Team: 2022-23 Minnesota Wild

Initial Creation Date: Jun. 24, 2022

Published: Jun. 24, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

With the amount of Wild players having career years in one way or another and having to clear cap space due to the buyout penalties, logic would indicate that they take a step back next season no matter what the roster looks like come opening night.
With that in mind this is what I (NOT BILLY) would attempt to do this summer.
1. Trade Spurgeon to his hometown of EDM. Love Spurge. Great player, but he won’t help us when the buyout penalties end. EDM can use him now. Pair him with nurse. Take back two contracts that EDM would probably happily move to balance the cap hits.
2. Flip Barrie to Dallas to replace Klingberg. I think a 2nd rd pick is fair value.
3. Jost and Kassian go to Arizona. Gives AZ two active players who add $5 million to help reach the cap floor while not hurting their tank. They move up a round in 2023 for their participation.
4. Sign Fiala to a long term contract. He’ll still be in his twenties when the bulk of the buyout penalties end. Knock the AAV down a bit by making it an 8 year deal.
5. Identify and acquire a younger backup goalie with potential to become a decent stop-gap starter/partner for Wallstedt.
6. See how the season plays out and make a decision on whether to trade Dumba at the deadline or sign him at a discount extension.

The team below is, IMO, at best a bubble team and I’m ok with that. The defense and goaltending will be porous at times and I’m ok with that. There will be a lot of goals and entertaining games. It’s not about next season. Or even the year after. It’s about icing an actual contender 3-5 years from now.

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