5 Minnesota Wild players and personnel detrimental to roster retool after quick playoff exit ft. Kirill Kaprizov

The Minnesota Wild are in a holding pattern this offseason. The team had a largely successful regular season but fell by the wayside against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

While a good team, the Wild aren’t good enough to make a prolonged playoff run. As such, GM Bill Guerin is hard-pressed this summer to make his moves count so the team can make it out of a tough Central Division that includes the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche.

So, here’s a look at five Minnesota Wild team members who could be detrimental to the team’s retool this offseason.

5 Minnesota Wild players and personnel detrimental to retool roster after quick playoff exit

#5 Filip Gustavsson

Gustavsson's next contract will dictate how much the Wild can do this summer - Source: Imagn

The Minnesota Wild have a solid starting netminder in Filip Gustavsson. He’s shown that he’s capable of carrying the load while providing his team with a chance to win every game.

However, Gustavsson is entering the final year of his contract. He has a relatively cheap $3.75 million cap hit. But it won’t be that cheap when his next contract kicks in. As a result, the Wild may have to hold their breaths until they know how much it’s going to cost them to keep their starting goalie.

In the meantime, the Wild may not be able to make significant additions beyond this upcoming season until they have clarity on how much cap space they’ll have to work with.

#4 Marco Rossi

The potential cap crunch the Minnesota Wild face has led to speculation about Marco Rossi’s departure from the team.

Rossi is an RFA this summer and could be looking at a lucrative deal. While it’s tough to speculate precisely how much he could get, Rossi could come in somewhere around $5 million. Considering the Wild only have about $15 million in cap space, Rossi’s next contract may be too rich for the Wild.

So, shopping Rossi’s rights may be one way the Wild can sidestep a horrific cap squeeze while getting something in return.

#3 John Hynes

John Hynes will be hard-pressed to lead the Wild to a deep playoff run - Source: Imagn

John Hynes has done a solid job in his first two seasons with the Minnesota Wild. He led the Wild to a respectable finish this season, landing the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.

The issue with Hynes lies in his ability to maximize his team’s talent in order to compete with the Western Conference’s behemoths.

If Hynes cannot get the most out of his team, the Wild may regress, risking a playoff miss. With up-and-coming teams like the St. Louis Blues and Utah Mammoth, the Wild could face stiff competition for a playoff spot next season.

#2 Bill Guerin

Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin won’t have it easy this summer. He has RFAs Marco Rossi and Declan Chisholm to re-sign while looking to keep trade deadline acquisitions Justin Brazeau and Gustav Nyquist.

He needs to do that with $15 million in cap space while still lugging around Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s buyouts.

Guerin also has to deal with impending free agents, potentially seeing his hands tied behind his back as he tries to navigate the team’s cap situation this season and beyond.

#1 Kirill Kaprizov

The Wild won't be able to maneuver confidently until they know how much it's going to cost to keep Kaprizov - Source: Imagn

Let’s be clear: Kirill Kaprizov is not a problem, at least not yet. Kaprizov is entering the final year of his current contract, carrying a $9 million cap hit.

Kaprizov won’t be making $9 million in his next deal.

The 28-year-old star could be commanding upwards of $12 million on his next deal. That situation has the Wild in a holding pattern as the team cannot commit cap space until knowing how much Kaprizov will cost beyond this season.

Thus, the Wild may look to fill voids in the lineup with players on one-year deals until the club can figure out where it stands with Kaprizov.

If the Wild cannot sign Kaprizov to an extension this summer, next season could be a challenging one for the Wild as they look to remain in the playoff conversation.