** Update: The Wild have signed Filip Gustavsson to a three-year, $11.25 million contract extension — a $3,750,000 average annual value that goes through the 2025-26 season.
As per The Athletic’s Joe Smith, the Minnesota Wild are on the verge of finalizing a multi-year contract with goaltender Filip Gustavsson ahead of their arbitration hearing scheduled for Friday. Throughout the offseason, negotiations between the Wild and Gustavsson’s representatives have been strained, with the typical level of disagreement and tension that often arises when a player believes they’re worth what comparable players are earning.
With an impressive .931 save percentage in 39 games, Gustavsson’s performance ranked only second to Linus Ullmark, the recipient of this year’s Vezina Trophy.
Gustavsson, a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, boasts a 32-22-10 record in 66 NHL games. His career save percentage stands at .920, complemented by a 2.51 goals-against average, accumulated from appearances with both the Ottawa Senators and Wild.
Securing Gustavsson on a multi-year deal ensures stability in the team’s goaltending position and saves them from undergoing further negotiations next summer. The move would enable the club to operate with a tandem of Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury, while having Fleury’s contract expire at the end of next season, leaving him free to explore other options.
During the playoffs, the Wild originally intended to share starts between Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury. However, Gustavsson ended up starting five out of six playoff games before the team was eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the first round.
Despite having a contract until the next season with a $3.5 million cap hit, Fleury conveyed in May that he is open to a diminished role in the future but is not willing to accept a trade.
Next: The Bruins Have Gauged the Trade Market For Linus Ullmark
Pingback: Flyers and NHL Pursue Contract "Tolling" for Goalie Ivan Fedotov