The Minnesota Wild continued to spend on Thursday, albeit in less spectacular fashion.
The club announced it had reached an agreement with RFA defenseman Justin Falk on a one-year deal worth $825,000.
Falk, 23, played in a career-high 47 games last year and recorded 1G-8A-9PTS, proving to be a nice find on a Wild blueline ravaged by injury.
By season’s end he was playing in a top-four role, which included three straight games of 23 minutes or more to close out the year.
Because he qualified as a rookie, Falk finished last season sixth in ice time (19:30) and eighth in blocked shots (78) amongst first-year players. The 6-foot-5, 215 pound rearguard also finished fourth on the team in hits (with 78), an impressive feat considering he only played roughly half the regular season.
Mike Russo of the Star-Tribune notes this deal came in just under the wire. The Wild and Falk agreed to terms 15 minutes before he was set to file for salary arbitration.