SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed forward Joel Eriksson Ek to an eight-year, $42 million contract ($5.25 million AAV) that goes through the 2028-29 season.
Eriksson Ek, 24 (1/29/97), recorded a career-high 30 points (19-11=30) in 56 games during the 2020-21 season. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound native of Karlstad, Sweden, also set career highs in goals, plus/minus rating (+16) and in TOI/game (17:03). He led the Wild in faceoffs won (395), ranked second in hits (105), third in goals and shots (119), fourth in plus/minus rating and fifth in scoring. The left-shot forward tallied a career-high seven-game point streak (4-3=7) from April 17-29, tied for the longest point streak by a Wild player last season. He also recorded consecutive multi-point games for the first time in his career Jan. 20-22 and was one of three players to skate in every game. Eriksson Ek ranked T-1st on the Wild in playoff goals (2) and scoring (3) in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games, including his first career playoff game-winning goal (OT) on May 16 at Vegas.
Eriksson Ek owns 96 points (43-53=96), nine GWG, 88 PIM, 472 hits and 158 blocked shots in 266 career NHL contests during five seasons with Minnesota (2016-21). He has recorded five points (3-2=5) in 19 career Stanley Cup Playoff matches.
Minnesota selected Eriksson Ek in the first round (20th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
