The 24-year-old forward had 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 83 games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators last season, including six points (two goals, four assists) in 19 games with Philadelphia after he was acquired in a trade for forward Wayne Simmonds on Feb. 25. He was traded to the Dallas Stars for forward Tyler Pitlick on June 24.
"It's a team that need some guys on the right side, need some right-hand shots," Hartman said of the Wild. "[I] can come in and be a hard guy to play against and make it a difficult night when they come into our rink. On the road, just be that guy that makes it a pain to come in and play against us. that's what I plan to do. I feel like it's a void that needed to be filled and I believe I can do that for our team the next two years.
"I kind of feel like throughout my career just trying to be a guy that can put our team on the power play and just kind of agitate guys, but at the same time if momentum's not going our way to start a game or in the middle of the game, go out there and lay the groundwork and try to flip that momentum in our direction. ... I've done that throughout my career. That's what's brought me to this point. I'm not looking to change anything. I want to bring that tenacity and grittiness to this team."
Selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round (No. 30) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Hartman has 89 points (42 goals, 47 assists) in 245 regular-season games with the Flyers, Predators and Blackhawks and three points (two goals, one assist) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Minnesota general manager Paul Fenton was assistant GM with Nashville when Hartman played there the past two seasons.
"Being a first-round pick, I've been watching him since he was 17," Fenton said. "He has a competitiveness, to me, that I love. I want our team to play with more competitiveness, and for me he will make us harder to play against.
"He just brings the grizzle that I like. I would like our team to play with a little more hardness and passion and excitement and I think he'll not only do it himself, but he'll bring people along with him."
NHL.com correspondent Jessi Pierce contributed to this report
