It was no secret that Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin wanted to keep Ryan Reaves around for another season or two, mostly for his locker room presence, but the unrestricted free agent (UFA) decided to hit the open market and see what else was out there. A lack of cap space combined with a strong offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs saw Reaves gone the minute free agency opened. In response, Guerin went out and replaced him with a three-time Stanley Cup champion in Patrick Maroon.
Low-Risk Move for the Wild
The Wild are not in an area where they have the ability to go out and make a big splash in the free agency market but instead have added a (literal) big piece at almost the league minimum. For the paltry price of a seventh-round pick in the 2024 Entry Draft, the Wild took advantage of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s current salary cap issues and added Maroon with 20 percent salary retention, as well as prospect Max Cajkovic.
Despite being in a cap bind themselves, the move carries basically no risk for the Wild as Maroon’s remaining $800,000 cap hit is well worth what the veteran brings to the lineup. With just one season left on his contract, if the Wild were to struggle this season, he would likely be an easy flip at the trade deadline.
Not to be completely forgotten in the deal is Cajkovic. The 22-year-old Slovak is a right-winger with a strong shot and good speed despite his 6-foot, 220-pound frame. He was a third-round pick by the Lightning in 2019 and while he won’t be on the NHL roster, could be a good addition to the Iowa Wild.
Maroon Brings Experience and Energy
The Wild loved the energy and personality that Reaves brought to the locker room and the ice; Maroon brings those same vibes but also carries three Stanley Cup rings with him. He will instantly become the biggest player on the roster at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds and will play a strong defensive game on the fourth line. With only 14 points in 80 games last season, he won’t exactly increase the Wild’s regular season offense, but his 51 points in 150 playoff games of playoff experience may be exactly what they need.
With hopes of finally breaking through that first round of the playoffs, the Wild need some veteran guidance to get over that initial hump. There is no doubt that Maroon knows exactly what a team needs when it comes to the postseason, and can also provide it. Since the 2018-19 season, he has been to the Stanley Cup Final four times, accumulating 103 postseason games and winning the entire thing three times. That is not a coincidence.
Another Move May be Required
If you assume Marco Rossi and Brock Faber make the team to start the season, then add Maroon on the fourth line and the three restricted free agents (RFA) the Wild have yet to sign, their opening night roster would likely look like this:
Kirill Kaprizov – Ryan Hartman – Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Johansson – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
Freddy Gaudreau – Marco Rossi – Marcus Foligno
Brandon Duhaime – Connor Dewar – Patrick Maroon
Jacob Middleton – Jared Spurgeon
Jonas Brodin – Brock Faber
Alex Goligoski – Calen Addison
Jon Merrill
Filip Gustavsson – Marc-Andre Fleury
Without another trade to move out some money, that roster of 21 players likely leaves the Wild uncomfortably close to a position where they do not have enough room to call up a player from Iowa making the league minimum. With Alex Goligoski reportedly staying put and in possession of a no-movement clause, Jon Merrill and his $1.2 million may have to be yet another cap casualty.
Fantastic Response to Losing Reaves & Dumba
No matter how you feel about bringing in an older fourth-liner or Maroon in general, it is a fantastic response by the Wild to losing two large personalities in Reaves and Matt Dumba in free agency. It was well known that Guerin and the coaching staff placed a high value on having a player with a big personality in the locker room and who brings big energy to the ice, and they have managed to find exactly that without paying a big price in assets or cap space in doing so.
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