For the most part, the free agency market has ground to a halt. The frenzy of the first few days has settled down and most of the big-name players are working on forwarding their addresses and making sure the movers don’t damage their sofas. Teams are evaluating their new additions, dealing with restricted free agents, and looking forward to next season. The Minnesota Wild appear to be no exception as their focus turns to signing Marco Rossi and figuring out an extension for Kirill Kaprizov. Out there on the free agent market, one intriguing name still lingers, and he could be a fit for the Wild.
Jack Roslovic.
It is a bit perplexing that the 28-year-old forward is still lingering out there on the free-agent market without much buzz. Some have linked him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but overall the demand for a 22-goal scorer seems a bit muted. Perhaps Roslovic and his agent are asking for a bit too much money, or teams are a little unnerved by the fact that he was a healthy scratch for the Carolina Hurricanes in the post-season. Still, all that means is that the Wild could swoop in and sign him for a reasonable short-term deal.
The Benefits
The Wild finished 29th in 5v5 goals last season with 141, two fewer goals than San Jose. Yes, they offset that by finishing 8th in 5v5 goals allowed, but at some point a team has to be able to put the puck in the opponent’s net to win games. Adding Jack Roslovic will help with that. Of his 22 goals, 19 came at 5v5 last season. He added 15 5v5 assists for the Hurricanes as well. Carolina also had a 50.28% edge in expected goals while he was on the ice along with a 54.51% edge in scoring chances.
Assuming the Wild sign Rossi to a contract, their top-six are pretty much set. Roslovic is primarily a center, but he can play out on the wing. He would help their depth on the third line, teaming up with Danila Yurov and newcomer Vlad Tarasenko to form a potentially potent match-up line.
Should Yurov struggle early on, Roslovic would also give John Hynes another option down the middle. He could also help on face-offs as the right-handed forward won 54.1% of his draws last season.
Signing Roslovic shouldn’t break the bank, or throw Bill Guerin’s plans off in regards to Rossi and Kaprizov’s new deals. Evolving Hockey has the former Blue Jacket projected to sign a 3-year deal around $4 million. If the market is drying up for him, it’s possible they could sign him for a one-year deal around $2.5 million.
The Downside
As we mentioned earlier, Roslovic was in the press box for much of the Hurricane’s series against the Florida Panthers as he only appeared in two games. In their prior two rounds he appeared in seven games and put up a goal and three assists while playing less than 15 minutes a night. That followed a trend from the regular season where he started off hot in the scoring department, but faded a bit as the season wore on. Roslovic only had three goals over his last 25 games in Carolina.
Defensively, well, that’s not what he’s on the ice for. Carolina’s defense was objectively worse when he was on the ice last season. That’s been the story of his career as he’s wound his way from Winnipeg to Columbus to New York to Carolina. Yes, he can score, but it comes at a cost. Is the juice worth the squeeze for Guerin? The Wild have been excellent at keeping the puck out of the net, and the addition of Nico Sturm should help with that. If they can get Roslovic out on the ice in situations where he has defensive help, his ability to put the puck in the net should outweigh those issues. That’s what the Wild would have to determine.
There is also the likelihood that Roslovic is looking for a little security. He has bounced around a bit over the last few seasons. After 3+ seasons in Columbus he was dealt to the Rangers at the deadline, and then signed a one-year deal with Carolina. He should have done enough to earn a three-or-four year deal with a team that needs offense, but that hasn’t materialized yet. Signing for that long of a term could affect Guerin’s long-term outlook for the Wild. A one-or-two year deal would be fine, but any more than that and it’s starting to infringe on extensions for the crop of youngsters on the roster.
As the Central Division gets more competitive, Minnesota will need to add offense, and adding Jack Roslovic, in theory, should help with that.