SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Wild entered this off-season with a choice. The organization could maintain the status quo, re-up the contract with General Manager Doug Risebrough, bring back coach Jacques Lemaire, and attempt to re-sign the last remaining member of the inaugural season in speedy star Marian Gaborik.
They could have a fire sale, trading every player on the roster for draft picks and start from scratch after eight seasons. Or, they could over haul the front office, find new pieces to fill holes left from departures on the roster, make some shrewd moves to bolster the depth of the organization.
They went with the last option. After Lemaire walked away from the team, owner Craig Leipold decided the time was now. He chose not to renew the contract with Risebrough, and brought in long time front office star Chuck Fletcher to run the franchise. Fletcher quickly named San Jose assistant coach Todd Richards as the second coach in franchise history. Since then, the team, and the organization have built and entirely new product to present to the fan base.
The first chapter of the history of the Minnesota Wild ended, and the next chapter has begun. Gaborik signed a five-year deal with the New York Rangers. Gaborik is quoted as saying that the new Wild management team never made an offer once free agency started. Gaborik leaves holding the vast majority of Wild team offensive records, but the relationship between him, the team, and the fans was clearly strained. Multiple stints on the injured reserve list and an all too public battle with the front office left fans wanting a new star to back.
In his place, will be estranged Blackhawks super-star Martin Havlat who was signed late on July 1st. Havlat’s official Twitter account carried cryptic messages suggesting there was a bitter split with the Hawks, which later played out in the media. Havlat has made it clear that the issue is in the past and he is excited to be in Minnesota.
With his own injury issues, Havlat comes to the Wild after having a career season, having been named the Hawks’ team MVP. The expectations for him in Minnesota will be high, and should injury strike, fans will likely become bitter very quickly.
Beyond the move at the top of the offensive depth chart, the Wild also overhauled the blueline.
Gone are much maligned defensemen Martin Skoula and Marc-Andre Bergeron. A fan favorite, defenseman Kurtis Foster found a new home in Tampa Bay. These players were replaced with what looks to be a group of players meant to bolster the stay-at-home type of defense that will allow the Wild’s more offensive minded d-men to step up into the play more often, something coach Richards has said he wants to see.
Brought in are Shane Hnidy who played last season with Boston, earning twelve points (3G, 9A), a +6 rating, and 45 penalty minutes in 65 games. Joining him is Greg Zanon, formerly of the Nashville Predators. Zanon had eleven points, (4G, 7A), a +8 rating, and 38 PIMs, playing in all 82 games for the Predators. With Hnidy and Zanon joining defensive anchor Nick Schultz, the Wild’s blue line offense should be more willing to jump up in the play. This should bode well for Marek Zidliky, who has shown he is capable of even more offense than the 42 points put up last season, and Brent Burns who had arguably his worst professional season, missing 23 games due to post-concussion syndrome.
Back on the front line, the Wild also brought in Kyle Brodziak, adding much needed depth to the group of centers in Minnesota. While the Wild were unable to land Saku Koivu, and with him their last true shot at a number two center, Brodziak adds a player who can play both ends of the ice, and adds an offensive flair on the third line. Word out of Saint Paul is that Pierre-Marc Bouchard could be moved to his natural position of center in camp. Bouchard has not played center since being with the Wild.
During the season, the Wild announced a four-year contract extension with All-Star goaltender Niklas Backstrom. This immediately signaled that much touted back-up Josh Harding became expendable. Fletcher was on the record as having tried to trade Harding at the draft, but could not find a package he liked.
The organization then added Wade Dubielewicz, formerly of the Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets, making it even more clear that Harding will be shopped during the season. Harding was re-signed by the Wild, but at a very tradable and cap friendly one year at $1.1 million.
While the Wild failed to land their long sought after number two at center, they have shored up the blue line and added a scoring winger that has proven his ability. They also have roughly $4 million is cap space, and a tradable asset in Josh Harding. Chuck Fletcher has left his mark on the organization, and this looks to be only the beginning.
As the season approaches, look for the Wild to target some of the teams in salary cap trouble, such as Boston and San Jose. If nothing can be worked out, the trade deadline could be more active for the Wild than it has been in the past.
With camp starting in around a month, the Wild are far from finished. Keep and eye on Saint Paul, where the team continues to reinvent itself under the Fletcher era.
The author can be reached at bryan.reynolds@prohockeynews.com
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