Minnesota Wild fans fearing that the 2017-18 season could be Mikko Koivu’s last can breathe a sigh of relief, and that suspense didn’t even carry into opening night.
Instead, the Wild signed Koivu to a two-year contract extension worth $11 million.
That $5.5M cap hit kicks in during the 2018-19 campaign and ends after 2019-20. It represents a minor cut in pay for Koivu, as he’s entering the final year of a deal with a $6.75M cap hit.
Koivu, 34, enjoyed a strong first season under Bruce Boudreau, becoming a Selke finalist for the first time in his underrated career. He’s been Minnesota’s captain since 2008-09.
Koivu (2x5.5m) is an extremely good defensive forward who doesn't score much himself. pic.twitter.com/twmL1BFUwH
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) September 19, 2017
Koivu’s deal would qualify as a 35+ contract, according to Cap Friendly.
The Finnish forward likely valued stability, maybe taking a little less in AAV for the sake of peace of mind.
No-move clause in the Koivu extension
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 19, 2017
This continues a busy week-or-so for the Wild, who also broke their impasse with RFA Marcus Foligno by handing him a four-year, $11.5M deal.
Opinion: this Koivu deal is a much, much easier decision to justify, even taking into account his advanced age.