The Minnesota Wild announced that they have signed Marat Khusnutdinov to a two-year, entry-level contract that will run through the 2024-25 season. The Moscow, Russia native was released from his KHL contract with HK Sochi after they failed to make the playoffs, allowing him to sign with the Wild. Khusnutdinov was a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (37th overall) for the Wild. It was announced that he will be wearing number 22 for the Wild.
Khusnutdinov is 21 years old. He tied for 7th with Artemi Panarin for the highest single-season point total in KHL history of players aged 20 and under. He was also the youngest player in the history of SKA St. Petersburg to reach the 50 career point mark. He was 20 years, six months, and 13 days old. SKA St. Petersburg was the team that Khusnutdinov played on before being traded to HK Sochi.
The contract is for the maximum ELC salary of $925k per year. It also contains performance bonuses for the second year. He is currently on non-roster status as the club works to get him a work visa. As soon as that happens, the Wild will need to clear a spot for him as they are currently at the maximum 23-man roster. Khusnutdinov will also be eligible to play in the playoffs this year as he signed with the Wild before the trade deadline.
For more about Khusnutdinov, click here to read a summary of his style of play. And be sure to listen to Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast for more Wild hockey news and vibes.
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