The big news around the NHL this week is that the Minnesota Wild are going to buy out the contracts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. With that news, the question is: should the Winnipeg Jets make a move to sign Suter? Considering they are in the market for a defenseman this offseason.
Suter fits the bill as everything that Winnipeg is looking for: a top-pair veteran defenseman who can log a lot of minutes and is a terrific passer.
The thirty-six-year-old is coming off a solid season where he appeared in every game for the Wild and scored three goals, had 16 assists, and amassed a plus-nine plus/minus.
The issue with Suter is his contract. Suter’s contract that is set to be bought out is for thirteen years and has an average annual value (“AAV”) of $7,538,462 per season.
The Winnipeg Jets could benefit from signing Ryan Suter but they need to lower his salary cap hit
Winnipeg is in an interesting position this offseason. As everything stands right now, the Jets have a projected cap space of $20,560,477 but they have three defensemen (Derek Forbort, Tucker Poolman, and Jordie Benn) who are pending unrestricted free agents and another two defensemen (Neal Pionk and Logan Stanley) who are pending restricted free agents.
With that being said, the Jets have limited cap room for a high-profile free agent signing as they build their roster for the 2021-2022 season.
But, there is a great chance that the 16-year NHL veteran’s contract AAV will go down substantially considering Suter is set to be a free agent for the first time since the summer of 2012.
NEWS: #mnwild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the club will buy out the final four years of the contracts of forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter.
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) July 13, 2021
More information » https://t.co/hd3D1naoA0 pic.twitter.com/04tHQ6T88p
Suter has the ability to log some great minutes as he has averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game in every season besides his rookie season. That means that Suter has 15 straight seasons of averaging at least 20 minutes of time on ice per game.
Suter still has a lot to offer and still has all the tools to be a top defenseman for any team. Suter can definitely be a great fit for the Winnipeg Jets and could be the missing piece for the Jets as they look to contend for the Stanley Cup next season.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Do you think the Winnipeg Jets should sign Ryan Suter? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*