With Marco Rossi now under contract for the next three years and ready to report for camp, all eyes have turned to his superstar teammate, Kirill Kaprizov, who’s entering the final year of a five-year contract he signed back in September of 2021.

At some point before September 19, the first official day of MN Wild training camp, president of hockey operations Bill Guerin has one mission, and one mission only: Get Kaprizov back under a long-term contract, and the lengthier the better.

If worst-case scenario becomes reality and they can’t get a deal done with their 28-year-old star winger by the start of training camp, there’s a belief the Wild will start to gauge trade interest in Kirill and even entertain offers leading up to the trade deadline, or worse, early next offseason.

Minnesota Wild sign intriguing young forward, Brett Leason

So with that nightmare chilling in the back of Bill Guerin’s mind, he and Minnesota’s front office continue to work the roster, leading up to the start of training camp. And on Friday, they made a sneaky little move, signing 26-year-old NHL winger, Brett Leason.

Hearing the #mnwild are bringing in former Caps and Ducks right wing Brett Leason on a PTO. Right-shot who can kill penalties. Will bring more competition in camp for a bottom-six role.

220 career games, 25 goals, 54 points

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 5, 2025

Related: Infamous MN Wild Superstar Makes U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Selected in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft by the Washington Capitals, Leason made his NHL debut in 2021-22, at just 22 years old. After 36 games with the Caps, he was waived that next offseason, and quickly claimed by the Anaheim Ducks, where he’s played the past three years and 184 games.

Leason was a pretty prolific scorer, as a junior hockey player in the WHL, where he put up 89 points (36 goals) for the Prince Albert Raiders back in 2018-19, right before he was drafted. And for a guy in his mid-20s, his 220 games played (11:49 average TOI) the past four seasons jump off his Hockey-Reference page.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to show off the incredible hands and impressive maneuverability in tight spaces that got teenage Brett Leason selected as high as he was in the NHL Draft six years ago, as he has accumulated just 54 points (25 goals) with all that experience, even while averaging legitimate third line minutes.

Leason’s highlights, profile are worth keeping an eye on

Leason, however, is coming off arguably the best two years of his young career, averaging 13 minutes per night in Anaheim, where last season he posted his best +/- (-2) since he was a rookie in 2021-22.

Watching back some of the Canadian’s career highlights, though, you can see what made him such a prolific juniors player and why Guerin likely jumped on the opportunity to bring him in on a camp try-out contract.

BRETT LEASON TIES IT LATE FOR THE DUCKS

It was 4-1 Utah 😱 pic.twitter.com/XJlZbj18P1

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) December 23, 2024

Brett Leason gives the Ducks the lead
3-2 pic.twitter.com/8SiyFnmMNS

— JD Young (@MyFryHole) September 25, 2024

But before he can have a 26-year-old career resurgence in St. Paul… Brett Leason has to make the team, which won’t be easy, given some of the proven depth the Minnesota Wild have on roster at wing, entering camp.

But what will it take for McCarthy to have a successful redshirt rookie season in the NFL? Well, it starts with what his coaches want most, which is efficiency. If JJ can manage the offense and get the ball to Minnesota’s ultra-talented group of offensive weapons, the Vikings would be very happy with that.

The 2025 MN Vikings offense has been reconstructed to better support a first time starting quarterback. The offensive line has been in three different spots and now includes a deeper, more talented backfield, thanks to the addition of Jordan Mason.

And when McCarthy’s name is called, he’ll drop back looking for the best wide receiver in the NFL, Justin Jefferson, along with newly acquired homecoming kid, Adam Thielen. Come week four, after he serves a three-game “wet reckless” suspension, Jordan Addison will also be added into that mix.

Everything on the line for TJ Hockenson this season

Then, there is trusty tight end TJ Hockenson, a young quarterback’s best friend. McCarthy liked utilizing his tight ends in the pass game at Michigan, which is good news for Hock, who may need JJ McCarthy to develop into a competent NFL starting quarterback in year one, more than any other pass-catcher on the MN Vikings roster.

Why is that? Because, while Minnesota’s 28 year-old tight end remains under contract with the Vikings through 2027, there is a massive change in structure, following the 2025 season.

Related: NFL Network Host Drunk on Purple Kool-Aid and Vikings Nostalgia

Hockenson, who holds the fourth-highest cap hit of any tight end in football in 2025, at $16.6 million, will see his cap figure balloon to $21.4 million in 2026, which is currently set to be the second-highest of any tight end, behind only David Njoku’s $24.3M (Spotrac).

In all likelihood, TJ Hockenson will NOT play under his current contract in 2026. Either the Minnesota Vikings work out a new deal between now and the start of next season, or they trade/cut him. If they were to cut the former Lion out of the University of Iowa, they’d save up to $16 million against the 2026 cap.

Minnesota Vikings tight end back to full health

That’s why the 2025 season is pretty much a contract year for Hockenson. But it’s not just any contract year. TJ is coming off a season where he played in just 10 games, thanks to a knee injury and rehabilitation that lasted well into 2024.

Now far removed from that injury, Hockenson openly admits he did not feel like the same guy last year, when he returned. He still found a way to put up 455 yards, but didn’t find the endzone even one time in 10 weeks.

Hockenson incorporated something new to his training because of how he felt after missing training camp last year and the first seven games of the regular season.

“I was a step slower than I wanted to be, and I knew that after a couple games,” he said. “Toward the end of the year, I got more comfortable, and I got back to where I wanted to be.”

Star Tribune

Related: O’Connell Gives Major Update on Key Vikings Starters

Thus, TJ Hockenson must prove to the NFL world that he is still one of the best tight ends in football. If he can, his new contract this offseason will remain in the realm of other top talents at the position.

If not, his offers from both the Minnesota Vikings and elsewhere will be considered underwhelming, compared to what he’s being paid now. So it’s very important that TJ Hockenson and JJ McCarthy develop rapport as quickly as possible this season. Not just for the team’s future, but for the tight end’s too.

Not only have they chosen not to bring in any recognizable talent to supplement their 2024 playoff roster, outside of a flyer trade for Vladimir Tarasenko, but Guerin is yet to ink Kirill Kaprizov to his long-awaited contract extension or decide whether to trade or sign Marco Rossi to another deal.

Mostly, Minnesota has stuck to making moves that grab less headlines. First, they extending Marcus Johansson (with a no-trade clause). Then, Guerin dumped Freddy Gaudreau’s salary on the Seattle Kraken, in exchange for a 4th round pick.

The Wild then followed up those moves by swapping out former 1st round center Brendan Gaunce for Columbus wing, Cameron Butler, before bringing back center Nico Sturm to win some faceoffs. But one of the most important updates so far this offseason has come on the injury front.

Minnesota Wild sign Shattuck St. Mary’s Jack Johnson to Professional Tryout

Back in late-June we found out that longtime top-four MN Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin had offseason lower-body surgery that is expected to keep him out off the active roster through training camp and into the start of the 2025-26 regular season.

Without Brodin, Minnesota’s depth on the blue line suddenly looks thin, especially when it comes to defensemen with significant NHL experience. Thus, Guerin and the front office made a move Monday to sign former Shattuck St. Mary’s standout and grizzled 19-year NHL veteran, Jack Johnson to a “Professional Tryout Opportunity” (PTO) contract.

The Minnesota Wild have signed Jack Johnson to a PTO pic.twitter.com/BHtna7QPrt

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 11, 2025

Related: MN Wild Teasing Massive Contract News on Local Sidewalks…?

Johnson, 38, is from Indianapolis, Indiana. He transferred to Shattuck St. Mary’s for his sophomore season of high school, back in 2002-2003, where he scored 15 goals from the blue line, to go with 27 assists.

I’d imagine many of those assists (and probably a couple of goals at least) probably happened in part thanks to a young Sydney Crosby, who played with Johnson at the famed U18 hockey factory, which sits in the midsize town of Faribault, MN (24,000 people).

When he left Shattuck St. Mary’s, following one successful season, Johnson went on to play two junior seasons with USA Hockey. There, he played 48 total games, potting 15 goals and assisting on 27 more.

Johnson trying out for 20th NHL season

After his final year with Team USA, Johnson — who was committed to Michigan — and was selected 3rd overall by Carolina in the 2005 NHL Draft. Two stellar years as a Wolverine later, and Jack Johnson made the NHL leap.

In 2006-2007, at just 20-years-old, he made his NHL debut with the LA Kings, who had traded for him prior to the start of that season. And 1,200 National Hockey League games later, the rest is history.

I cut together this 2-minute highlight reel of Jack Johnson's time as a Pittsburgh Penguin. pic.twitter.com/mcnM5JxGmL

— Benstonium (@Benstonium) October 5, 2020

Related: MN Wild TV Broadcast Ranked Embarrassingly Low

Prior to signing with the Minnesota Wild, Johnson has racked up over 1,200 games of NHL experience with six different teams, including a Stanley Cup victory in 2021-2022 with the Colorado Avalanche. He’s scored 77 goals from the blue line and assisted on 265 more.

For the first decade of his career, Johnson averaged over 23 minutes of TOI. Last year, in 41 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the aging veteran averaged just 12:52 of ice time (0 goals, 6 assists).

Nonetheless, Michael Russo (The Athletic) makes it clear that Guerin does not make this move if Johnson didn’t have a legitimate chance of making the roster.

Guerin, who signed a PTO with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 before being released and retiring two months later, typically doesn’t believe in PTOs unless there’s a clear shot for a veteran to make the team. He doesn’t want to lead them astray if there’s little chance.

But with Brodin hurt, Zeev Buium only 19 and fellow first-round pick Carson Lambos, 22, yet to make his NHL debut, Johnson will provide some depth on the left side of the blue line if needed by the end of camp.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

After the Wolves pulled two international 18-year-old big men out of the 2025 draft heap, Connelly turned his attention to Minnesota’s own crop of pending offseason departures, specifically Naz Reid (player option), Julius Randle (player option) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (UFA).

On Friday evening, Tim settled Reid’s uncertainty with a new 5 year, $125 million contract that has received rather widespread criticism nationally, as an overpay. Locally, it was pretty well-known that Naz Reid was going to be paid as a starter, in the neighborhood of $25-30 million per year.

Minnesota Timberwolves sign Julius Randle to contract extension

Still, I expect the news reported by Shams Charania (ESPN) early Sunday afternoon will likely wrap national pundits up in even more confusion. Not only is Naz Reid coming back, but so is Julius Randle… on a fresh 3-year, $100 million deal ($33.3 million/year) that includes a player option in its final season (2027-28).

BREAKING: Three-time NBA All-Star Julius Randle intends to sign a new three-year, $100 million deal to stay with the Minnesota Timberwolves, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season. pic.twitter.com/j8fKA45gXu

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025

Last season, his first in a Timberwolves uniform, Julius Randle averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He struggled a bit to find his fit during the first half of the season. Then, a midseason injury sidelined the 30-year-old former Kentucky Wildcat for all of February.

It was then, according to Randle, where he was able to observe his new team, from the outside-looking-in. That perspective allowed him to unlock his fit. From there, his numbers bumped up and the wins rolled in. Minnesota went into February (Randle’s month off) with a 27-21 record and questions all over the fit of its roster, especially Randle.

Julius Randle paid by Timberwolves after incredible finish to season

But after Julius’ return on March 3, he slid in like the perfect puzzle piece. And from that date on, the Timberwolves went 17-4 to finish the regular season, jumping a half-dozen teams to claim the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket, just outside of the play-in tournament.

In the playoffs, Randle was one of the most reliable Wolves on the floor during their first two series. He averaged 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists in Minnesota’s 10 combined postseason games against the Lakers and Warriors. Unfortunately, he too fell off vs OKC (17.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.0 APG).

Julius Randle in the 2025 postseason:

🐺 22.4 points per game
🐺 6.4 assists per game
🐺 triple-double in G3 last Saturday

The @Timberwolves have a record of 23-6 since Randle returned from injury in March 💪 pic.twitter.com/y3KR7ssq40

— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2025

Related: Rudy Gobert Finally Says No to International Play

After the Wolves failed to reel in Durant, local reports have pointed to running it back with mostly the same roster. This does not mean Julius Randle will be a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the next three seasons. In fact, don’t be shocked if he doesn’t last until the trade deadline.

Don’t worry, there is a method to Tim Connelly’s madness

Most likely, the Wolves will start the 2025-26 season with a roster very similar to last year’s. But if a move needs to be made before the playoff run, or next offseason (etc), we all know Tim Connelly won’t hesitate.

Sure, getting rid of Randle would now have to come via trade, but his status in Minnesota remains year-to-year, even month to month. The same thing can be said for everyone else on the Wolves’ roster, not named Anthony Edwards.

Thus, his new deal should not come as a huge surprise. But then again, Reid’s shouldn’t have either. We are getting the flurry of announcements now, because NBA free agency begins on July 1, so this weekend is the deadline for 2025-26 player options to be decided on.

After Randle’s new contract, local beat reporters have confirmed that Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be the odd-Wolf out. With the Reid + Randle extensions hitting the books, there is no room remaining under the second apron for a player as valuable as NAW.

This deal does mean that NAW will be headed elsewhere. Wolves have people behind him ready for a shot and they’re going to get it

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 29, 2025

What this does move does is give both the Timberwolves and Julius Randle more control of over their future. With Reid, Randle, Gobert, Ant and Jaden under long term contracts, this organization is stacked with talent of all ages that other teams would happily pay for, if Tim Connelly needs to move someone.

Up in the front office, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed his own extension, before he gave his top confidants, Ryan Grigson and Demetrius Washington, promotions from vice presidents of player personnel to co-assistant GMs.

While there have been some coaching departures, the most notable being assistant QB coach and OC, Grant Udinsky, now offensive coordinator for the Jaguars. But for the most part, the 2024 Minnesota Vikings coaching staff remains in-tact entering 2025, something that was far from guaranteed three to five months ago.

The Minnesota Vikings have employed Wes Phillips as their offensive coordinator for the past four seasons, since Kevin O’Connell took over as head coach. But he’s been with KOC longer than that. In fact, Wes and Kevin first coached together in 2017.

Minnesota Vikings sign OC Wes Phillips to contract extension

That’s when O’Connell first joined the Washington Redskins staff, as QB coach under then OC Kyle Shanahan. Since meeting up in DC, however, Wes hasn’t left Kevin’s side. They went from Washington to LA (Rams), then Minnesota together.

And after Wes Phillips agreed to a contract extension with the Vikings late Friday night, it looks like the two friends will continue their coaching journeys together, into the foreseeable future. Wes was entering the final year of his previous deal, prior to inking this one.

The #Vikings agreed to a contract extension with offensive coordinator Wes Phillips on Friday night, securing a key member of Kevin O’Connell's coaching staff with a new deal: https://t.co/dyTM3N9L6Z

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) June 14, 2025

“The deal they reached on Friday night secured one of O’Connell’s key confidants, who helps organize the team’s game plan during the week and provides a crucial voice for the coach as he calls plays on Sundays. Phillips turned down a job calling plays for the Chargers after the 2022 season, deciding to stay in Minnesota on O’Connell’s staff; he will work with the head coach and the Vikings’ offensive staff in 2025 as the team prepares 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy to take over as starting quarterback.”

Ben Goessling – Star Tribune

Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) broke the news on Wes Phillips’ extension late Friday night. But the “one of us” beat writer first reported Wes’ new deal as being imminent about two weeks ago, on his Access Vikings Podcast. There, he also noted that a Brian Flores extension is likely coming soon too.

Wes’ new contract ensures he stays with Minnesota beyond 2025, unless he receives an offer elsewhere that would promote him to either head coach or play-calling offensive coordinator. Phillips doesn’t call plays for the Vikings, because Kevin O’Connell does.

Phillips’ time with Vikings has been up and down

Just a couple of years ago, this new contract was far from guaranteed for Wes Phillips. With a bunch of young, up-and-coming offensive coaches around him, many wondered how exactly the 45-year-old (now 46) fit into the future of Minnesota’s coaching staff.

Then in December 2023, while the Vikings were still in the midst of KOC’s only non-playoff season as head coach, Phillips was arrested on DWI charges that he would eventually plead down to “Careless Driving”. Instead of firing him, Kevin O’Connell gave his friend another chance. One and a half years later, here we are.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Sign New O-Lineman, Cut Safety

This is arguably the most important season in recent memory for the Minnesota Vikings. Wes Phillips, QB coach Josh McCown and KOC are all tasked with getting the most out of new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. We’ll see if they can work some more magic on yet another different QB.

At the start of the offseason, both the Vikings head coach and their general manager promised to fix the interior of both lines. Three months later, they delivered in a manner that probably went above and beyond what would have been deemed a success.

Minnesota Vikings ink Donovan Jackson to deal

But on Thursday evening, right after the Vikings 2025 schedule officially released, the Minnesota Vikings officially signed the final piece of the offensive side of their revamped trenches. Jackson was the final of Minnesota’s five draft picks to sign their rookie deals.

The #Vikings have agreed to terms with first-round pick Donovan Jackson.

Minnesota’s entire rookie class is now under contract. pic.twitter.com/vppYRa04nG

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 15, 2025

Although the exact terms of Jackson’s contract were not immediately made public, rookie contracts are mostly pre-set by the NFL. Spotrac has Donovan Jackson’s new deal worth $17.2 million, with the signing bonus checking in just above $9.1 million.

All first round rookie contracts are worth four years, with a fifth year team option. Starting as soon as training camp, Jackson is expected to take over as the starting left guard, next to Christian Darrisaw, and in place of last year’s LG starter, Blake Brandel. We’ll see if that’s how things wind up shaking out, in reality.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Sign Two More Rookies

The selection of Jackson completes an interior line overhaul for the Vikings. Jackson is joined by center Ryan Kelly, and right guard Will Fries. Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O’Neill are cemented bookends and the line as a whole would give J.J. McCarthy a great launching point.

Don’t overlook the other MN Vikings rookies

Beyond just Jackson, the Minnesota Vikings draft class should have legitimate contributors. Third round wide receiver Tai Felton is a legitimate option to overtake Jalen Nailor. The Maryland standout will get run early if there’s a suspension for Jordan Addison, and he may not give the reps back.

Impressed me Friday how long Tai Felton was. Not sure I expected that. But stands out as an athlete, certainly. pic.twitter.com/5Tw1UouOkf

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) May 11, 2025

Plenty of excitement has been shared about defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and he could factor in at multiple positions in Brian Flores’ front. Kobe King brings linebacker depth alongside Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman. Tight end Gavin Bartholomew should have an inside track to replace Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse.

Related: Official 2025 Minnesota Vikings Schedule + Release Video

While the Minnesota Vikings rookie class wasn’t full of quantity, it appears that Adofo-Mensah has hit on the quality aspect. A highly-praised class of 20 undrafted free agents are also worthy of keeping an eye on. If Minnesota is going to compete in the year ahead, they’ll need contributions from all over their roster, young and old.

Competitive or not, Guerin and his front office enter the 2025 NHL offseason searching for answers, after yet another first round exit out of the annual postseason tournament. So, where do they hope to find said answers?

Well, everything the Minnesota Wild do this offseason will stem from a sudden increase in salary cap space, now that Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s buyout penalties have finally (mostly) fallen off the books.

Bill Guerin confident Kirill Kaprizov extension will get done

But how high should our expectations be for this offseason? Over the weekend, Michael Russo (The Athletic) projected Minnesota to have approximately $17-18 million in additional cap space to play with, over the next few months. That, after they extend Kirill Kaprizov, something Bill Guerin is confident will get done.

Guerin reiterates he’s very confident they’ll extend Kaprizov this summer

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) May 6, 2025

Until it is signed, sealed and delivered, Billy did make it clear that Kaprizov’s new deal is the organization’s top priority. Kirill actually met with media on Monday and he too seemed optimistic that the two sides will find middle ground this summer.

Kirill Kaprizov will be 29 years old next season and his injury history is far from perfect. Nonetheless, he is by far the most talented player to ever skate for the Minnesota Wild and they have no plans of letting him go, no matter what that takes, which is expected to be six years, at about $15 million per season.

Related: Marc-Andre Fleury Not Done Playing Hockey Just Yet… and What About MN Wild EBUG Duties?

Kaprizov still has one year left on his current deal. The Russian winger ranks 4th in franchise history in goals (185), 11th in assists (201) and 5th in points (386). In 41 games last season, the former fifth round pick totaled 25 goals and 56 total points, but missed most of the second half due to a lower-body injury.

Minnesota Wild plan to add centerman, possibly a winger too

Of course, Kaprizov’s extension is far from the only thing on Bill Guerin’s offseason to-do list. Right behind him is the need to add a top-6 centerman, and possibly a high-end winger too, if the opportunity were to present itself. Defensemen? Nope, the Wild’s president off hockey operations says they are all set on the blue line.

Guerin says they’re in the market for centers this offseason. Wouldn’t be opposed to a scoring winger. Defense is set

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) May 6, 2025

When asked about 23-year-old Marco Rossi, and why he was pushed down to the fourth line for the NHL Playoffs, Guerin played dumb and made it seem like the lines were so stacked up top that Rossi couldn’t squeeze into anything higher than the fourth line, which he felt played well.

According to Russo, that’s not the way Rossi’s camp feels. Whether he’s willing to admit it or not, the fact that the Wild are looking to add specifically at center this summer proves that Marco probably isn’t in their long-term plans.

Related: New Minnesota Wild Arena Name and Sponsor Revealed…?

If he were, center would not be anywhere near the top of their priority list, being they already roster Rossi and Joel Eriksson Ek. Much like the longtime MN Wild beat writer, it seems pretty clear to me that the end of Marco Rossi’s time in St. Paul has come.

How big of a deal was Wednesday’s win? Well, the MN Timberwolves have advanced beyond the first round of the NBA Playoffs just three times during its 36 years of NBA existence, and that now includes two straight first round wins.

Last spring/summer, the Wolves advanced all the way to the West Finals. This year, they now wait for the winner of Warriors vs Rockets (GS leads 3-2), who play game six of their round one matchup on Friday night. Of course, this team looks a bit different than that West Finals team that lost to Dallas last year.

Just before the start of the training camp, Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly made the extremely difficult decision to trade Karl-Anthony Towns, amid luxury tax concerns.

While it took a while for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to find their footing in Minnesota’s new-look rotation, Connelly looks like a genius after the LA series, where both guys played a crucial role in the Wolves’ defeating the Lakers.

Tim Connelly speaks on his future with the Minnesota Timberwolves

No matter how this run ends, the Wolves have a lot of questions that need answered this offseason. Randle has a player option that will dictate a lot of their roster decisions. But the biggest contract controversy hanging over the franchise this offseason is actually Tim Connelly’s.

He signed a one-year extension last offseason, that pushed his decision one more year into the future. This year, he’s expected to make a longer-term decision. Now that the ownership controversy is mostly settled, what will one of the most coveted front office executives in the league going to do?

Well, if you take Tim at his word… he isn’t going anywhere. At least, that’s what he told KFAN’s Dan Barreiro on Thursday afternoon, after the Minnesota Timberwolves won their series vs the Lakers.

Tim Connelly on rumors of him going to other teams after this season:

“There is no truth to any of those things. I could not be happier. Working with unbelievably great people, from the players, the coaches, and the ownership. Alex, Marc, Glen, Becky — everyone's been… pic.twitter.com/pyJ8ZtXnlv

— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) May 1, 2025

“There is no truth to any of those things. I could not be happier. Working with unbelievably great people, from the players, the coaches, and the ownership. Alex, Marc, Glen, Becky — everyone’s been fantastic. We are very, very happy where we are.”

Tim Connelly – KFAN Radio

Related: What We Learned About the MN Timberwolves in Series Clinching Win Over Lakers

Obviously, it wouldn’t be in Connelly’s best interest to publicly state during a playoff run that he has wandering eyes. However, his willingness to publicly go on the record and bluntly say that there “is no truth to any of those rumors” does speak volumes.

He could have weaseled his way through that answer without declaring so bluntly that he wants to stay. In all reality, It’s unlikely Tim Connelly would find another opportunity out there with a superstar building block like Anthony Edwards.

Timberwolves await next challenger

As the Minnesota Timberwolves transition into a new ownership regime, keeping Connelly onboard is key to reaching the main objective of winning an NBA Finals Larry O’Brien Trophy. Then, this offseason, with so much in flux, there’s nobody better to see it through than Tim.

Related: NBA Insiders: JJ Redick Was Not Ready for the Moment vs Timberwolves

If the Wolves can land Golden State, it would have all the storylines, but it might be the worst matchup possible, even with home court. Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green easily provide the toughest test Minnesota has seen thus far in the playoffs.

Houston finished with a 52-30 record this season, but their stars are younger and they’ve gotten it done with a deep bench, much like what the Timberwolves have. Either way, however, you have to like the Timberwolves’ chances after what they showed in round one.

What were they supposed to predict from a team coming off a 7-win season, that just lost its QB1 to free agency. Remember, prior to 2024, Sam Darnold was seen as an unfixable bust. So when the Minnesota Vikings entered training camp last year with just Darnold and rookie JJ McCarthy on the depth chart, there was too much unknown for much confidence, especially from the outside-looking in.

But that was far from the only uncertainty-turned-strength for the 2024 Vikings. Not only were they turning over the QB position, they were flipping much of the defense too. Even more so than this offseason, there were lots of new faces and all sorts of major questions throughout the defense.

Minnesota Vikings reward Andrew Van Ginkel

Arguably, outside (EDGE) linebacker was one of the biggest vulnerabilities. Those questions were answered rather quickly, though, when newcomers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel started blowing through blockers, sacking quarterbacks and returning interceptions for touchdowns pretty much from week one.

On Tuesday, the Vikings rewarded the latter, soon-to-be 3-year-old Wisconsin alum Andrew Van Ginkel, with a generous contract extension worth $22.4 million guaranteed.

A raise in Minnesota: Vikings reached agreement today on a one-year $23 million extension that includes $22.4 million guaranteed for LB Andrew Van Ginkel, per his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/CHvbOo9sBN

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 29, 2025

When the dust settled, the Minnesota Vikings finished the 2024 season 13-3, in large part thanks to Darnold’s Pro Bowl performance, but also because the new-look Brian Flores defense wound up being one of the best in the NFL.

Related: JJ McCarthy Says He’s Ready to Start for the MN Vikings… Plus Much More

The best player on that defense was that previous part-timer, Andrew Van Ginkel, who racked up 11.5 sacks, 79 total tackles, to go with his 6 passes defended and 2 interceptions, each of which he returned for touchdowns.

Van Ginkel deserves every penny of new deal.

In 2023, the MN Vikings relied almost solely on Danielle Hunter to bring pressure from the edge. Everything else came via blitz, where the defensive coordinator Brian Flores led the league in blitz percentage, by a wide margin.

Then, they let Hunter walk in free agency, in exchange for Jonathan Greenard — who was coming off one good season with the Houston Texans — and Andrew Van Ginkel, a part-time starter for the Miami Dolphins for most of his career. They did it because of the discount being offered, due to past injury issues, especially with Van Ginkel.

But in the end, it could not have worked out better for everyone involved.

Rather than choosing someone internally, the Twins immediately used the opening to acquire Kody Clemens, son of Roger Clemens, after hot-starting top prospect Luke Keaschall broke his forearm.

Before that, it was Matt Canterino who was dealt the same hand, outrighted off the 40-man roster on April 18, then ultimately released less than a week later, following yet another season-ending injury.

Matt Canterino re-signs with Minnesota Twins

Now facing his third shoulder injury in as many years, the 27-year-old’s chances of making it to the big leagues felt further away recently, than ever before. That was until Monday evening, when the Twins re-signed Canterino to a two-year deal that will allow him to rehab with the team, then try to work his way back with a clear path to the MLB, if he can still pitch effectively.

Twins have signed RHP Matt Canterino, who hasn’t pitched a regular season game since July 30, 2022 (1,003 days ago) and who is out for this season after another shoulder surgery, to a two-year minor-league contract. Neither side is giving up, apparently.

— Phil Miller (@MillerStrib) April 28, 2025

Because Canterino was injured, and he was not subject to traditional waivers. In order for another team to claim him, the former 2nd round pick would’ve needed to be on that team’s 40-man roster. And once he hit free agency, Canterino and the Twins were able to strike a deal that worked for both sides.

Related: Minnesota Twins Reveal Details on Matt Wallner Injury Timeline

Short of Grapefruit League action, Canterino has not shown up in a professional game since 2022. Yet, the Minnesota Twins kept him on the 40-man roster for three years, due to his uncanny ability to get batters out, when healthy. Once this latest injury hit, however, it was time to make room for someone else.

Twins aren’t crazy for Matt Canterino belief

It has been a litany of issues for the former Rice Owl. He has dealt with both elbow and shoulder problems. But if Matt Canterino can ever stay healthy, the Twins will likely be vindicated for their continued belief in the right-handed starter. You can’t blame them.

Whenever he is on the mound, Matt Canterino has been an out machine, posting a 1.48 ERA and 0.859 WHIP across 85 professional inning. Oh, and he struck out 130 batters during that stretch.

Great to see Matt Canterino back in game action as he pitched 2 innings yesterday in Spring Training 💪

He had 9 whiffs on the day including 3 strikeouts in his first game back in almost 2 years🔥#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/GirRbHm9J8

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) March 1, 2024

Matt Canterino certainly has the stuff to be a top-end reliever! The question is, can he execute on it? pic.twitter.com/evyyCF7KRp

— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) February 25, 2025

Minnesota was unwilling to use a 60-day major league injured list spot on Canterino in recent seasons. That would have cost them roughly $700,000. The minor league deal Canterino is now back on, is likely substantially less than that number.

At next to nothing from a financial outlay, there’s no reason for the Twins to stop working with Canterino and trying to coax him to the big leagues. He has swing-and-miss stuff with a high-octane fastball. It has been a road filled with potholes, but it only takes one surgery to go right for everything to change.

Many pitchers have quit and hung them up when faced with the level of adversity Canterino has seen. He’s clearly a competitor and willing to put in the work. This would be something of an all-time comeback story if he can make it happen.