Minnesota Wild add veteran defenseman on a 1-year deal

The Minnesota Wild have continued their offseason tinkering, bolstering their blueline depth with the announcement that the club has signed veteran defenseman Jordie Benn to a one-year deal on Friday.

Benn, 34, has played 556 career NHL games, split between the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and a very short 8-game stint with the Winnipeg Jets last season.

Benn's new deal is worth just $900,000 this season, after earning $2M per season over the last two years in Vancouver.

The Victoria, BC native has amassed 127 career NH points, but isn't exactly known for his work in the offensive zone. Benn has managed to carve out a plus-19 rating during his NHL career, never shying away from the tough areas, racking up 670 hits and 908 blocked shots during his 10-years in the league. He'll also drop the mitts when called upon to dispense some justice.

Benn joins a crowded defense corps in the Twin Cities, which includes Matt Dumba, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Alex Goligoski, Dmitry Kulikov and Jon Merrill, with youngsters Calen Addison and Ryan O'Rourke likely to challenge for spots during training camp. There will definitely be some competition next month, but depth is certainly not a bad thing.

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