Here's a look at how the Wild is shaping up to look like next season. This will change throughout the summer as the Wild add and delete players.
The depth chart is my opinion. Obviously, lines change, roles change (maybe Coyle to wing eventually), etc.
In parentheses, each player's cap hits.
Forwards
Left wing Center Right wing
Zach Parise ($7.5+M) Mikael Granlund ($3M) Jason Pominville (5.6M)
Jason Zucker (900+K) Mikko Koivu (6.75M) Thomas Vanek ($6.5M)
Nino Niederreiter (2.66M) Charlie Coyle (3.2M) Justin Fontaine (1M)
Ryan Carter (625K) Erik Haula (RFA) ---------------------------
----------------------------
Vying for spots: Jordan Schroeder (600K), Tyler Graovac, (747,500); Brett Sutter (600K), Michael Keranen (675K), Zac Dalpe, Ruslan Fedotenko, Marc Hagel, Brett Bulmer (RFA), Kurtis Gabriel (667K), Zack Mitchell (615K), Brady Brassart ($836,667), Raphael Bussieres ($759,167), Grayson Downing (692,500), Pavel Jenys (688,333), Christoph Bertschy (575K), Jared Knight (761K).
Defensemen
Left Defense Right Defense
Ryan Suter (7.5+M) Jonas Brodin (4.1+M)
Marco Scandella (4M) Jared Spurgeon (2.66M)
Mike Reilly (2.025M) Matt Dumba (894,167)
Nate Prosser (625K)
Vying for spots: Christian Folin (RFA), Jon Blum (RFA), Gustav Olofsson (795K), Guillaume Gelinas ($596,667), Dylan Labbe (692,500), Zach Palmquist (692,500), Alex Gudbranson (610K), Hunter Warner (598,333)
Goalies
Devan Dubnyk (4.33M)
Darcy Kuemper (1.25M)
Niklas Backstrom (3.42M)
Vying for spots: Brody Hoffman (925K), Stephen Michalek.
*Likely to sign a veteran No. 3 goalie
Total cap hit roughly: $68,096,342 ($71.4 million ceiling).
*Includes $500K buyout cap hit for Matt Cooke.
**Excludes Reilly's bonus for purposes of calculating the cap.
Available cap space: $3,303,658. This does not include players like Schroeder, the unsigned Folin or Graovac, who will be vying for spots, and unsigned Haula.
If injured goalie Niklas Backstrom is still on the roster as a third goalie come the season, the Wild would have to keep two extra skaters opposed to three. That could mean Folin starts in the minors if Reilly makes the team. That also would seem to indicate there's no room as of now for Jordan Leopold.
The Wild will not be a cap-ceiling team because it'll want an injury cushion and flexibility to make in-season trades.
