Jonas Brodin inks six-year, $25 million extension with Wild
Jonas Brodin's rookie season with the Minnesota Wild put him on the map among young NHL defenseman. He led all rookies in ice time (23:12) and was part of the NHL's All-Rookie team in 2013. He also probably deserved to be one of the finalists for the Calder Trophy that year, finishing fourth.
So with Brodin set to become an RFA this summer, the two sides decided that a bridge deal wasn't necessary and inked a six-year, $25 million pact on Sunday.
From the Wild:
“We are very excited to get Jonas Brodin signed through the 2020-21 season,” said [GM Chuck] Fletcher. “He is one of the premier young defensemen in the NHL and has played a huge role on our team since entering the league as a 19-year-old. We’re confident that his game will continue to evolve in all areas and he will be a valuable part of our core for years to come.”
After that impressive rookie year, Brodin followed that up with solid offensive numbers in 2013-14 (8 goals, 19 points, 23:54 TOI), but stumbled in his defensive responsibilities; even being moved away from his usual partner, Ryan Suter. In the postseason, things started coming back to the 21-year old, he posted a 53.68-percent Corsi rating, while seeing his Corsi-Rel move back toward a positive number.
The signing puts Brodin in as the second long-term piece of Fletcher's defense after Suter. Next summer, blueliners Christian Folin and Marco Scandella, along with forwards Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund and Erik Haula, are slated to become RFAs, according to CapGeek. There's a nice budding core in Minnesota and the continued development of those kids will only mean good things for the Wild going forward.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
