impressed me most about Murphy was his shot, a big asset should he be able to make the team.
Niklas Svedberg was good stopping 22 of 24 Jets shots, while Steve Michalek was the story stopping all 19 shots he faced in the third period and OT.
I'm not a big fan if preseason so no need to get up down or sideways over these games. The idea is to see what the players on the bubble have in them and to get the regulars going. Yes the Wild won last night and it was shall we say , JV against Varsity but in the end no points for exhibition victories.
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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