"We have had successful talks with Kevin's club, the Minnesota Wild," says Lars Weibel, Director National Teams, "but due to his current contract situation, the risk for a participation in the World Championship is considered too high by Kevin and his management."
Kevin Fiala's season with the Minnesota Wild ended earlier this week, as the Wild lost the first round of the NHL playoffs against the St. Louis Blues. At the end of his contract with the Wild, he will be a restricted free agent this offseason.
Last year, the Wild and Fiala settled on a one-year, $5.1 million contract. An arbitration hearing had been set at the time, but they were able to come to an agreement ahead of it. The two parties met each other halfway, as Fiala was asking for $6.25 million while the Wild offer $4 million.
The forward comes off the best regular season in his career, recording 33 goals and 52 assists in 82 games. While the Wild have the right to negotiate with him first, they also might have to move him due to their cap situation. According to Jeff Marek (Sportsnet), one team definitely has taken an interest: the New Jersey Devils.
