Minnesota Wild Signs Yakov Trenin to Four-Year Deal

The Minnesota Wild have signed Yakov Trenin to a four-year, $14 million contract, as part of an effort to bolster their penalty kill and defensive play. Trenin, who played under Wild coach John Hynes in Nashville, is known for his hard-nosed, penalty-killing abilities but has modest offensive stats with 12 goals and 5 assists in 76 games last season. The Wild's penalty kill ranked third-to-last in the league, and Trenin's addition aims to address this weakness. However, the $3.5 million annual cap hit for Trenin is seen as significant for a team with limited salary cap flexibility. Trenin's physical presence and penalty-killing prowess are expected to help the Wild, who have been focusing on reinforcing their defensive identity this offseason.