The Minnesota Wild have finalized a deal with Marat Khusnutdinov, a promising 21-year-old forward from Russia whom former general manager Bill Guerin selected during the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Speculation had been brewing for weeks regarding Khusnutdinov’s potential move to the Wild once his KHL season concluded. However, there were uncertainties surrounding whether he would be granted an early release from his contract, which was originally set to expire on April 30th.
Khusnutdinov’s entry-level contract with the Wild spans two years, with an annual salary of $925,000. According to reports from Michael Russo of The Athletic, his representatives received official confirmation on Wednesday morning that his KHL contract had been mutually terminated, clearing the path for his transition to the NHL.
When to expect Marat Khusnutdinov to play for Minnesota Wild.
Once they resolve his VISA issue, they’ll kick off the first year of his two-year deal and have him head straight to Minnesota upon reaching the USA. They’ve even reserved the number 22 jersey for him. Assuming no obstacles arise, the goal is to test if Marat can adapt to the NHL as a young newcomer in a foreign land. Earlier this week, Russo mentioned that Khusnutdinov and Kirill Kaprizov have been communicating frequently via text and calls.
Khusnutdinov in the KHL
Throughout the 2023-24 season, Khusnutdinov participated in 49 matches for HK Sochi within the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where he achieved 20 points through 6 goals and 14 assists, alongside accruing 10 penalty minutes. He held the position of team captain and stood fifth in assists and seventh in points within the team. Initially, he commenced the season with SKA St. Petersburg, playing six games before transitioning to HK Sochi through a trade on October 10th.
