Wild re-sign defenseman Dakota Mermis

Another small transaction out of the way for GM Bill Guerin in a hectic offseason.

Dakota Mermis, a 27-year old defenseman from Illinois, played three NHL games for the Minnesota Wild last season and spent the rest of his time with the taxi squad. According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the contract is a two-way deal for two years with an AAV of $750k.

Undrafted, Mermis spent time with the Arizona Coyotes and New Jersey Devils organizations before signing with the Wild last season. In 23 career NHL games, Mermis has tallied one goal and three assists but has proven to be a reliable presence on an AHL squad with 304 games combined with three different clubs.

While Mermis has definitely shown the ability to step up and fill in on a short-term basis, his role is likely to be in the AHL and not a solution to one of the many open spots on the Wild’s blueline.