The Minnesota Wild have already signed 2026 draft pick Filip Ruzicka to his first NHL contract.
PuckPedia reported the deal is a three-year entry-level contract worth $987,500 per season against the cap.
The breakdown shows real structure, with $850,000 in NHL salary plus an $87,500 signing bonus and $87,500 in minors salary for year one alone.
Year two bumps his NHL salary to $900,000, and year three moves it to $950,000, with the bonus and minors numbers holding steady across all three years.
Ruzicka was Minnesota's number 137 overall selection in the 2026 draft, and locking him up fast signals the organization likes what it saw.
Minnesota finished this past season 46-24-12 for 104 points, seventh overall, proof the organization is building depth around a genuine contender.
The graphic breaking down the contract terms is already circulating widely among cap and prospect trackers.
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Breaking down the numbers in Ruzicka's three-year deal
Ruzicka is represented by Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey, one of the more recognizable names in the business when it comes to negotiating entry-level paper.
GM Bill Guerin has quietly built one of the deeper prospect pipelines in the league, and locking up a late-round pick this early fits that pattern closely.
A $987,500 cap hit is about as low-risk as it gets for Minnesota, giving Ruzicka a real runway to develop without any immediate pressure on the NHL roster.
The layered bonus structure, split between NHL salary, signing money and minors salary, is standard for a player expected to spend real time developing outside the show.
Coach John Hynes now has one more name added to a system already producing NHL-ready players out of the pipeline.
Whether Ruzicka ever cracks an NHL lineup is still years away from being decided.
For now, the Wild have simply locked in the paperwork, and the runway to prove himself starts whenever he's ready.
Are you excited about the Wild's 2026 draft class after signing Filip Ruzicka?
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