On Monday, the Minnesota Wild signed forward Matt Boldy to a seven-year, $49 million contract extension, making him the latest young player in the NHL to cash in on his entry-level contract early.
Boldy’s contract, which begins next season, will count $7 million against the salary cap through 2029-30. The Wild paid up to extend him before he reached the 100-game mark in the NHL, allowing him to become a restricted free agent this summer.
“It’s early in his career, but we just feel that Matt is going to be one of our organization’s cornerstones,” general manager Bill Guerin said during a video call with reporters.
The Milford, Massachusetts native has 68 points in 89 regular-season games this season, including 29 points in 42 games. Last spring, he scored one goal in Minnesota’s playoff series.
Boldy is the latest rising star in the league to sign a long-term contract earlier than usual, joining Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, New Jersey’s Jack Hughes, and Dallas’ Jason Robertson.
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The Wild will have to make more difficult roster decisions this summer due to a salary-cap crunch caused by the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but Guerin didn’t feel the need to settle for a less-expensive bridge contract with Boldy.
“We came out within the same range, it was a good negotiation, and we’re happy to have it done,” Guerin said. “Anytime you have the opportunity to work out a fair deal with a player like Matt, we have to take advantage of it.”
