The Minnesota Wild are going to be the team to watch this offseason. Not only did they make it to the second round and have a plethora of top young talent, general manager Bill Guerin is expected to make a splash by the time next season officially starts. It's no secret that the Wild need a No. 1 center, and seem hellbent on acquiring one. The Wild are already one of Dylan Larkin's desired teams to get dealt to after informing the Detroit Red Wings he wants to get traded.
But before the Wild got down to business in terms of looking at external options, they did some housekeeping in Minnesota. The team decided to ensure that one of their top free agents would not hit the open market. It just so happens that he plays a position that many teams are looking for — center.
On Tuesday, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Wild and Michael McCarron agreed to terms on a contract extension. The deal is for six-years, with an annual salary of $3.3 million.
From the sounds of it, there were going to be suitors for McCarron if he were to hit the open market. But looking at the deal he got from the Wild, it looks as though Guerin may have broken the free agent market.
Bill Guerin might have broken free agent market after Wild's contract extension with Michael McCarron
This summer's free agency class was supposed to be stacked, with Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov supposed to be the headliners. Those three, along with Kyle Connor, Martin Necas, and Adrian Kempe all re-signed with their current teams. So any team looking for an easy fix in the offseason were not getting that opportunity.
Now, with McCarron earning $3.3 million in each of the next six seasons, the prices for centers may have skyrocketed in free agency. As Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette points out on X, the free agent market might be truly chaotic.
"This is a rough UFA class and with the cap going up, teams have money to spend. Not sure what we’re in for this summer but this contract may give us a hint. A 31 year old with ONE 20 point season under his belt getting that contract has me questioning everything."
In terms of free agency, the top center options include Boone Jenner of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jason Dickinson of the Edmonton Oilers, and Scott Laughton of the Los Angeles Kings standing out as the top center options in free agency. Given what McCarron made, who's to say what those three players could get in free agency? Considering that Dickinson and Laughton put up similar offensive production as McCarron, is over $3 million per year the new starting point in negotations or player of that ilk? In that case, considering Jenner put up 38 points this season, will he exceed that annual salary on the open market?
Look, there was always going to be a chance that players get overpaid in free agency, regardless of how weak on paper the class was. There are teams that need to fill out positions on their depth chart, and free agency is one of the easiest ways to do so.
But for teams looking to make a serious impact in terms of getting a difference-making center, the trade block would be their best bet. Larkin is going to be the cream of the crop, but only if you're one of the three teams on his wishlist. But there are other centers, such as Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers and Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils as potential trade pieces this offseason.
Regardless, McCarron is going to be in Minnesota for the foreseeable future, and it wasn't cheap. But, that may be the theme of this entire offseason.
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