The pre-draft moves continue to roll in.
On the eve before the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, the Minnesota Wild became the latest team to lock in a young-ish defenseman by agreeing to terms with Jacob Middleton on a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $2.4 million.
The deal, which now ties Middleton to the Twin Cities through the 2025-26 season, takes the 26-year-old right to the edge of unrestricted free agency and ensures that the Wild make the most out of the asset they got in return for goaltending prospect Kaapo Kahkonen at this year’s trade deadline.
Middleton offers the Wild some stability on the back-end. While not a flashy defender by any means, Middleton logged nearly 18 minutes per game after arriving in Minnesota and finished the season with 14 points in 66 games.
He’s a quintessential depth defender, one capable of facing decent defensive matchups and chipping in on the penalty kill whenever needed.
Eight years after being a seventh-round pick, Middleton is now a valued piece of a contending team.
Not too shabby.
