Is Mikko Koivu’s career finished in Minnesota?

 **Update** 

After I posted the original article, the Wild are expected to move on from Mikko Koivu. According to an article by The Athletic's Michael Russo (link to here), Koivu was informed during his end of the season exit meeting with GM Bill Guerin. Russo stated Koivu has been informing those closest to him that his playing days with the Wild are over. 

With the 2019-2020 season over for the Minnesota Wild after they didn’t make it past the round-robin play in and into the Stanley Cup playoffs, there are questions about the roster and what moves is General Manager Bill Guerin going to make in the off season. 

One of the big questions this off-season is whether or not Mikko Koivu’s career as a member of the Wild is over. Koivu turned 37 back on March 12.

Koivu’s career with the Wild started in the 2005-06 season. He was drafted in the first round by the team in 2001 (sixth overall). After fifteen seasons, Koivu is the team leader in the following categories (information courtesy of wild.com):

• NHL games played (1,028--all played with the Minnesota Wild)
• Points (729)
• Assists (704)
• Plus/Minus (+70)
• Shots (2,270)

Koivu is second all time in goals scored (205) and power play goals (60). He is the only permanent captain in team history (he was named captain on October 20, 2009).He is also the first in franchise history to have played 1000 career NHL games and with the same team.

Now, with the 2019-2020 season over, Koivu’s contract with the Wild has now ended. He is basically a free agent (even though free agency won’t begin until October 9). Whether or not Koivu returns for another season in a Wild sweater also depends on what Wild GM Bill Guerin is able to with free agency (this will be Guerin’s first full offseason as GM). 

If Koivu re-signs with the team, what would his role be? According to Michael Russo from The Athletic, Koivu would more than likely playing center on the fourth line with probably no power play time. It was a role that he transitioned to during the second half of the season and remained in during the playoffs.

Depending on free-agency at this point, what are the possibilities for Koivu? The first possibility is that Koivu re-signs with the Wild in a short term deal that is team-friendly so that he could retire as a member of the Wild. He didn’t waive his no-trade clause at the trade deadline so he could remain with the team. The other possibility is that he may have some options if he decides to pursue free agency or sign with his hometown team TPS Turku in the Finnish Elite League.

What the future brings for Mikko Koivu remains to be seen. Koivu still needs to meet with Guerin and he does need some time to think about his future. 

Sources:

Michael Russo, The Athletic (8/9/2020) https://theathletic.com/1984520/2020/08/09/mikko-koivu-wild-retirement-was-that-it-captain/

https://www.hockeywilderness.com/2020/3/16/21180704/minnesota-wild-mikko-koivu-retirement-new-contract-speculation-covid-19-coronavirus

Michael Russo, The Athletic (9/9/2020) https://theathletic.com/2052864/2020/09/09/wild-offseason-update-mikko-koivu-contract-future-trade-buyout-options/