The Minnesota Wild has re-signed goaltender Filip Gustavsson on a three-year deal worth $11.25 million, preventing the two sides from reaching salary arbitration.
The Swedish arrived in Minnesota last year after being traded by the Ottawa Senators in exchange for fellow goalie Cam Talbot.
Gustavsson had a strong debut season with the team, serving as a backup to veteran Marc-Andre Fleury. Wild general manager Bill Guerin mentioned that he expects the 25-year-old to compete with Fleury for the starting job this season.
"Having a good goalie is a luxury, and we've got three of them, so we're very happy about that," the executive said.
Guerin added that for the next three years, Gustavsson has a nice runway to prove what he can be.
The manager also said that if Gustavsson can continue to improve and build on the season he had last year, he could be looking at an even better deal at 27 or 28 years old.
Filip Gustavsson happy to be relieved of the pressure
The Swedish, who made his playoff debut last year against the Dallas Stars, was relieved to finally land a long-term deal.
"I'm really happy to have three years instead of just having one year and having all the pressure on my shoulders again to really perform for this year to get another contract," Gustavsson said about his new deal.
He went 2-3 in the playoffs last year, including setting the Wild playoff record of 51 saves in their 3-2 double overtime win in Game 1 of the first-round over the Stars.
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