It seems that the Minnesota Wild have one more forward spot to fill before they start the season and it looks like they may need to look to free-agency to fill it. The top name on the tongues of the Wild faithful to fill that spot is a familiar face who had a great season at the age of 39.
The Minnesota Wild seem to be taking a moment to catch their breath this offseason as they’ve taken a bit of a break from signing free-agents and trade talks. It’s a deliberate pause, it seems as GM Chuck Fletcher is taking a moment to let the Matt Dumba contract talks pan out before he makes any more moves. With roughly $5.5 million left in cap space Fletcher is looking be very smart with his remaining wiggle room, but knows that the team might need to add one more forward.
Fletcher told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune that ““We’ll continue to speak to some of the agents for some of the free agents. We’ll speak to some GM’s and see what’s maybe there and I thought it was important to get into this week and see where people are physically. There are some kids who can legitimately push for openings, so I don’t know that we’re in a big hurry to add right now. I think we’ll be patient and wait even into camp if we have to. There’s no timetable to do anything right now.”
One of the hottest rumors to fill that final forward spot is a name that is near and dear to the State of Hockey, Matt Cullen. The Virginia Minnesota native and former St. Cloud State Huskie is coming off a resurgent year with the Pittsburgh Penguins where he was a key player for the Pens as they captured Lord Stanley’s Cup. His veteran leadership and production will certainly be welcomed by the Wild who could use a player with the dedication and heart of Cullen.
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The 39-year-old Cullen tallied 32 points (16 goals and 16 assists) and had a faceoff winning percentage of 55.7% last season. His playoff numbers were equally solid with 6 points notched (4 goals and 2 assists). That performance last season by Cullen was better than most of the Wild’s forwards who are in some cases over 15 years his junior, so complaints about his age seem to be moot. And if that’s not enough Cullen just seems to be better with age, as he’s never scored under 25 points in any season since he turned 30.
Of course the Wild should be cautious to sign Cullen for a cap friendly number, and in this case it seems as if the Minnesota native will be willing to make his second stint with the Wild an affordable one. His contract last season was only an $800,000 hit. It seems logical that because of a home town discount and the fact that he’s turning 40 in November, that $800,000 would be the number again this season for Cullen. That would still leave the Wild with some good cap space even after signing Dumba.
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If Cullen’s age scares you off, just think about the other players in the history of the league that have defied the age curse to play into their 40s. Chris Chellios had one of his best seasons at age 40, Gordie Howe tallied 44 goals when he was 40, and Jaromir Jagr tallied 27 goals last season after turning 43. So why can’t Cullen keep up his strong solid play from last season as he turns 40?
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Playing hockey is about conditioning and heart, and Matt Cullen has plenty of both and it keeps him virtually ageless. The biggest complaint about the Wild roster is that lacked the heart last season to dig themselves out of the hole they dug. The Penguins had the same issue, and they not only dug themselves out they reached the top of the mountain. Matt Cullen was a big reason why they made it to the top, so why not let him do the same for the Wild?