The Minnesota Wild have signed University of Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The three-year contract is valued at $2.775 million ($925,000 a year in the NHL, prorated this season), sources familiar with the negotiations told The Athletic.
- Faber will immediately burn through the first year of his NHL deal when he joins the Wild and flies with the team to Chicago for Monday’s game.
- The Kings drafted Faber with the #45 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft before trading him to the Wild in 2022.
- Faber is a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and has been selected to two All-Big Ten First Teams.
Details of Faber’s contract
Faber receives three signing awards totaling $92,500, and he can earn up to $250,000 in performance awards each year, according to multiple sources familiar with the negotiations.
That is, 2023-24 or 2024-25 if he has ONE of 10 goals, 25 assists, 40 points, top-4 in ice age among wild defenders (at least 42 games), top-3 in plus-minus among the Defenders Scored (42+ Games), 0.49 Points Per Game (42+ Games), Top-2 Defenders in Blocked Shots, All-Rookie Team, All-Star Pick, All-Star MVP, He Would received $250,000. — Russo
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Will Faber make his NHL debut in one of the last three games of the regular season?
While Faber wasn’t promised a game, it wouldn’t be surprising. If the Wild have no chance of winning the Central (their recent 0-2-1 streak and the fact that Colorado and Dallas don’t stop winning have stymied that hope), it would make sense to rest the defenders. After losing center Joel Eriksson Ek last week to a leg injury that sees him sidelined week in and week out, the Wild have to worry about possible injuries to top-four defenders Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba.
Faber’s parents are expected to be present for Tuesday’s home game against Winnipeg, so that might be a clue. Or at least it makes a lot of sense to debut him Thursday in Nashville’s regular-season finale. He is eligible to play in the playoffs if needed. — Russo
What could Faber add to the game in the long term?
With Dumba an upcoming unrestricted free agent and expected to be at the end of his long tenure in Minnesota, the Wild appear to be counting on Faber, a Maple Grove, Minnesota native, to bring the team out of training camp in the fall and take over Dumba’s role to the right of longtime defender Brodin.
Faber is an elite defenseman, world-class skater and competitive leader who managed the Gophers during his junior season and has extensive big-game experience at the Olympics and gold at the World Junior Championships. He began resuming his attacking prowess last season and the Wild hope to continue to develop that facet of his game. — Russo
backstory
Faber’s collegiate career ended Saturday with the Gophers’ overtime loss to Quinnipiac in the national championship game.
The Wild acquired Faber in a trade for Kevin Fiala and a first-round pick last summer (they took Liam Ohgren in 2022 at No. 19).
Faber, 20, had a career-high 27 points in 38 games, a plus-29 rating and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year and All-Big Ten for the third straight year.
He landed at 3:30 a.m. from Tampa, will expire the first year of his three-year contract and will charter the Wild to Chicago Midway at 3:30 p.m. to get acclimated to the team. The Wild play the Blackhawks Monday night at the United Center.
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(Photo Richard T. Gagnon / Getty Images)