The Minnesota Wild want Michael McCarron back next season and the feelings are mutual. After acquiring the 31-year-old from the Nashville Predators at March’s trade deadline, McCarron played a key role in the Wild’s push to the playoffs and first round victory with his ability on the penalty kill. But his status as a pending free agent has put his future in doubt.
That picture is beginning to get clearer as The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith noted McCarron is the No. 1 internal target to re-sign this offseason and “he’s closing in on re-signing on a long-time contract according to league sources. But with a price tag that could reach $4 to $5 million annually based on a previous report by The Athletic, the Wild may have to dust off Freddy Gaudreau’s old contract with a low AAV and a longer-term deal.
“The tough part here is whether McCarron, who has never made more than $900,000 in his career, would re-sign before heading to the open market, where he would undoubtedly get more. But McCarron said he loved the Wild, being back in the Midwest and having a chance to win. Maybe Minnesota can get him to re-sign at less than $3.5 million per with a five- or six-year deal, making up for the salary with the term.”
Wild could use Frederick Gaudreau’s old contract as a blueprint for Michael McCarron’s return
The idea by Smith and Russo would be one way to bring McCarron back, but the term would create sticker shock. Extending McCarron into his late-30s may not be a wise move for a player that has scored double-digit goals just once since entering the NHL during the 2015-16 season and had eight goals and 17 points with a minus-16 plus/minus rating in 79 games between Nashville and Minnesota last season.
But general manager Bill Guerin saw the same thing with Gaudreau. A valued member of the penalty kill and center depth, the Wild wanted to keep him around. But with the Wild’s salary cap restrictions due to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts required some creativity. With that in mind, Guerin agreed to a five-year, $10.5 million contract with Gaudreau that spread out his annual average value (AAV) to $2.1 million per season.
While the term was a shock, the Wild benefitted from that deal. Gaudreau played well defensively and continued to contribute on the penalty kill and he chipped in just enough offense, scoring double-digit goals in two of the first three seasons of the contract including 18 during the 2024-25 campaign.
Gaudreau wasn’t a star player and it made his contract highly debated until he was traded to the Seattle Kraken last offseason. While Gaudreau’s 2025-26 campaign (seven goals, 24 points in 68 games) could be used against handing McCarron a deal, it could be a solution to keep another player they like.
McCarron could get the total money he’s looking for and also stay in Minnesota for the next five to six years. While that seems like a long time, he could ultimately wind up getting shopped like Gaudreau did on an affordable contract that could become more tradeable as the salary cap increases. If McCarron serves his role for 2-3 years, the Wild could move him when the time is right and it could align with their championship window.
While there’s some risk if McCarron doesn’t play well enough to be traded down the line, it’s an avenue the Wild could take if they view him being this important to the team. It sounds like that is the case and using a long-term contract with a smaller AAV could be the resolution both sides are looking for.
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