ST PAUL, Minn. — The outlook for the Wild's suddenly thin blueline has improved immensely with the signing of defenseman and Minnesota native Alex Goligoski to a one-year deal.
The 14-year NHL veteran comes to the Wild as a free agent signing from the Arizona Coyotes, where last season he notched 22 points (3 goals, 19 assists) and led the club with 108 blocked shots, tied for ninth in the league. Goligoski, a 35-year-old native of Grand Rapids, has also played for Dallas and Pittsburgh, where in 2009 he played on a Stanley Cup-winning team with current Wild GM Bill Guerin.
Overall Goligoski has registered 83 goals and 346 assists (429 total points) during his time in the league. The deal he signed with Minnesota is worth $5 million.
The signing is good news for a club known for their defensive prowess, but has found itself painfully thin on the blueline with the release of veteran Ryan Suter and the loss of young, physical Carson Soucy to the expansion draft.
In other free agent news, the Wild has also inked a deal with forward Frederick Gaudreau, who spent last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is a center who picked up 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) in 19 games with the Pens while winning 87 of 162 faceoffs (53.7%)
Gaudreau led the Penguins in plus/minus rating during six Stanley Cup playoff contests, while scoring a goal and adding two assists. He has spent a total of 103 games at the NHL level with Pittsburgh and Nashville, with the the majority of his career spent at the minor league level.
The Wild signed Gadreau for two years at a cost of $2.4 million.