Marco Scandella Looks Good Early in Contract Year

After re-signing top pair defenseman Jonas Brodin just one week in to the regular season, Marco Scandella remains the only top-4 defenseman on the Minnesota Wild set to enter restricted free agency

The Minnesota Wild have gotten a jump on their off-season to do list, re-signing Jonas Brodin to a 6-year deal worth $25 million dollars. With Ryan Suter signed through 2025 and Jared Spurgeon signed through 2016, 3 of the Wild’s top-4 blueliners are addressed for years to come. Marco Scandella, the left shot defenseman on the second pair, is the odd man out as the only member of the top two pairings that will become a restricted free agent following this season. Coming off a two-year bridge deal, Scandella has responded with strong play that looks to earn him a long-term deal with the Wild.

Career in Review:

Playing his junior career with the Val d’or Foreurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Scandella was touted for his defensive ability and puck moving style through the neutral zone. Never much on offense, Marco Scandella was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the second round, 55th overall in the 2008 NHL entry draft. You may recall this is the same draft that the Wild acquired Tyler Cuma with their first round pick. Cuma, a highly regarded defenseman, ended up as a bust, playing only one game in the NHL.

Scandella would post 82 points (23G-59A) in 154 regular season games with the Foreurs over 3 seasons before signing an entry-level deal with the Minnesota Wild and joining the Houston Aeros in 2010. Scandella would do the (much longer) I35 shuffle between Houston and St. Paul between 2010 and 2013 before earning a roster spot at the end of the lockout shortened 2012-2013 season.

2013-2014 Season

The big bodied (6-foot-3, 210 lbs) defenseman developed instant chemistry with the much smaller Jared Spurgeon. Averaging 18:49 of ice time through 76 games in 2013-2014, Scandella was 4th on the team in blocked shots with 102 (93rd league.) Finishing the regular season with 17 points (3G-14A) Scandella came alive in the playoffs, scoring a shorthanded goal and an empty net goal in the series against the dreaded Colorado Avalanche.

Entering this season, where no player is worse than even in +/-, Scandella has an even strength Corsi for percentage of 56.25, compared to Brodin’s much more favorable 64.29%. This may be expected, though as Brodin started more often in the offensive zone. He’s also a combined +3 with 5 blocked shots on the short season. These stats should even out in a few weeks, so it’ll be interesting to see where they both fall.

Intangibly, Scandella looks rock solid on both the PK and at even strength. He’s not afraid to gum up passing lanes or fight low on the boards to set up his team. He’s also wicked fast.

Contract Talks:

I imagine the Wild will look to lock up Marco Scandella for a 6 year term, similar to the one handed to Brodin. Scandella’s will probably be worth a little less thanks to less offensive production so far, so somewhere around 6 for $22.5 with bonuses seems about right.

With Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, and Erik Haula up for new contracts, it would behoove the Wild to sign Scandella early and know exactly how much money they have to work with come the off-season.

Interestingly, Val d’Or Foreurs is French for Valley of Gold Drillers (my french isn’t great, despite being from a French family) So we’ll see if Scandella strikes gold with his new contract.