Core locked

There were tons of questions surrounding the Wild going into the offseason. Would Sidney Crosby, the team captain for the last 10 years, be back? Would 3 times Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson get a contract extension, after playing most of his career in Minnesota? And most of all, would SouCHe, who's been general manager of the Wild since 2012, blow the team up and go for a full rebuild after failing to win the Stanley Cup despite putting together some solid teams throughout the years?

The start of free agency today answered all of those questions, and then some. 

Not only did SouCHe managed to bring his leaders back (despite Karlsson testing free agency), he also added one of the most enticing free agents in Andrei Kuzmenko. 

First of all, SouCHe came to term with upcoming free agent Sidney Crosby, who made it clear right after the Wild got eliminated in the playoffs that he would like to end his career in Minnesota : "I'm a Wild through and through. I don't see myself retiring anywhere else, and I want to get over the hill and win a Cup with these guys". Sid the Kid signed a 4 year contract at a team friendly 7M$ AAV. "Could I get more money by testing free agency? Maybe. It's not about the money though. I believe in this team. SouCHe has been a stellar general manager, and made fantastic moves to bring us where we need to be. It's on us to deliver."

It's true that SouCHe made some big splashes in his tenure. His two biggest came soon after he was hired, when he managed to bring Crosby AND Karlsson to Minnesota in two career-defining moves. Lately, he was able to add Brady Tkachuk and Auston Matthews. 

Just now, SouCHe signed Erik Karlsson to a massive 7 year deal at a ludicrous 9.8M AAV.   At first glance, it might seem crazy, but it's all about the window for SouCHe : "There was never any doubt in my mind, Erik needed to be back on the roster. When you have talents like Crosby, Matthews, the Tkachuk brothers and Charlie McAvoy, you need to go for it. A rebuild was never really a possibility. We'll deal with it once Sid and Erik call it a career".

On top of that massive signature, he added Andrei Kuzmenko on a huge 7 year deal at 7.5M$ AAV. The 27 years old free agent coming from the KHL was the most interesting forward on the market this summer. "He's crafty, hungry, so talented and will fit right in with our core" SouCHe said when asked about the signing. 

The core is now locked for 3 more years, at least. 

Auston Matthews is signed until 2026 (12M$ AAV) 

Sidney Crosby is signed until 2027 (7M$ AAV)

Erik Karlsson is signed until 2030 (9.8M$ AAV)

Charlie McAvoy is signed until 2028 (7M$ AAV)

Matthew Tkachuk is signed until 2031 (9.5M$ AAV)

Brady Tkachuk is signed until 2029 (8.2M$ AAV)

Andrei Kuzmenko is signed until 2030 (7.5M$ AAV)

That's a very solid core that now needs to get the job done. The future is now in Minnesota!

SouCHe is far from done, with holes in the line-up, particularly on defense and in net. "We're hands deep into the market right now, and we believe we'll be able to put together our strongest team yet when it's all said and done" SouCHe added. That would be an impressive feat, considering the incredible line ups the GM has put together in the past.