Before Kirill Kaprizov got hurt, the Wild were on pace to potentially be the number-one seed in the West, and their star Russian winger was tabbed to be the Hart Trophy winner. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Kaprizov missed extended time, coupled with an injury to Joel Eriksson Ek, the Wild slipped into the first wild card spot.
The Wild have several young stars in addition to Kaprizov, namely Matt Boldy and Brock Faber. They also have their goaltender of the future in Filip Gustavsson. They also will have $20 million in cap space because the buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise finally come off the books this offseason.
Minnesota will likely be big spenders this offseason, so the Penguins are limited in who they can target, but since Kaprizov is due for a gigantic extension this offseason, they will have some potential big decisions to make.
For example, their 2021 first-round pick goalie Jesper Wallstedt has been touted as the future netminder, but Gustavsson has been great for Minnesota this playoff run and will be a UFA after next year, will they be able to afford him? The answer is probably yes but it is something to keep and eye on in the future.
Offer sheet Marco Rossi 5-years $7 million AAV.
Wild coach John Hynes might hate Rossi. Despite him scoring 60 points this year, Rossi has been glued to the bench this postseason and no one knows why. The Athletic's Michael Russo reported that Rossi was offered a 5-year, $25 million extension, which was declined. The relationship between the 23-year-old center and the Wuld is chilly at best and the Penguins can pounce here.
If Rossi agrees to this offer sheet and the Wild do not match, this will likely cost the Pens a 2026 first and third-round pick, but that is worth it for a young player who has only gotten better each year. If the Penguins have multiple picks in the 2026 first round, it would be wise to spend one on a very promising young player.