Technically everything’s subject to change as opening-night rosters don’t yet need to be submitted to the NHL, but rookie forward Liam Ohgren and rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt have made the Minnesota Wild’s opening night roster, a team source said Saturday.
On Saturday, the Wild placed Ben Jones on waivers for the purpose of reassigning the forward to AHL Iowa. They also announced that defenseman Daemon Hunt, who impressed throughout training camp, would start the season in Iowa.
The Wild could have opted to send Ohgren and Wallstedt to Iowa as well on Saturday or in the upcoming days. That move would at least allow the team to accrue some cap space until they’re needed. But management and the Wild’s coaching staff have decided both rookies earned roster spots to start the season.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll play opening night, but it’ll allow them to continue to be around the NHL team, practice with the Wild and ultimately make their season debuts when needed.
The only thing a bit surprising is that Ohgren and Wallstedt, even if they’re not playing, eat up more than $1.8 million of salary cap space. With both players on the roster, the Wild have less than $600,000 of cap space, which is not enough to afford another player.
Of course, the Wild are actually in a better cap situation than they were at the start of last season and that was when they were only carrying 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies. Now they at least have the maximum 23 players, something that gives them one extra forward, one extra defenseman and one extra goalie.
And while the cap situation will be a season-long challenge just like last season, the Wild have ways to create room. If they ever desperately need a forward or defenseman, they could always send Wallstedt to Iowa.
Plus, they could always place seventh defenseman Jon Merrill on waivers. If Merrill played in Iowa, the Wild would save $1.15 million of his $1.2 million off their cap.
Wallstedt, 21, went 1-1 this preseason with a 2.52 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. He played three NHL games last season, winning his last two games, including a shutout in Chicago. The Wild are determined to get him more NHL action this season, so they plan to carry three goalies for a lot of this season.
Wallstedt is expected to live in Minnesota but every now and then be assigned to Iowa to get game action if the NHL or AHL schedule dictates or if the Wild need his cap space to afford somebody else.
Ohgren, 20, scored a goal and assist in a four-game look at the end of last season. He had a slow start this training camp but got progressively better in the last three exhibition games he played. He scored a goal and an assist in five games.
LIAM OHGREN HAS HIS FIRST NHL GOAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/4jgt6zAk60
— NHL (@NHL) April 14, 2024
Hunt, 22, is NHL-ready, coach John Hynes said last week. If Merrill were to be traded or placed on waivers at some point this season, they could always call him up. But starting him in Iowa makes sense because right now he wouldn’t crack the top six and they wouldn’t want a young blueliner like him sitting extensively in the press box.
Ohgren is a different scenario.
Unless Matt Boldy can’t start the season because of his lower-body injury, Ohgren may not be in the lineup Thursday night when the Wild open the season against the Columbus Blue Jackets. While the Wild wouldn’t want a 20-year-old rookie like Ohgren sitting long, he would be able to step right into the lineup early in the season if one of the 12 forwards in front of him gets hurt.
Plus, his presence could help push some teammates like Marcus Johansson and Freddy Gaudreau, two forwards the Wild are hoping will have bounce-back years.
Forwards
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
|
Kaprizov ($9M) |
Rossi ($863,334) |
Zuccarello ($4.125M) |
|
Johansson ($2M) |
Eriksson Ek ($5.25M) |
Boldy ($7M) |
|
Foligno ($4M) |
Hartman ($4M) |
Trenin ($3.5M) |
|
Lauko ($787,500) |
Khusnutdinov ($925,000) |
Gaudreau ($2.1M) |
|
Ohgren ($886,666) |
Defensemen
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
|
Brodin ($6M) |
Faber ($925,000) |
|
Middleton ($2.45M) |
Spurgeon ($7.575M) |
|
Chisholm ($1M) |
Bogosian ($1.25M) |
|
Merrill ($1.2M) |
Goalies
| G |
|---|
|
Gustavsson ($3.75M) |
|
Fleury ($2.5M) |
|
Wallstedt ($925,000) |
Cap space
Salary cap charges: $72,012,500
Dead cap charges for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts: $14,743,590
Salary cap overage for Marco Rossi’s bonuses last year: $637,500
Season-opening IR charge for goalie Troy Grosenick’s being out for the year: $4,036
Total cap hit: $87,397,626
NHL cap ceiling: $88 million
Available cap space: $602,374 *
* Available cap space is actually less because forward Graeme Clarke injured his knee in his final preseason game. The Wild will be charged daily until he’s cleared medically and can be placed on waivers to get to Iowa.
(Photo of Liam Ohgren: Nick Wosika / Imagn Images)
