Wild sign Spacek, Bankier to one-year contracts

A couple of minor-leaguers are sticking around with the Minnesota Wild organization.

On Thursday, the Wild signed defenseman David Spacek and forward Caeden Bankier to one-year, two-way contracts. Both players’ deals carry NHL cap hits of $850,000 for the 2026-27 season. According to PuckPedia, Spacek has an American Hockey League salary of $110,000, while Bankier will be getting paid $100,000.

Both are coming off their entry-level contracts. Spacek’s NHL AAV was $875,000, while Bankier’s was $925,000.

Spacek is the only member of this duo who has seen time in the NHL. After spending the first two years solely in the minors, the Columbus, Ohio native made his debut with the Wild in mid-January of this past season. He didn’t register a point but posted a plus/minus of -1 while averaging 10:45 of ice time.

In 59 games with the Iowa Wild, Minnesota’s AHL affiliate, the 23-year-old posted career highs in goals (7), assists (29) and points (36). Spacek also represented Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, posting an assist in five games, as the Czechs made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Canada in overtime.

In 192 games in the AHL, Spacek has scored 14 goals and 65 assists for 79 points.

Bankier has been a secondary scoring threat for Iowa in his first three years of pro hockey, averaging well over 20 points a season with a team that has relatively been the doormat of the AHL’s Central Division. After posting a career-best 26 points during the 2024-25 campaign, the White Rock, B.C. native scored 10 goals and 20 points in 66 games, registering a -13 rating, the best of his tenure with the organization.

In 185 games with Iowa, the 23-year-old has posted 35 goals and 34 assists for 69 points.

Prior to his pro career, Bankier was a solid scorer in the junior ranks, earning a spot on the Canadian roster at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a gold medal.