Minnesota Wild: Iowa forward Will Bitten signs one-year, two-way contract

The Minnesota Wild made a minor move on Sunday as forward Will Bitten was re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract.

Bitten, an Ottawa, Ontario, native recorded seven goals and 19 points with the Iowa Wild this past year, which included a career-high three-point night against Texas on April 3.

With a two-way contract there are two different salaries associated with a player and they are dependent on if he is on an organization’s NHL roster or AHL roster. Bitten’s contract terms were $840,000/$75,0000.

The 23-year-old was acquired from Montreal  acquired by Minnesota on Oct. 3, 2018, in exchange for Gustav Olofsson. He was selected by the Canadiens in the third round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft (70th overall).

Elite Prospects wrote of Bitten:

"A smart offensive catalyst that consistently displays outstanding work ethic, elite hockey sense, and an ability to stay ahead of the play in all three zones. Very naturally gifted skater who moves around the ice with ease. Excels in pressure situations and uses his vision to predict where the puck is going to be, and proactively gets his body into a position where he can either take it away or take off up the ice. Offensively, he has a very creative streak, and knows what kinds of plays he can make in all situations; he also has an exceptional release on his shot, which he can get off quickly. Defensively, he is a buzzsaw that will not let up on the opposition, creating problems for them by causing turnovers and playing strong positionally."

Bitten, a 5-foot-10 winger who has been with Iowa since 2019,  ranked third on the Wild in shots (77) this past year and was tied for fifth h in goals, assists and points. He has 28 goals and 69 points (in 145 career AHL games in his Iowa career overall. His best season came in 2018 in which he had 13 goals and 29 points for Iowa.

He has five assists and 14 shots in 11 AHL playoff games

Previous to Iowa, Bitten had 88 goals and 217 points in 257 career games with Plymouth, Flint and Hamilton of the Ontario Hockey League from 2014-18. He was part of the Hamilton team that won the OHL title in 2018.

He also represented Canada at the 2016 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and at the 2016 Hlinka Memorial tournament, and won gold in the latter.