Heading into the trade deadline, The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith will update this trade and news tracker with all of the goings-on of the Wild, so be sure to bookmark it and return often.
Wild closing in on Khusnutdinov signing
The Wild appear to be closing in on signing forward prospect Marat Khusnutdinov.
According to a source close to the 2020 second-rounder, his representatives received completed paperwork for a mutual contract termination with KHL Sochi on Wednesday. That was being reviewed to make certain it satisfied requirements for a contract release. Even though Sochi’s season has ended, Khusnutdinov’s contract ran through April 30.
Once both sides are comfortable it satisfies the requirements for a contract release, the Wild will be able to sign the 21-year-old to his two-year entry-level contract. A team source says the plan is to burn the first year of his contract and have him report to Minnesota once his U.S. work visa and immigration papers are complete.
During that time period, the Wild will be able to designate Khusnutdinov to non-roster status, an NHL source said. While his pro-rated average annual value will count against the cap, this will buy the Wild time to create roster room. As of now, they’re at the maximum 23 players, so to fit Khusnutdinov on the roster, they would need to place a player on waivers, trade a player or sustain an injury that would require the player to be placed on injured reserve.
If for some reason Khusnutdinov’s work visa wasn’t complete until after the March 8 trade deadline, all of this is moot because teams can exceed the 23-player roster limit after the trade deadline as long as they’re cap compliant. He would still be playoff eligible, though, as long as his NHL contract is signed.
The Wild envision Khusnutdinov developing into a middle-six center and think he is ready for the NHL. He has 162 regular-season games and 32 playoff games of experience in a men’s league and plays a mature, 200-foot game. He’s versatile enough to play up and down one’s lineup. He’s solid away from the puck, is very fast, a ball of energy, a 50 percent faceoff guy in the KHL and has the skill to make plays.
Marat Khusnutdinov appears to be on his way to the NHL.
His development pattern has been up and down and a bit all over the place. But the Wild likely have a nice top 9 piece here with some potential to be something pretty significant. https://t.co/yI72OKgnHN pic.twitter.com/a5UWpgNenr
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) February 28, 2024
Khusnutdinov scored 41 points last season with SKA St. Petersburg and got big minutes and responsibility. He was traded to a poor Sochi team earlier this season. There, he got significant ice time but saw decreased production (six goals and 20 points in 49 games) as he was surrounded by less talent.
Wild star Kirill Kaprizov told The Athletic last week that he has been texting with his young countryman often recently and looks forward to mentoring him in Minnesota.
Even if Khusnutdinov doesn’t get a lot of playing time in Minnesota down the stretch, the biggest reason the Wild want to start his contract now is to give him a head start for training camp in the fall. By coming to Minnesota now, he’ll begin to get acclimated to North American culture and the area, learn John Hynes’ systems and get to know his teammates so he’s more comfortable heading into his first full season. Khusnutdinov told The Athletic last week he has never been to the United States.
— Russo, Feb. 28
GO DEEPER
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Brandon Duhaime smiled. “I see the tweets,” he said.
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