ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild's front office continues to make a point of locking up some of their key players before the puck drops on the 2023-24 season.
The team announced Saturday they signed forward Ryan Hartman to a three-year, $12 million extension through 2026-27. The extension comes nine days after the Wild reached agreements with Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno.
Hartman joined the Wild back in 2019, where he eventually made the transition from wing to center. He's spent a bulk of the past two seasons centering Minnesota's top line of Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild experimented a bit last season with the top center, but ultimately went back to Hartman down the stretch and into the playoffs, where he scored the game-winner in double overtime against the Dallas Stars.
However, Hartman sustained an injury during the series opener and ended up missing Game 2, which Dallas won 7-3. Hartman returned for Game 3, and went on to finish with five points in the series, which the Stars won, 4-2.
Hartman, 29, was drafted 30th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and has compiled 233 career points in 506 games. His 2021-22 season was his best, not only with the Wild, but his career as he finished with 34 goals, 31 assists and a plus-31 rating.
Hartman and the Wild open the season Thursday as hosts to the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers.
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