Bill Guerin was looking to add some depth down the middle of the ice on the first day of free agency. It appears he found it in a familiar place. According to reports, Nico Sturm is set to rejoin the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. The deal has yet to be finalized, and financial details haven't trickled out, but it shouldn't be a high-end contract.
[7/2/25 Update - the deal is official. It is for two-years with a $2,000,000 annual average value. As of right now, there seems to be no trade protections in the deal.]
The 30-year-old center spent his first four seasons with the Wild, accumulating 36 points (20 goals, 16 assists) in 111 games from 2018 to 2022. He was sent to the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 in exchange for Tyson Jost, where he helped them win a Stanley Cup. He followed that triumph up by signing a three-year contract with the San Jose Sharks. San Jose dealt him last year at the deadline for a fourth-round pick to the Florida Panthers where Sturm would pick up his second Stanley Cup (albeit in a reduced role).
Sturm opts to return to Minnesota in a depth role. He is strong in the face-off dot, winning 56.5% of his career draws and can forecheck. He's only hit double figures in goals twice in his career (11 in 2020-21 and 14 in 2022-23) but the Wild won't be asking him to fill the net, but keep the opponents from filling it. Expect him to play a role on the penalty kill as well.
With his addition to the line-up, and a new Marco Rossi contract, the Wild should be set down the middle of the ice with Joel Eriksson Ek, Rossi, Danila Yurov, and Sturm. They also have Ryan Hartman and Yakov Trenin as potential centers should injuries befall them at some point in the season.