3 free-agents the Minnesota Wild should sign right now
The Minnesota Wild is a big-time NHL franchise. The State of Hockey loves the sport as much as any state in the United States of America. The Wild are a big part of it and they have mostly been a great team for a long time.
However, there are some holes on the team that could be filled to help them get back into the playoffs. As we’ve seen time and time again, just getting into the playoffs is the most important thing in this league and the Wild believe they will do that.
There are, although the season has already started, some good free agents who are still out there looking for homes. The Minnesota Wild might be a team worth considering for them considering the roster that they have.
Most of the guys that are left on the free-agency market that fit what the Wild are looking for want to win. Well, the Wild want to win as well. These are the three players that they should consider bringing in right now:
Zach Parise returning to the Minnesota Wild would be really cool to see.
Minnesota Wild fans are certainly familiar with Zach Parise as he played with them for almost a decade. He is one of the greatest players in franchise history as he scored a ton of goals and was a leader in the playoffs.
They never won the Stanley Cup but they were still consistently one of the best teams in the NHL. If it weren’t for the Chicago Blackhawks winning three times in six years and dominating all that time, the Wild might have had one with Parise leading the way.
They decided to buy him out a few off-seasons ago and he is still hitting their cap. However, bringing him in on a league-minimum deal now would help them score some more goals. He had 21 last season with the New York Islanders and he wasn’t even making 900K.
The Wild would add so much more depth if they were able to get him. In that case, Parise would be able to retire as a member of the Wild too which would be very poetic at this stage of his life and career.
Patrick Kane would certainly look odd at first in a Minnesota Wild sweater.
Wouldn’t it be weird to see Patrick Kane play for the Minnesota Wild? Yes. Yes, it would. Although, Corey Perry currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks which would have been just as crazy of a thought 5 years ago.
Patrick Kane had hip surgery during the off-season which lined up with his unrestricted free agency. He is free to go wherever he wants but he is waiting until he is fully recovered. That might be sooner than later with November approaching.
The Wild should absolutely consider going for Kane. They could use someone who can make plays in the offensive zone. The Wild could use another boost in terms of goal-scoring and Kane would do that as long as he is healthy again.
Guys like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy amongst others would be able to make some amazing plays if they got a chance to play with someone that can skate and pass like Kane. It would be a great match at this point.
If there was a way to convince Kane that the Wild are right for him, the possibilities would be endless. He drives offense like a center which is something they sure need.
The Minnesota Wild might consider someone like Josh Bailey right now.
The Minnesota Wild could use another good veteran that is cheap. If Josh Bailey is looking to make it back into the league, the Wild might be a good option. He is up there now at 34 but that doesn’t mean he can’t bring anything to the table.
Bailey wouldn’t come in and be the guy he was back when he played for the New York Islanders. He is past his prime but the thought is that he might be able to come in and provide some good depth. As mentioned before, the Wild could use a player like that.
Last season with the Islanders, Bailey had 8 goals and 17 assists for 25 points in 64 games. That would be a great addition to the team’s third or fourth line right now. You also never know what he finds by switching to a team that is a bit more fresh than the Islanders.
It looked like Bailey might have a job when he signed a PTO with the Ottawa Senators in September. However, that did not work out well for him and he was released. Now, that could be a decision that comes along to help the Wild.
Bailey, along with the other two, is beyond his prime. Sometimes guys like that can help in smaller ways if a team needs help in a certain area. These guys would provide that if brought in.
They would also be a lot cheaper than some of the other top free agents that were signed back in July. With the way the cap is for Minnesota right now, that might be the better idea for this season.