Minnesota Wild close to extension with key winger

Hartman is entering the final year of a three-year deal he signed in April of 2021. Last season, Hartman scored 15 goals and 22 assists for 37 points in 59 games.

It’s been a busy week for the State of Hockey’s NHL franchise. On Sept. 29, the Wild signed Marcus Foligno to a four-year extension worth $16 million, as well as Mats Zuccarello to a two-year extension with an annual average salary of $4.125 million.

This will be Hartman’s third contract with Minnesota. Before signing his current deal, he agreed to a two-year, $3.8 million deal with the Wild on the opening day of free agency in 2019.

Hartman had developed a reputation for playing a physical game, providing a bit of sandpaper in an NHL roster’s bottom-six. In the last two seasons, however, the Wild have given Hartman every opportunity to flourish as an offensive weapon, putting him on a line with Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov.

In 2021-22, he scored a career-high 34 goals, 31 assists and 65 points.

Before then, Hartman’s career-high in points was 31, achieved twice (2016-17 and 2017-18) with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Drafted 30th overall by Chicago in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Hartman has played 506 career NHL games with four teams, including the Blackhawks, the Nashville Predators, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wild.

In nine NHL seasons, Hartman has posted 107 goals, 126 assists, 233 points while racking up 505 penalty minutes.