Wild acquire Maroon to add grit, championship pedigree to roster

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands in preparation for the 2023-24 regular season, which starts Oct. 10. Today, the Minnesota Wild:

2022-23 season: 46-25-11, third in Central Division; lost in Western Conference First Round

#

Key arrivals

Pat Maroon, F:Acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 2 for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The 35-year-old is expected to add physicality, leadership and a Stanley Cup pedigree. He won the Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021 and with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. Maroon had 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 80 regular-season games with the Lightning last season and led the NHL in penalty minutes (150). He had one assist in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.

#

Key departures

John Klingberg, D:Signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1. He had 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) in 67 regular-season games for the Wild and Anaheim Ducks last season, including nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 17 games after he was acquired in a trade with the Ducks on March 3. Klingberg had four points (one goal, three assists) in four playoff games. … Ryan Reaves, F: Signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs on July 1. He had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 73 regular-season games for the Wild and New York Rangers, all his points coming with Minnesota after he was acquired in a trade on Nov. 23. He did not have a point in six playoff games. ... Sam Steel, F:Signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Stars on July 1. He had 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 65 regular-season games and two points (one goal, one assist) in five playoff games. …Gustav Nyquist, F:Signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1. He had had 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 51 regular-season games for the Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets including five points (one goal, four assists) in three games after he was acquired in a trade with the Blue Jackets on Feb. 28. He had five assists in six playoff games. … Oskar Sundqvist, F: Signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 12. He had 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 67 games for the Wild and Detroit Red Wings last season, including seven points (three goals, four assists) in 15 games after he was acquired in a trade with the Red Wings on March 3. Sundqvist had one goal in one playoff game.

#

On the cusp

Brock Faber, D:The 20-year-old played in two regular-season games and six playoff games for Minnesota last season. A second-round pick (No. 45) in the 2020 NHL Draft, Faber had 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) in 38 games for the University of Minnesota last season. Faber also had five assists in seven games to help the United States win gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship and played for the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. … Video: Pat Maroon joins the show, F:The 21-year-old, who was the No. 9 pick in the 2020 draft, had one assist in 19 regular-season games with Minnesota last season and was second on Iowa of the American Hockey League with 51 points (16 goals, 35 assists) in 53 regular-season games. He had six points (one goal, five assists) in seven games for Austria at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. … Video: Pat Maroon joins the show, F:The 24-year-old had two points (one goal, one assist) in nine regular-season games for the Wild. A seventh-round pick (No. 200) by the Lightning in the 2017 NHL Draft, Walker led Iowa in goals (27) and was third in points (48) in 56 games.

#

What they still need

To get goalie Filip Gustavsson signed. The restricted free agent, who has a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug 4, had a career high in wins (22-9-7) in 39 games (37 starts) and three shutouts. His 2.10 goals-against average and .931 save percentage were second among NHL goalies (minimum 20 games) behind Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins (1.89. GAA, .938 save percentage).

They said it

"I would have loved to have been more active (in free agency). At certain times of the day, you get frustrated, but then you look at your board and you realize that most of your team is already intact. We still have a few more RFA contracts to get signed but, for the most part, our team is together and we're happy with that." -- general manager Bill Guerin

#

Fantasy focus

Goalie Jesper Wallstedt and Rossi give the Wild another gear to reach in fantasy keeper and dynasty leagues. Wallstedt joins Devon Levi of the Buffalo Sabres and Yaroslav Askarov of the Nashville Predators as rookie goalies who can feasibly make a big fantasy impact this season, if they play in the NHL. Rossi has the ceiling of eventually filling the Wild's center void on a line with elite wing Kirill Kaprizov and/or Matt Boldy in the years ahead. -- Pete Jensen

#

Projected lineup

Kirill Kaprizov -- Ryan Hartman -- Mats Zuccarello

Matthew Boldy -- Joel Eriksson Ek -- Marcus Johansson

Marcus Foligno -- Frederick Gaudreau -- Brandon Duhaime

Pat Maroon -- Marco Rossi -- Connor Dewar

Jake Middleton -- Jared Spurgeon

Jonas Brodin -- Calen Addison

Jon Merrill -- Brock Faber

Filip Gustavsson

Marc-Andre Fleury