5 worst contracts signed in Minnesota Wild franchise history feat. Ryan Suter

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Jul 25, 2024 23:44 GMT

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The Minnesota Wild have lacked consistent success since their inception in 2000. While the Wild have had several good seasons, bad contracts and poor performance have held the club back from reaching its full potential.

In particular, some terrible contracts have kept Minnesota from truly contending in the Western Conference. So, let’s discuss the five worst contracts in Minnesota Wild history and their impact on the team’s competitiveness.

5 worst contracts signed in Minnesota Wild franchise history

#5: Jason Pominville

Pominville played over 1,000 NHL games, the majority with the Buffalo Sabres. However, the Sabres dealt Pominville to the Minnesota Wild in the 2012-13 season as the team needed help for a playoff push. The deal cost the Wild their first-round pick in 2013 and their second in 2014.

In 10 regular-season games, Pominville registered nine points, making an immediate impact on the team. That impact motivated the Wild to give Pominville a five-year, $28 million extension. It was a huge deal for a player who hadn’t really played up to a $5.6 million cap hit.

Initially, Pominville lived up to the deal, notching 30 goals in his first full year in Minnesota. However, his production began to slide. The Wild eventually traded Pominville back to the Sabres in 2017. While the deal was not entirely awful, the club overpaid a player for less-than-stellar production.

#4: Martin Havlat

Havlat was the Ottawa Senators' first-round pick in 1999. He had some decent seasons in Ottawa before moving to Chicago. There, he had a breakout year in 2008-09, scoring 29 goals and 77 points. So, the Wild decided to jump on the Havlat bandwagon and signed him to a six-year, $30 million deal.

The $5 million AAV was extremely high for a player who’d never really had a consistent track record. Havlat regressed immediately. While he scored 22 goals in 2010-11, it wasn’t enough for the Wild to keep him around.

Minnesota moved Havlat to the San Jose Sharks that offseason in order to clear cap space.

#3: Thomas Vanek

Vanek was the fifth overall pick in the 2003 draft for Buffalo. He entered the league with a lot of promise and delivered early on. He registered two 40-goal seasons with the Sabres, making him a hot commodity.

After the 2013-14 season, in which Vanek spent time with the Sabres, New York Islanders, and Montreal Canadiens, he signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Minnesota Wild during the 2014 offseason. Unfortunately, Vanek did not live up to expectations.

Inconsistent play underscored his time in Minnesota. While he scored 21 goals in his first season, the significant drop in production the following year prompted the Wild to buy out the final year of his deal amid cap constraints.

Zach Parise playing for the Minnesota Wild (Source: Imagn)

#2: Zach Parise

Parise was the New Jersey Devils' first pick in 2003. He was good right away but had two phenomenal seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10, in which he registered 45 and 38 goals, respectively. By the 2012 offseason, he was a much sought-after free agent.

So, the Minnesota Wild showed Parise the money, signing him to a 13-year, $98 million deal. The $7.538 AAV was worthy of a top-line, 40-goal winger.

To make a long story short, Parise did not live up to the deal. He managed to top 30 goals once during his time in Minnesota as his performances did not justify the cap hit and term.

The Wild bought out Parise in 2021 amid serious cap constraints. The Wild are still on the hook for $7.37 of Parise’s salary this season but get relief for the following three seasons as the dead cap hit falls to 833K.

#1: Ryan Suter

Suter was part of the splash the Wild made in the 2012 offseason. The Wild signed Suter to an identical contract as Parise. Overall, Suter performed fairly well for his cap hit in the first years of the deal.

However, declining defensive performance and offensive output made the cap hit too high for a bottom-four defenseman. The Minnesota Wild decided to buy out Suter, and at the same time, the club bought out Parise. The dead cap hit is identical to Parise’s.

It’s worth noting that Suter was also bought out by the Dallas Stars this offseason as concerns regarding declining performance prompted the Stars to cut ties with the veteran blue liner.