A Class Above the Rest

Minnesota Wild defenceman Kurtis Foster is expecting a new contract offer. That would have been a sure thing about 2 weeks ago. Except now it's kind of unexpected.

On March 19th, Foster suffered a broken femur while hustling back for an icing call. It's a potential career threatening injury. The Wild are unsure if Foster will ever play in the NHL again but are proceeding to offer him a contract.

"I don't have to qualify him [to retain his rights], but I will," Wild GM Doug Risebrough told the Star-Tribune. "It's a bad message not to do that. He's a good player. He needs a motivation [to rehab], and he doesn't need that stress in his life."

The Wild will offer Foster a one-year, $1.025 million contract before the June 25 deadline, which insurance would not have covered according to Wild assistant general manager Tom Lynn.

That's a classy move by the organization. There are many other teams out there that would have not re-qualified him as an RFA. I'm impressed and it shows that they really care about the individuals there. It isn't necessarily the smartest business move for them, but it goes to show that this corporation has a heart