Goligoski extension only adds to murky Wild salary cap future

On Wednesday, the Wild answered one question: yes, they signed Alex Goligoski to a two-year, $4M extension. In doing so, the Wild didn’t exactly answer their biggest salary cap questions, and now their defensive situation looks a little crowded, too.

Will the Goligoski extension signal the latest nudge toward the Wild eventually needing to part ways with a key piece, possibly in a Kevin Fiala or Matt Dumba trade? Could Goligoski make it tougher for a prospect like Calen Addison to gain traction?

Let’s break down the Goligoski extension by itself, then ponder the larger Wild salary cap and defense situations.

By itself, handing Alex Goligoski $2M per year for 2022-23 and 2023-24 makes a reasonable amount of sense for the Wild.

His value might even sneak up on you a bit.

Alex Goligoski, signed to a 2x$2M extension by MIN, is a serviceable veteran offensive defenceman. #MNWild pic.twitter.com/dUZl73TsT6

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 29, 2022

If you look at the simplest hockey stats, people might view the Wild retaining Alex Goligoski as a no-brainer. Goligoski’s the Wild’s second-leading defensive scorer, and the gap between Goligoski (28 points) and Jared Spurgeon (29) is small. Like it or not, many of the “200 Hockey Men” still glance at plus/minus. They’ll be smitten by Goligoski, then, as his +34 mark easily leads the Wild.

That said, Goligoski is already 36, and he’ll turn 37 on July 30. That age brings risk, and he apparently also received a no-movement clause.

Overall, a $2M price tag isn’t so bad, and maybe he’ll exceed that value. On the other hand, the Wild have less breathing room than most thanks to the spiking prices of the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter buyouts, and they sacrificed some flexibility here.

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