The Wild avoided arbitration with Kevin Fiala, re-signing the winger on Monday to a one-year, $5.1 million contract.
Fiala and the Wild were scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday after the Wild elected for arbitration earlier this month, a move that ensured the two sides would reach an agreement before the season starts.
Last season, Fiala finished second in goals (20) and points (40) on the Wild after leading the team in scoring (54 points) in 2019-20. His last contract, a two-year, $6 million deal, didn't get done until the day before training camp opened in 2019, and Fiala was a late arrival.
Once this new contract is up, Fiala will once again be a restricted free agent.
Wild General Manager Bill Guerin said the team would have loved to sign Fiala to a long-term deal but, after going back and forth, it seemed that outcome wouldn't happen. Guerin said he's optimistic the team could still sign Fiala long term. "We just have to see how the year goes," Guerin said.
The signing leaves one regular player, Kirill Kaprizov, without a contract. Kaprizov, 24, was the NHL's rookie of the year in 2020-21 after leading the Wild in scoring with 27 goals and 51 points.
Unlike Fiala, Kaprizov didn't have arbitration rights. He's unable to accept an offer sheet from another team and can sign only with the Wild.
"Things are going well enough," Guerin said of the Kaprizov negotiations. "We still have lots of time. There's no rush or panic. I'm in constant communication with Kirill's agent."
Guerin added that he wasn't bothered by speculation that Kaprizov might return to the KHL.
