Wild sign Frederick Gaudreau to 5-year, $10.5M extension

The Minnesota Wild signed forward Frederick Gaudreau to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.1 million, the team announced Thursday.

The 29-year-old played in all 82 games this season and scored a career-high 19 goals. His 38 points rank fifth on the Wild. He paces the NHL in shootout goals with eight, and his four shorthanded goals are tied for third league-wide.

Gaudreau has blossomed into an NHL regular with Minnesota over the past two seasons. He tallied a career-high 44 points in 2021-22 after scoring a combined 18 points in 103 previous games with the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins.

"He’s willed himself to be a National Hockey League player," Wild head coach Dean Evason said of Gaudreau, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo. "Clearly has a skill set, which all these guys do to play at this level. But what sets them apart is their battle, their compete, and them as human beings. He’s one of the best that you’ll find.”

The Quebec native inked a two-year contract worth $1.2 million per season with Minnesota in July 2021. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.