ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild signed
Brodin's new deal will begin with the 2021-22 season and carry a $6 million annual cap charge through 2027-28.
“The value in Jonas is his defensive play. He’s an elite defender, not just a good one. He’s elite. We put a premium on that, just like putting the puck in the net,” general manager Bill Guerin said.
The 27-year-old native of Sweden, who was drafted by the Wild with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, had a career-high 26 assists in 69 games in the virus-shortened season. He led the team with 112 blocked shots and was second on the club with a plus-15 rating.
“I’ve been taking my game a little bit up a little bit. I think I can just keep improving and keep playing big minutes and be a big part of this team,” Brodin said on a conference call with reporters.
Brodin has played in 171 consecutive games, the longest active streak on the Wild. He's sixth on their all-time list with 555 games played, trailing current fellow
Spurgeon is signed through seven more seasons, Suter for five and Matt Dumba for three, giving Minnesota a considerable amount of stability on the back end. When Brodin's deal kicks in next year, the Wild will have approximately $27 million of the to-be-determined salary cap devoted to their top four
“We’re really happy with our ‘D’ core the way it is. Not saying I won’t try to do anything else. It was kind of ‘first things first’ with Jonas. Let’s get him locked up, then see where we are," Guerin said.
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