Matt Boldy’s worst NHL season still saw him notch 27 goals and 73 points, but his underlying play dipped from elite to average in driving offense and defense. With Kirill Kaprizov sidelined for half the season, Boldy had a chance to step up as Minnesota’s top star but fell short of expectations.
Despite this, his $7 million contract remains a steal, especially given his potential to rebound. Analysts like Dom Luszczyszyn rank his deal ninth among the NHL’s best contracts, projecting $27 million in surplus value over five years. Boldy’s cap hit, which was 8.38% of the 2023-24 salary cap, will shrink to just 6.17% by 2027-28, equivalent to a mid-tier forward’s pay for a top-line talent.
Here’s the percentage of cap space Boldy’s taking up, as well as the 2023-24 cap equivalent, over the first five years of his contract:
2023-24: 8.38% ($7.00M)
2024-25: 7.95% ($6.64M)
2025-26: 7.33% ($6.12M)
2026-27: 6.73% ($5.62M)
2027-28: 6.17% ($5.15M)
This contract’s value shines when paired with Kaprizov’s $9 million deal. Together, their 2025-26 cap hit is just 16.8%, delivering elite production (2.21 points per game combined) at a fraction of the cost of other top duos like McDavid-Draisaitl (28.7%) or Matthews-Nylander (25.9%).
Even if Kaprizov’s next contract hits $15 million, their combined $22 million cap hit will stay under 22% through 2027-28, giving Minnesota flexibility to build around their young core, including prospects like Marco Rossi and Jesper Wallstedt. Boldy’s deal is a cornerstone for the Wild, enabling them to navigate cap challenges while staying competitive.
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