Wild sign Zuccarello, Foligno to contract extensions
The Minnesota Wild inked forwards Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno to new deals Friday.
Zuccarello agreed to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.125 million, the team announced. Several hours later, Foligno re-upped on a four-year pact at $4 million annually.
The Norweigan had one year left on a contract signed in 2019 that carries a $6-million cap hit. He'll be 38 years old at the expiration of his new deal, which includes a no-move clause in both years, according to the Star Tribune's Sarah McLellan.
Zuccarello tallied 22 goals and 67 points in 78 games last season to rank second on the Wild in scoring. His 20:12 average time on ice was the highest mark of his 13-year career. Since joining the Wild in 2019, he's produced 72 goals and 218 points in 255 contests. He leads the team in assists with 146 over this span.
The veteran has had a career resurgence since the arrival of Kirill Kaprizov in the abbreviated 2021 campaign. After scoring just 37 points in 65 games the previous season, Zuccarello has recorded 181 in 190 since Kaprizov's debut. The duo has played over 2,200 minutes at five-on-five in three seasons, and Minnesota has outscored the opposition 119-86 in that time, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Foligno is entering the final season of a three-year contract carrying an AAV of $3.1 million. He turned 32 in August.
The Buffalo-born winger has played six seasons with the Wild after suiting up for the same number of campaigns with the Sabres, who drafted him 104th overall in 2009. Foligno isn't known for his offense, but he established career highs with 23 goals and 19 assists over 74 games in 2021-22.
Foligno leads Minnesota in hits while ranking fourth in goals and games played since he joined the team.
The Wild have $71 million in cap commitments for the 2024-25 season after the signings, according to CapFriendly.