Minnesota Wild signs Sam Steel to one-year contract

The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Sam Steel to a one-year, $825,000 contract, the team announced Tuesday.

Steel was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks with the 30th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft after a season with the Regina Pats in which he scored 70 points in 72 games. The following season, Steel broke out with 50 goals and led the WHL with 131 points.

After spending one more season with the Pats in the WHL, Steel turned pro in 2018-19. He split this season between the Ducks and their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. With the Gulls, Steel scored 20 goals and 41 points in 53 games, and with the Ducks he scored 11 points in 22 games.

Since then, Steel has been unable to establish himself as an NHL regular. He has scored six goals in his four NHL seasons and his career high is 22 points, set in 2019-20 in 65 games.

Following Steel’s entry-level deal last year, the Ducks signed him to a one-year deal. That summer, Steel was once again a restricted free agent, but the Ducks opted out of making him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.