Wild re-sign Zach Bogosian: Why they’re keeping him, what it means for their D

The Minnesota Wild have re-signed veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian to a two-year, $2.5 million extension ($1.25 million average annual value), multiple league sources told The Athletic on Tuesday. There is no no-trade protection in the deal. What you need to know:

• Bogosian, 33, has one goal and eight assists in 43 games for Minnesota this season, averaging 17:36 of ice time. He is second amongst defensemen with 80 hits and fifth on the team with 51 blocked shots.
• The Wild acquired Bogosian in November from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2025 seventh-round pick. The No. 3 pick from the 2008 NHL Draft, Bogosian has played 16 NHL seasons, with the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and now the Wild.
• Bogosian won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2020.
• Before the extension, Bogosian was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
• The Wild are in danger of missing the playoffs for only the second time in the past 12 years. They have 64 points in 62 games and are in sixth place in the Central Division. 

Why re-sign Bogosian?

Bogosian has gone from being a depth defenseman and healthy scratch with the Lightning to playing in the top four for parts of his time in Minnesota due to Jared Spurgeon’s season-ending hip and back injuries. His average time on ice (17:06, including his four games with the Lightning) is the highest it has been since 2018-19, when he was with the Sabres (21:38). He has brought much-needed size and physicality to the Wild blue line and has shown he can still skate well and move the puck. Just as important, Bogosian has felt rejuvenated by his role, calling it “refreshing” and a “breath of fresh air.” The Bogosian family has an offseason home in Minnetonka, making it a fit off the ice, too.

“They’ve given me an opportunity to play,” Bogosian told The Athletic last month. “Any player, that’s what you’re looking for. I’ve gotten the minutes and played well. Hope to continue to. They’ve given me a chance and that’s what every player wants.”

How the signing impacts the blue line

The Wild are pretty much set in their top six next season, assuming Spurgeon comes back healthy as expected following two surgeries. You could see Brock Faber with Jake Middleton, Jonas Brodin with Spurgeon, and then Bogosian in a third pair with either waiver-wire pickup Declan Chisholm or Jon Merrill. Alex Goligoski’s contract comes off the books this summer. There could be a prospect like Daemon Hunt who pushes for the sixth or seventh spot, too.

(Photo: Zach Bogosian: Matt Blewett / USA Today)