After the best season of his career where he put up 69 points, (23 goals, 43 assists) Mikael Granlund was a ghost during the Wild’s first-round matchup with the St. Louis Blues.
Granlund didn’t light the lamp during in any game of the series and finished with just two assists.
On Tuesday, Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau and general manager Chuck Fletcher held a press conference to wrap up the 2016-17 season and Fletcher told reporters that Granlund was playing with a broken hand.
Fletcher says Granlund was playing with a broken hand with a recovery time of 4-6 weeks. #mnwild
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 25, 2017
Granlund on his broken hand: "It's going to heal on its own…I don't want to make any excuses." #mnwild
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 25, 2017
Granlund is a finalist for the Lady Byng Award which goes to the player who “exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct, combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
In other words, a player who scored a lot of points but didn’t take many penalties.
The former first-round pick will be a restricted free agent this offseason. Meaning the Wild can make a qualifying offer to retain his rights on a one-year deal or they can sign him a long-term deal.
Minnesota could elect to not offer him the qualifier, making him an unrestricted free agent but that’s highly unlikely especially after the season he just had.
Other notes from the press conference included Fletcher stating no “wholesale changes” will be coming in the offseason.
Fletcher: "Wholesale changes? Absolutely not. [However] there's going to be changes with the salary cap and expansion." #mnwild
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 25, 2017
He also provided an update on Eric Staal, who suffered a concussion in the season-ending loss to the Blues on Saturday.
Fletcher on Staal: "When he initially hit he felt some numbness in his feet…fortunately the scans were all negative." #mnwild
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 25, 2017
