Three takeaways from the Wild's 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche in preseason game three. ST. PAUL, MINN. – Only five hours after the Wild gave Mats Zuccarello a two-year extension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/news/wild-sign-mats-zuccarello-to-two-year-contract-extension], Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced a four-year extension for Marcus Foligno. Foligno, 32, will now be locked up for the next five seasons, including this one. The deal will take him until the 2028-29 season before he enters free agency at age 36. Last year Foligno recorded seven goals and 21 points in 65 games with 237 hits. Over the last four to five years, Foligno has proved to be one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL but he struggled a bit last year. Hoping to get back on track this year, Foligno will do it with a nice four-year contract extension earning him $4 million in average annual salary. Foligno has played six years with the Wild where he has notched 67 goals and 156 points in 396 games and is set to play for the Wild for the next five seasons. According to Evolving Hockey [https://evolving-hockey.com/stats/player_cards/?_inputs_&p_card_season=%2220222023%22&p_card_type=%221-Year%22&p_card_player=%22Marcus%20Foligno%22], in the last three years, Foligno has ranked in the 98th percentile in defense in the NHL but ranked in the 85th percentile in defense in the NHL last season. His defense only dipped a bit but on the offensive side of things, Foligno took a hit. After ranking in the 76th percentile in offense during Foligno's 23-goal 2021-22 season, Foligno ranked in the 17th percentile in offense with his seven-goal season. Minnesota has now locked up two key guys from their leadership core and might be on the way with another in Ryan Hartman who is also a pending UFA. The NHL salary cap is expected to rise next season so the $4 million AAV for Foligno shouldn't be that big of a hit. But it is still a big price tag to pay for a player of Foligno's caliber given his age and the style of game he plays, and especially for a team that will be paying almost $15 million in dead salary to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter when Foligno's contract extension kicks in. That being said, the Wild view Foligno as a big part of their future and someone who can help them contend now but also when they have $15 million in cap space freed up in two years where they can use that money to really contend for a Stanley Cup.
