The Minnesota Wild have signed goaltender Dereck Baribeau to a three-year entry-level contract, after clearly making an impression on the team at their rookie tournament. Baribeau is only 18, and went undrafted this year.
As with almost all NHL goaltenders these days, one of Baribeau’s biggest positives is his huge 6’6″ frame. While that wasn’t enough to make any team bite in the draft after he split this season between two QMJHL clubs, obviously the Wild believe that they can turn him into a professional goaltender. He hasn’t fared exceptionally well to this point in his junior career, but obviously has the measurables needed to take the next step.
In 35 games, he put up a 12-15-2 record with an .881 save percentage, but could easily see those numbers improve given the chance as an 18-year old. He’ll likely see his contract slide for the next two years, meaning the entry-level compensation won’t come into play for a while. The Wild have their goaltending locked up for the next several years with Devan Dubnyk, but don’t have a clear succession plan after that. Baribeau’s addition only strengthens their goaltending depth, but he’ll have to keep developing in order to ever sniff the highest level.