ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Ryan Suter missed out on winning the Norris Trophy, given to the NHL’s best defenseman, but his first season with the Minnesota Wild was recognized by the league’s writers on Wednesday. Suter, who signed a monumental 13-year, $98 million contract with Minnesota last offseason as the top defensemen available in free agency, was named first-team on the NHL’s First All-Star team on Wednesday. Suter is the first player in Wild history to be named to the first-team and just the second player to be named to a postseason All-NHL team, joining his defensive partner, Jonas Brodin, who was named to the All-Rookie team earlier. Suter led all NHL players and set a Minnesota franchise record by averaging 27 minutes, 16 seconds of ice time last season after coming to the Wild from Nashville. He added four goals and 28 assists, while playing every game and was a plus-2. He was second in the league in assists and third in points among all defensemen. Suter also led Minnesota in blocked shots (74). It’s Suter’s first time being named to a postseason All-NHL team. Suter was often overshadowed by former defensive partner, Shea Weber, with the Predators, but broke out on his own this season. Most impressive might have been Suter’s endurance and durability. While leading the league in time on ice, Suter played over 30 minutes in 10 games this season, including a career-best 32:54 in the playoff-clinching win at Colorado in the regular-season finale. He skated a franchise record 41:08 in Game 1 of the playoffs against Chicago. The Wild were 15-1-1 when Suter finished a game with a rating of plus-1 or better. Suter was joined on the first-team by Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban, who won the Norris Tropy, Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby, Washington right wing Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh left wing Chris Kunitz. Suter finished second in the Norris Trophy voting.
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