5 Minnesota Wild players who may not return for 2025-26 season feat. Marcus Johansson

The Minnesota Wild’s season came to an end on Thursday night as the Vegas Golden Knights won Game 6 3-2.

With the loss, the Wild will get an early start to their offseason, as they look to find answers to the issues that led to their first-round playoff exit. That situation could involve several players not returning to the team next season.

So, let’s take a deep dive into five players who may not be back for the Minnesota Wild in the 2025-26 season.

5 Minnesota Wild players who may not return for 2025-26 season

#5 Justin Brazeau

Justin Brazeau came over from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline looking to give the Minnesota Wild a boost in their bottom six.

However, Brazeau didn’t produce much in 19 regular-season games for the Wild, notching one goal and one assist. In the postseason, he chipped in two assists in the six games against the Golden Knights.

While his cap hit is attractive, the Wild may choose to move on from Brazeau as they look for another bottom-six forward with a better offensive upside in the free-agent market.

#4 Gustav Nyquist

Gustav Nyquist was another trade deadline acquisition for the Minnesota Wild, joining the club from the Nashville Predators.

Nyquist notched seven points in 22 regular-season games for the Wild. However, he was invisible in the postseason, failing to get on the scoresheet in all six games against Vegas.

That situation could make Nyquist expendable as his $3.18 million cap hit could be too much for the Wild to afford. There’s a chance both sides could work something out this summer. But it remains to be seen if that will be the case.

#3 Declan Chisholm

Declan Chisholm was a solid depth defenseman for the Wild this season. At 25, he’s still young and could blossom into a top-four blue liner. However, he’ll be an RFA this summer and could be looking for a substantial raise from his $1 million cap hit this season.

The likeliest outcome could be a bridge deal in which the Wild and Chisholm bet on one another to perform well. But if Chisholm wants a longer-term deal, the two sides could be forced to part ways at some point this summer.

#2 Jon Merrill

Jon Merrill’s production, and his role, have consistently declined since coming over to the Minnesota Wild in 2022. Merrill has been largely inconsistent for the Wild, though he has added grit and toughness to the lineup.

At 33, Merrill could be looking at his last shot at a contract. That situation means he could be enticed to test the free-agent waters to see if there’s any team willing to give him a three or four-year deal.

Otherwise, Merrill could be looking at a one-year deal with Minnesota or potentially a PTO after a disappointing season.

#1 Marcus Johansson

Marcus Johansson is closing in on 1,000 career NHL games. Over that span, he’s been a solid 30-point producer. He’s recorded back-to-back 30-point seasons. But at 34, the wily veteran could be looking for a new team this summer.

Johansson chipped in two points this postseason, hardly looking like a significant difference-maker on the ice.

His $2 million cap hit is hardly prohibitive. But with the Wild staring at a number of RFAs needing new contracts, that cap space could better be utilized to keep younger players like Marco Rossi and Declan Chisholm.

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Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early ’90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can’t for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan