ST PAUL, Minn. — In a move with some international intrigue, the Minnesota Wild have signed forward and 2020 second-round draft choice Marat Khusnutdinov to a two-year deal after the talented forward terminated his contract with a Russian KHL team.
The Wild announced that Khusnutdinov inked an entry-level contract that runs through the 2024-25 season. In essence, the club is "burning" the first year of the deal, meaning by the time the Russian gets his U.S. immigration papers and work visa in order, year one will be nearly done.
Khusnutdinov picked up 20 points (six goals and 14 assists) in 49 games this season with the KHL's HK Sochi, where he served as captain. He has extensive experience on the international stage, captaining two Russian IHF Junior teams and a U-18 team that claimed the 2019 World Championship.
It is unclear when Khusnutdinov will get his paperwork in order to join the Wild, but will wear sweater #22 when he does. General manager Bill Guerin intimated in an interview posted on the Wild's X (Twitter) account that he believes Marat is ready to move right into the lineup.
"I think Marat is the type of player that can help us right now, all the assets he has, he's a solid two-way player, he has speed, he's tenacious, those are the things we're looking for," Guerin said.
Guerin also shared that Khusnutdinov and fellow Russian Kirill Kaprizov have been communicating regularly (usually while playing video games) about life in the NHL and living in the U.S.
The biggest question most fans might have... how do you pronounce his name?
The Wild says it's (mah-RAHT HOOST-nuh-DEE-nov).
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