ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild signed late-season pickup Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $4 million contract Tuesday, securing a player who was key down the stretch and due to become an unrestricted free agent.
Johansson's relatively-low salary cap hit of $2 million for the next two seasons will give general manager Bill Guerin some valuable certainty in a time of little flexibility, a problem created by the millions in dead money the Wild are carrying for the 2021 buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.
The 32-year-old Johansson had six goals and 12 assists in 20 regular-season games for the Wild, who reacquired him on Feb. 28 before the trade deadline from Washington for a third-round draft pick. Johansson had two goals in six playoff games for the Wild, who lost in the first round to Dallas. Perhaps more important is the presence Johansson showed skating on a line with young superstar Matt Boldy, who was mostly scuffling until the veteran Swede showed up.
Boldy, who himself signed a seven-year, $49 million deal, had 15 goals and eight assists over his last 19 games, thanks in large part to his chemistry with Johansson.
This was Johansson's second stint with the Wild; His first came in 2020, when he arrived from Buffalo in a deal for center Eric Staal. After one season with the Wild, he signed with expansion Seattle.
Johansson has played 13 years in the NHL, mostly with the Washington Capitals.
Guerin still has some huge decisions to make this off-season, starting with up-and-coming goaltender Filip Gustavsson. Forwards Brandon Duheime, Mason Shaw, Sam Steel and Ryan Reaves, and defensemen Calen Addison are also unrestricted free agents.
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