The Wild signed goalie Alex Stalock to a two-year, $1.3 million contract extension on Thursday.
The signing will enable the team to protect All-Star goalie Devan Dubnyk in June's expansion draft when Las Vegas forms its team.
Stalock would be exposed in the draft because each team must expose a goalie who is under contract for next season.
Stalock, 29, also will get a chance to be the Wild backup next season as backup Darcy Kuemper's contract is expiring.
The first year of Stalock's new deal is a one-way and the second year is a two-way.
The former South St. Paul standout and Minnesota Duluth All-America has played in 29 games and has a 2.56 goals-against average and .916 save percentage for Iowa.
He played in 62 NHL games for San Jose, which drafted him in the fourth round in 2005, before signing with the Wild last July 1.
Under the rules of the expansion draft, NHL teams have two options to protect players.