The Wild has agreed to terms with University of Minnesota senior center Justin Kloos on a two-year, $1.4 million entry-level contract. The contract starts next season and he'll report to Iowa on an amateur tryout. The two-way deal comes with $92,500 signing bonuses and $70,000 minor-league salaries. He is on his way to the arena to sign now.
Wild loves Kloos' character and skill, and he did have a bunch of offers.
The one the Wild would also really love to get?
I hear from multiple sources that the Wild's also in on Hobey Baker finalist Mike Vecchione, the all-time leading scorer in Union College history with 176 points and all-time assists leader with 105. The two-time captain was ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and All-ECAC Hockey First Team this season.
He scored 63 points this season, the most in a single year and is the NCAA active leader with 71 goals and 176 points and tied for first with seven shorthanded goals.
The Rangers, Flyers, Bruins, Lightning and Red Wings are also reportedly pursuing.
As for Kloos, the Lakeville native and 2012 Minnesota Mr. Hockey (41 goals, 103 points in his final year at Lakeville South) captained the Gophers the past two seasons. He never missed a game in his four-year collegiate career.
The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Kloos, 23, led all active Big Ten players and ranking third among active NCAA players with 150 career points (63 goals, 87 assists) during his college career. He ranks 28th all-time at Minnesota in points and tallied 30 or more points in each of his four seasons, including 43 as both a junior and senior. A First Team All-Big Ten selection this year, Kloos was the program's Joh Mariucci Most Valuable Player Award as a senior while also sharing the Elwin "Doc" Romnes Leadership & Sportsmanship Award with fellow senior Jake Bischoff.
Vancouver, Calgary and San Jose were other among the other teams that were interested in Kloos.
He joins Erik Haula, Mike Reilly, Jordan Schroeder and Nick Seeler as former Gophers in the organization.
