ST PAUL, Minn. — One of the big questions for the Minnesota Wild heading into the 2021-2022 season was how they'd shore up the defensive corps after losing an extremely solid third pair.
That question appears to have been answered, partially due to the play of Jon Merrill, who on Tuesday was signed to a 3-year extension worth approximately $1.2 million per contract year.
Merrill, along with free agent Dmitry Kulikov, has done a solid job filling the void left by last year's third pair of Ian Cole and Carson Soucy, who departed for Carolina and Seattle respectively. The 29-year-old NHL journeyman came to Minnesota on a one-year free agent deal after stints in New Jersey, Las Vegas, Detroit and Montreal.
In 33 games this year Merrill has picked up 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) and blocked eight shots to earn a plus-eight rating. He ranks first on the Wild in blocked shots, and is third in penalty killing minutes. The Oklahoma City native has also played in 29 Stanley Cup playoff games over his career, a total he hopes to increase with Minnesota.
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