Veteran Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom wants to get on the ice, and he’s willing to be traded to make it happen.
His agent, Jay Grossman, told SportsNet’s Damien Cox that Backstrom would be willing to consider options if the Minnesota Wild want to trade him, and Cox notes that there may be some interest in the 37-year-old goaltender.
“At a reasonable $3.4 million this season in the final year of his contract, Backstrom may be a viable option for some team.”
Backstrom is Minnesota’s third goaltender behind Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper. He hasn’t seen any action this season and he’s played in just 40 games over the past two seasons while battling injuries.
It was thought Backstrom would be a candidate for a buyout during the offseason, but elbow surgery prevented it from happening, as Backstrom wasn’t cleared to play until training camp.
Backstrom was 5-7-3 last season, while posting an .886 even-strength save percentage and a .884 adjusted save percentage – both were the worst marks in the NHL last season among goaltenders who played in a minimum of 11 games.
According to The Hockey Writers, the Wild may be willing to eat a portion of Backstrom’s $3.4 million salary, to free up some cap space and a roster spot.
Backstrom’s contract calls for a no movement clause meaning he would have to approve a deal.
