The Minnesota Wild have an interesting conundrum in net heading into this season. It appears that they have no less than three NHL-caliber goaltenders. There’s the veterans in Josh Harding and Niklas Backstrom, each looking healthy enough to open the season despite continual medical concerns, and then there’s restricted free agent Darcy Kuemper.
Still without a contract, there may be some contentiousness between the Wild and Kuemper, who performed well when called upon last season.
According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, Kuemper is being offered a two-way deal from the Wild so that they can stash him in the minors until he is needed. That apparently doesn’t sound too good to Kuemper, who is seeking a one-way deal according to McKenzie.
As a restricted free agent and with the Wild at least temporarily secure in net with Harding and Backstorm, Kuemper has very little leverage in having his demands met. There is one potential last resort, though, which McKenzie shared:
Kuemper is looking at his KHL options (with NHL out clause, of course).
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) September 8, 2014
The threat of the KHL has been used by players before and it’s a good tactic to try and get things moving. Kuemper is in a tight spot with the Wild for sure.
Kuemper’s desire to be part of the NHL on a full time basis is hardly surprising. He made 26 appearances last season and posted a .915 save percentage, 12-8-4 record and 2.43 goals-against average. He also became the team’s primary starter for a spell in the playoffs before getting injured himself. Kuemper went 3-1-1 in six postseason appearances and put up a .913 save percentage.
It’s not hard to see the Wild’s position here either. Harding played remarkably well last season before complications tied to his multiple sclerosis sidelined him for the entire second half of the year. Backstrom, meanwhile, has two years left on his deal at an annual average just shy of $3.5 million. If those guys are healthy enough, those are the guys they want going.
Kuemper meanwhile needs to get playing time to continue developing. That could actually come for free in the KHL, but the team also kind of needs him in North America to bring him back in when either one or both of their veteran goalies become incapacitated somehow. It’s a really delicate situation as a result.
If Kuemper did go to the KHL, the Wild would have prospect Johan Gustafsson and journeyman John Curry as potential emergency backups stalled in the minors. Meanwhile, Ilya Bryzgalov is floating out there and has been vocal about hoping to come back to the Wild. There are options if things continue going south in this negotiation, but the most ideal is probably having Kuemper nearby, just in case.
The Wild have plenty of optimism heading into the season after an active summer, but this goaltending situation from the health of Harding and Backstrom to the Kuemper contract negotiation will remain a concern heading into the year.
