Minnesota Wild sign Brendan Gaunce, Ben Jones, Joseph Cecconi, Cameron Crotty, Troy Grosenick

The Minnesota Wild have signed centers Brendan Gaunce & Ben Jones, defensemen Joseph Cecconi & Cameron Crotty, and goaltender Troy Grosenick to two-way contracts, according to Athletic reporter Michael Russo.

Gaunce’s contract with the Wild also comes in at the league minimum cap hit of $775,000, but he was given two years. He was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of a two-year contract with a $762,500 cap hit that he signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. He had 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points in 24 games with the Blue Jackets last season, along with 19 goals and 20 assists for 39 points in 46 regular season games and 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points in 6 playoff games for the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL.

Jones’ contract also got a two-year term on his contract to go with the $775,000 league minimum cap hit. He was a Group 6 unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of a one-year contract with a $775,000 cap hit that he signed with the Calgary Flames last season. He had 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in 72 regular season for the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL, and was held pointless in six playoff games.

Cecconi joins the Wild on a one-year deal at the league minimum of $775,000. He was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of a one-year, $775,000 contract that he signed with the Buffalo Sabres last season. He had 1 goal and 12 assists for 13 points in 58 regular season games in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, as well as 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in 5 playoff games.

Crotty also joins the Wild on a one-year deal at the league minimum of $775,000. He was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of a one-year, $775,000 contract that he signed with the Arizona Coyotes last season. He played one game for the Coyotes where he was held pointless, and also had 3 goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 55 games played with the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL.

The Wild also signed Grosenick to an identical deal of one-year at the $775,000 league minimum cap hit. He was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of a one-year, $775,000 contract that he signed with the Nashville Predators last season. He spent the entirety of the season in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals, where he had a 17-8-2 record, a .907% save percentage and two shutouts in 30 regular season games and a 5-5-0 record, a .902% and one shutout in 11 playoff games.

These deals were some of the 10 signings that the Wild have made on the first day of free agency, highlighted by the four-year contracts they gave to Yakov Trenin and Jake Middleton. They have almost $2 million in projected salary cap space after the signing, with the only restricted free agents remaining on their NHL roster in Declan Chisholm.