It took the Vikings roughly 45 minutes to make a splash on Monday with the legal tampering period in full swing. They agreed to terms with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, then soon after agreed to terms with another edge rusher, Andrew Van Ginkel.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 17: Andrew Van Ginkel #43 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates a second quarter sack against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

A source confirmed both agreements to the Pioneer Press.

According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Greenard will sign a four-year, $76-million deal with $42 million guaranteed, while Van Ginkel is on a two-year, $20-million deal with $14 million guaranteed. The signings can become official on Wednesday when NFL free agency opens up.

Notably, the commitments to Greenard and Van Ginkel likely means that star edge rusher Danielle Hunter will be headed elsewhere.

If this is indeed the end of Hunter’s time with the Vikings, he finished his tenure with 87 1/2 sacks, 108 tackles for a loss and 134 quarterback hits since being selected in the third round of the 2015 draft. He learned the ropes from former star defensive end Everson Griffen, then teamed up with him to create a dynamic duo that made life miserable on opposing quarterbacks.

Whichever team ends up signing Hunter will be getting a force to be reckoned with who is still very much in his prime. He posted a career-high 16 1/2 sacks for the Vikings last season, proving he’s still among the best in the NFL at what he does. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Hunter get a deal that pays him upwards of $25 million annually.

As much as the Vikings would love to keep Hunter around long term, they should be in pretty good hands with Greenard and Van Ginkel as the primary pass rushers.

Though he might not be a known name quite yet, Greenard, 26, is in the process of becoming just that after producing 12 1/2 sacks with the Houston Texans last season.  Originally selected in the third round of the 2020 draft, Greenard worked his way from a rotational player into an unquestioned starter. In a total of 48 games for his career, Greenard has 23 sacks, 32 tackles for a loss and 41 quarterback hits.

Van Ginkel, 28, has been productive in a situation role with the Miami Dolphins throughout his career. In 73 career games, Van Ginkel has 17 sacks, 31 tackles for a loss and 57 quarterback hits. He hails from Rock Valley, Iowa, and played a couple of seasons at Wisconsin before being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft.

The fact that the Vikings prioritized Greenard and Van Ginkel so early in the legal tampering period suggests that they are fully invested in giving defensive coordinator Brian Flores more to work with next season.

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Is this the end of the Kirk Cousins era in Minnesota? We’ll find out soon.

The Wild are eager to see what their new center can do for the playoff push, and coach John Hynes said Monday that Marat Khusnutdinov will likely make his Minnesota debut this week — possibly as early as Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes at Xcel Energy Center.

“Whether or not that’s tomorrow, we’re going to talk with him again this afternoon, get him a full morning skate tomorrow,” Hynes told reporters after an optional practice Monday at TRIA Rink. “If he doesn’t play tomorrow, we probably would have him come in, go through the meetings, warmup — similar to what we did with Chisholm.

The Wild picked Declan Chisholm off waivers from Winnipeg on Jan. 29, and he didn’t play his first game for the Wild until Feb. 17. Part of that was because of the all-star break, and part because Chisholm had played in only eight games, two in the NHL, all season.

That’s not an issue for Khusnutdinov, 21, who just finish his fourth KHL season in Russia, recording six goals and 20 points in 55 games between SKA St. Petersburg and HK Sochi. A second-round pick in the 2020 entry draft, Khusnutdinov signed a two-year, two-way entry level contract on Feb. 29 and arrived in Minnesota on Saturday.

The rookie already has connected with fellow Russian Kirill Kaprizov, and the two have been hanging out together — although the eight-hour time difference between St. Paul and Moscow has been an issue.

“They were supposed to go to dinner and Marat slept through it. They didn’t get to dinner,” Hynes said. “That’s why there’s more to it. We want to see him play, and he’s going to get an opportunity. But he’s been through a lot.”

The Wild are host to Arizona on Tuesday and Anaheim on Thursday, then play Saturday at St. Louis as they continue a last desperate push to earn one of the two Western Conference wild-card playoff spots.

“He looks good on the ice; we just want to make sure we communicate with him and give him the right opportunity to come in, whether it’s tomorrow or Thursday or Saturday,” Hynes said. “It will be one of those games, for sure.”

The Wild have moved back into ninth place in the West, six points behind Vegas for the eighth and final playoff spot with 17 regular-season games remaining. The Wild think Khusnutdinov can help.

Khusnutdinov was at Xcel Energy Center for Sunday afternoon’s victory over Nashville. Asked for his first impression of the NHL, he told reporters, “Speed. Smart guys. Physical guys.”

As for how he would fit in, he said through an interpreter, “I can’t say I think it’s going to be easy, but I think it’s my legs and my head that will help me make it in this league.”

Risk, reward

So desperate are the Wild for points, Hynes pulled goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in overtime for a 4-on-3 advantage against Nashville on Sunday, and it quickly paid off in a 4-3 victory.

What a lot of fans, and some players, didn’t know was that under NHL rules, the Wild would have lost their OT point had they lost — the risk of pulling their goalie for a reason other than a delayed penalty.

“You don’t want to lose a point, obviously, but you also have to understand the situation that you’re in and try to give our team every chance to fight down the stretch,” Hynes said Monday.

“I know some of the players don’t know (the rule), but maybe if they know, they don’t feel as comfortable.”

Injury update

Marcus Johansson, who has missed the past three games because of a lower-body injury, participated in practice Monday.

“Johansson was good,” Hynes said. “I don’t have any feedback for you whether he’s going to play or not tomorrow, but we did progress from skating, and things like that, to some contact, and gave him a good push today.”

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NORTH PORT, Fla. — Carlos Santana spent the first half of his major-league career playing in Cleveland. The second half has been spent ping-ponging around the country, joining different teams. Since late 2017, he has been with Philadelphia, Seattle, Cleveland again, Kansas City, Seattle again, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.

FILE – Milwaukee Brewers’ Carlos Santana reacts after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Milwaukee. The Minnesota Twins added a veteran bat on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, agreeing to a one-year contract with Carlos Santana that is worth $5.25 million.(AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

Now, after all that movement, the 37-year-old first baseman has found a new home in Minnesota for the upcoming season.

It’s tough, he readily admits, moving around so much, especially with three young kids. But it also means, he pointed out, that all these teams want him.

And part of the reason they want him — aside from the sturdy glove at first base and his offensive production, of course? Santana, who turns 38 on April 8, has been remarkably durable over the course of his career.

“I have a trainer. I have a kitchen, a guy that cooks for me,” Santana said. “I try to be healthy, not drink, sleeping good, eat healthy, a lot of work (on) my body. So that’s why I’ve been healthy all of my career.”

He has played in at least 150 games in nine seasons, and that doesn’t include the truncated 2020 season in which he played all 60 games.

“The best ability is your availability” is a commonly uttered phrase within the walls of the Twins’ clubhouse, and the switch hitter is almost always available, despite his age.

“When you’re 40 years old, your body can break down on you,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He has been so durable, that’s what I think allows him to take the field productively. He puts in the work.”

Staying healthy goes far beyond the work he puts in when he gets to the ballpark. Santana has a trainer, who he works with in Tampa, Fla. He also has a chef who cooks for him.

His chef lives with him and travels with him as well. And refining his eating habits, Santana said, has made a difference in his ability to stay healthy. He’s mostly eating Dominican food “but healthy,” he said — mangú, a dish of boiled and mashed plantains, is a favorite.

The routine that has kept him on the field all this time is an ever-changing one, adapted each year as he ages.

“I have to change because every year … I’m more old, so when you’re more old, you have to work more,” he said. “Work more, better approach for everything.”

The biggest change this year?

“I sleep more,” Santana said.

He’s shooting now for eight hours a day rather than the six or seven that he used to get. Before night games, he likes to sneak in a 45-minute nap during the day.

Whatever he’s doing, it’s working.

Only one player currently signed to a major-league contract has appeared in more games than him (Andrew McCutchen at 2,007). Santana should reach his milestone 2,000th game played — he is currently at 1,930 — this season, another testament to his durability.

“He works really hard,” Baldelli said. “He also has the body that bounces back, that allows him to do it. He’s (37) now? He’s almost 40 years old, and he can put on the reps that allow him to stay sharp. Most people who are 39 years old cannot do that. It’s very difficult to get them out there, regardless of sport, regardless of drill. You just can’t work your body that much.”

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