When I wrote this story last spring, I said, "Cap Hell is here."

This spring I am compelled to point out that it's only getting worse in 2023-24.

The dead cap space occupied by Zach Parise and Ryan Suter's buyouts rises by $2 million for next season, and the salary cap is likely only going up $1 million. (Not to touch on the indignity of Suter's team bouncing the Wild from the playoffs, but: oopsie daisy.)

Worse, the Wild had a lot of this season's roster locked in already, and with a little bit of finagling, they still put together a very solid team. But now, they're facing a future with plenty of uncomfortable questions.

They technically have 22 players signed and about $3.4 million in cap space before they make a single deal. And they don't really have any restricted free agents they need