Minnesota Wild’s 3 Worst Contracts for 2026-27

The Minnesota Wild’s offseason has been pretty quiet, with the exception of trying to nail down a contract extension with Quinn Hughes. It’ll be interesting to see what he eventually signs for and where it will rank on the Wild’s contract list. We’ve already talked about the best contracts on the roster for the upcoming season, and his is certainly part of that, but it wasn’t listed because it goes without saying. 

Hughes has one year left on his contract worth $7.85 million, which is a steal compared to what he will sign for, as he’s proven his worth over the duration of this last deal. However, that’s enough talk about the best contracts; now it’s time to look at the worst. The Wild are pretty fortunate in terms of their contracts, but there are a few that they’ve made mistakes with, and in this article we’ll take a look at them. 

Wild’s Eriksson Ek Needed in Lineup

At first, Joel Eriksson Ek’s contract looked like a steal when it was signed back in July of 2021. However, it’s turned out to be more of a thorn in their side than a help because of how many injuries Eriksson Ek has had to deal with. He’s never played a full season in his career, and of course the way he plays is a big part of his injury issues; being a pest in front of the net is a good way to get pushed around. Of course, they don’t want him to change his style, but his $5.25 million salary is difficult to pay with how much time he misses. 

This past season was a bit better for him in terms of points, as he played in 70 games and registered 51 points. However, he still missed 12 games, and the Wild could’ve used his presence in those games even though 12 isn’t a terribly high number compared to the 36 games he missed the season prior. 

Now some may be wondering why this contract is considered one of the worst for this new season, but in 10 seasons he’s never played all 82 games, and it’s highly likely he won’t play all 82 this coming season either. Hopefully he does find a way to stay healthy and make at least one season of his contract worthwhile, but $5 million is a lot to pay someone who can’t stay healthy, even with his strong play in front of the net. 

Wild’s Brodin Same Boat as Eriksson Ek 

Jonas Brodin has a few similarities to Eriksson Ek; they’re both Swedish, they both play strongly when healthy, and injuries find them all the time. There is a four-year age gap between the two, with Brodin being the elder, and he also has one full 82-game season under his belt compared to Eriksson Ek. He didn’t register as many points, but he’s also a defenseman and isn’t known for scoring a lot. 

He’s making slightly more at $6 million a season, and again, just like his teammate, his contract looked pretty strong when it was signed back in 2020. A solid defenseman who could put up around 30 points a season in a good season was something they needed. Not a lot of points, but steady and consistent- someone they could rely on. 

However, injuries have taken their toll on Brodin as well, and during the postseason, the Wild were without both players against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, and they were greatly missed. Compared to the highest-paid players in the NHL, Brodin’s contract looks cheap, but again, with how much time he’s missed and how much he’ll likely miss as he struggles to stay healthy, his contract is one of the worst for the Wild. 

Kaprizov’s Tricky Situation

It’s too early to tell if this contract will truly be one of the worst for the Wild, but seeing how Kirill Kaprizov is entering the first year of the deal, it’s a little scary. Now he is one of their best players; he’s earned a strong salary, but $17 million a year may be too high, at least right now. However, it won’t be considered high for anyone outside the Wild for very long, since a number of other players have already signed for higher and there will be more to come. 

Like his teammates, he’s been injured a number of times over his career, but he’s bounced back for the most part. He does deserve to be the top-paid player on the Wild roster, with the exception of Quinn Hughes, depending on what he signs for, but again, $17 million is a lot of money, and the Wild need to be able to spread the wealth, and his contract makes it difficult. 

It’s not going to age well, but everyone knows that; the only thing that is majorly concerning is how soon that will happen. If he’s not in the top five scorers in the NHL by the end of this next season, it’s likely many will be considering him too expensive for that production, and they may be right. The Wild did what they had to do to keep their star, and they can’t be blamed for wanting to keep him; now it’s his job to make sure his contract doesn’t stay on the worst list. 

Eriksson Ek and Brodin’s contracts are difficult because of their almost constant line of injuries that have made it almost impossible to play a full season. The Wild need these two to find a way to stay healthy, and Kaprizov needs to show he’s worth his value because all fans are seeing right now is the dollar amount and how it’s already negatively affected them in terms of bringing in other players. Hopefully Eriksson Ek and Brodin can play all season, and Kaprizov can step up as expected, and the Wild will have success.

*Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.com