The Minnesota Wild recalled right wing Sammy Walker from AHL Iowa on Wednesday afternoon and placed defenseman Alex Goligoski on long-term injured reserve, allowing them to exceed the $83.5 million salary cap and facilitate the call-up. Here’s what you need to know:
- Star third-year forward Matt Boldy is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks with an upper-body injury, creating the lineup hole for Walker.
- The Wild are tight against the cap and couldn’t afford Walker’s salary for their first game without Boldy, Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the host Montreal Canadiens.
- Goligoski, who was wearing a walking boot in the locker room after Tuesday’s win, was injured when struck by a puck during Monday’s practice at the Bell Centre.
What does this mean in terms of the cap situation?
The Wild will not accrue daily cap space until Goligoski comes off LTIR. When he does, the Wild must become cap-compliant. But by putting him on LTIR, they have more roster flexibility. Placing Goligoski on LTIR took them from having roughly $51,000 in cap space to $1.95 million in cap space. It also means that Goligoski must miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days. Now that they’re in LTIR, a player’s bonuses count toward the cap hit, not just his salary. This gives the Wild $1.07 million worth of cap space left if needed, according to Puckpedia. The Wild had the option to call up Walker on an emergency basis after playing Tuesday’s game short one forward but opted to go the LTIR route instead.
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What will Walker bring to the Wild lineup?
Speed and skill. Walker, the three-time former University of Minnesota captain, tied for the team lead in the preseason with four points (two goals) in three games. He led AHL Iowa with 27 goals and nine power-play goals last season, ranked second with five game-winning goals and fourth with 48 points. In nine career NHL games, he has a goal and an assist. In 144 games with the Gophers, the 2017 Tampa Bay Lightning seventh-round pick scored 48 goals and 112 points. It’s possible Walker will slide right into Boldy’s spot on the second line with Marcus Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek.
Required reading
- Explaining the short-handed Wild’s roster options as injuries mount
- Wild sign University of Minnesota 3-time captain Sammy Walker: Sources
(Top photo of Sammy Walker: Matt Krohn / USA Today)