This summer will certainly be a curious one in the NHL; there’s currently more than a few big-name players finishing up their entry-level contracts and currently unsigned beyond the end of the year. Could the Minnesota Wild be a team that use the seldom spoken of ‘offer-sheet’?
They are far from being the only team that are likely considering such a scenario, however Minnesota Wild actually have some cap space now available to play with too; a luxury not all teams have, not least some of the ones hoping to hang on to their restricted free agents.
However, given how rarely the offer sheet has been used in the NHL, Minnesota Wild General Manager Paul Fenton would have to really be keen on capturing his man to put one out there.
We’re talking franchise players only here; you surely wouldn’t risk one on a lesser name? Or maybe that’s the beauty of it and you would?
Looking at the list of players; the ones that scream franchise building block are likely ones that would be too pricey to acquire. Guys like Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Brayden Point and Patrik Laine.
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Any of those players would be amazing pick-ups for the Minnesota Wild but do you sacrifice, at the very minimum; a first, second and third round pick?
Realistically only Brayden Point would be available that cheap, as the Toronto Maple Leafs will undoubtedly seek to keep Marner, likewise the Jets and Laine and Colorado with Rantanen, especially given they’re under slightly less of a cap squeeze.
Brayden Point would be a player worth making that offer to though; he could legitimately be a first-line center given the chance, I reckon.
Looking further down the list of RFAs; there’s still plenty of players that could be acquired for slightly more cost than maybe they’re currently worth but ones with clear potential to be valuable core pieces; guys like Kevin Fiala, Kasperi Kapanen and the Minnesota-born Brock Boeser.
Unfortunately, the current Vancouver cap situation means that an offer-sheet would have to be of some ridiculous value for that one to come true – we put it into the nigh on impossible that it happens column.
Summer is going to be interesting, undoubtedly; offer-sheets may well be on the horizon.
However, I think it’s highly unlikely we see any players move teams as the result of one. In all likelihood, we may see one or two just to mess with other General Manager’s salary caps, but even then; past history suggests that maybe not.
Maybe it’s all just talk and the summer passes with the usual trades and unrestricted free agency noise and not much else.