THN.com/podcast. From THN On The 'A': Brendan Brisson, Minnesota Wild Prospects and More Matt Dumba [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk3ODAyMTY1OTk2MTAzNDc0/usatsi_20573169.jpg] Matt Dumba The Minnesota Wild face a significant salary-cap crunch for 2023-24. CapFriendly indicates the $14.7 million of the combined buyouts two years ago of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter leaves them with just $8.2 million in projected cap space for 2023-24. Unless the cap rises by more than the projected $1 million to $83.5 million for next season, the Wild will have to part ways with several players. The Pioneer Press' Dane Mizutani [https://www.twincities.com/2023/05/05/five-players-wild-might-have-to-move-on-from-this-offseason/] believes several veterans slated to become UFAs on July 1 won't be back. They include Matt Dumba and trade deadline pickups John Klingberg, Gustav Nyquist, Oskar Sundqvist and Ryan Reaves. Dumba, 28, has spent his entire 10-season NHL career with the Wild. He wants to stay in Minnesota, but Mizutani doubts that's possible unless he accepts a significant pay cut. The veteran defenseman could get up to $6 million annually on the open market. The Wild must also re-sign or replace RFAs such as goaltender Filip Gustavsson, defenseman Calen Addison and center Sam Steel. They could look at freeing up salary with a cost-cutting trade or two. Addison could become a trade candidate. The Athletic's Michael Russo, Joe Smith and Shayna Goldman [https://theathletic.com/4488207/2023/05/05/wild-free-agency-trades-offseason/] observed that he had a promising start to this season but struggled in the second half and was a healthy scratch after Klingberg was acquired at the deadline. The trio speculated that Alex Goligoski might waive his no-movement clause after being a frequent healthy scratch this season. He's signed through 2023-24 with an average annual value of $2 million. They wondered if Marc-Andre Fleury might accept a trade back to the Pittsburgh Penguins or his hometown of Montreal. However, the 38-year-old netminder said he's tired of moving and will finish his contract next season in Minnesota.
