Marat Khusnutdinov's first practice The Wild have eight players entering the 2024-25 season on one-year deals. Four of which are pending UFA and the other four are RFA's. The UFAs include Jake Middleton, Marcus Johansson, Jon Merrill, and Marc-Andre Fleury. The restricted free agents include Marco Rossi, Jakub Lauko, Brock Faber, and Marat Khusnutdinov. Many are eligible for contract extensions but two of them seem to be trending towards an extension real soon. Middleton, 28, was traded by San Jose to Minnesota for Kaapo Kahkonen and a 5th-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft at the trade deadline of 2022. He has played in two full seasons after the trade and has been a top-four defenseman on the team since. The 6-foot-3 defender recorded career highs in goals, assists, points, hits, blocks, and penalty minutes this year but posted a career low in plus-minus with a minus-15. He has played in 180 games with the Wild in parts of three seasons and has recorded 11 goals, 34 assists, 45 points, 292 hits, and 351 blocks. His contract extension will likely be anywhere between 3-5 years worth 4-5 million AAV. Although I wonder if drafting Zeev Buium in the first round, plus the four other defenders they drafted, changes that. We will find out. Doesn't seem like it though. Faber, 21, finished second in Calder Voting this year behind the winner Connor Bedard. In 82 games this year, Faber recorded eight goals and 47 points. The Minnesota native looks like a star in the making and one the Wild don't want to mess around with in terms of contract status. He is a pending RFA and one the Wild are considering giving an eight-year extension instead of a bridge deal like many RFA's get. He set a single-season Wild record in assists by a rookie and points by a rookie defenseman and a team mark for the longest point streak by a rookie at the position. Faber led all first-year players in time on ice average (24:58) and total (2,047:53) time on ice. He ranked sixth in time on ice in the entire NHL. His contract will be an eight-year deal likely north or around $9 million a season. Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' Minnesota Wild page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. WILD NEWS
