Today, it was announced that the Minnesota Wild have avoided arbitration entirely with their stable of players. The Wild only had two players that even had the chance of ending up in an arbitration hearing, with each player going there in a different way.
Kyle Brodziak elected to take the Wild to arbitration, and was rewarded with a 3-year, $3.45M contract. Brodziak's contract should ensure that he's with Minnesota for a while, as he helps shore up their weak center position. Brodziak's route to arbitration was a calculated risk that he could get more from the team than what was expected, which may have paid off for him.
Meanwhile, Josh Harding was sent to arbitration by the Wild itself, possibly a similar risk by the team as to the one that Brodziak took. Harding signed with the Wild for a one-year deal, reportedly in the $1.1M range. Of course, if Brodziak's contract could be construed as a way to keep the center with the Wild for a while, what does a one-year contract for Harding say?
In many ways, the Wild have been grooming Harding for a trade since before Draft Day. With the acquisition of Wade Dubielewicz, Minnesota currently has three goaltenders, and, it could be argued, two starters. Harding has become the odd man out, and a one-year contract could be the Wild's way of saying, "Keep your bags packed", since any trade would allow the new team to negotiate an entirely new contract, without any carry over.
By the same token, only having a one-year contract could keep other teams away, because Harding may get looked at as a "loaner" player. Without a longer contract, he may not have the incentive to resign with any team that lands him, and may pursue free agency once his year runs out. You can bet that he'd get a good look from the other 29 teams in the league.
Of course, there's always the chance that the Wild signed Harding to a one-year deal to keep them from arbitration, and as a bit of a precaution in case Niklas Backstrom either falls apart, or suffers a severe injury. But, if that's the case, Chuck Fletcher may just be the most cautious GM ever, and his pursuit of players like Martin Havlat and Nick Leddy seems to indicate otherwise.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Koivu breaks Minny hearts
No, not Mikko Koivu. Mikko's staying right where he is, and right where he should be. After all, even though new Ranger Marian Gaborik was the flash that Minnesota wanted on the ice, Mikko has steadily and quietly become the focus and heart of the team. It certainly doesn't hurt that he's got a great combination of on-ice skills to go along with his passion for the game. The good pedigree helps, too.
But, sadly, while Vancouver still has the Sedin twins, Minnesota won't feature the Koivu brothers, at least not for a year. Saku Koivu signed with the Anaheim Ducks, turning down more lucrative offers to play in California with long-time friend, Teemu Selanne. And, as hard as it is for Wild fans to belive, Saku made the right decision for himself, and for his brother's team.
True, the Wild are still missing a #2 center. True, the Wild could have definitely used the veteran leadership, and a line of Saku Koivu, Andrew Brunette, and Owen Nolan could be very interesting to see. True, without a trade, the Wild will be looking at shoring up the center position with players either untested (Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who hasn't played center since coming to the NHL), unproven (James Sheppard, who still has to find his game, but should fare better in the new system), or underwhelming (Benoit Pouliot, who definitely has the skills to make an NHL player, but has spent far too much time watching the puck, instead of pursuing it). But by travelling to Anaheim for a season, he offers something more important in the long-term than his shot, or his face-off ability.
He offers Mikko the chance to truly become the leader of the Wild. It goes without saying that many thought Mikko should have been the first player in Wild history to be named captain for the entire season during the last year. That didn't happen, but even without the "C", something interesting was taking place on the ice. Mikko was doing everything a captain should do, and more. He was also turning himself into an elite player, and more than a few games turned simply because of his individual efforts. He doesn't have the prettiest shot on the team, but he may just be the hardest worker, and the most underrated player. With the new front office, Mikko could be shuffled out of the leadership position he carved for himself, and, without Saku, he can once again prove (to new eyes) that he is the Wild's captain, regardless of who wears the "C". If Saku had joined his brother, then Mikko might have been overshadowed, and he might not have been able to make the team his own. By getting at least one more year separated, the elder Koivu made sure that the younger one is given every chance to flourish, and to do it without looking over his shoulder at his older brother, fighting for his ice time.
But, sadly, while Vancouver still has the Sedin twins, Minnesota won't feature the Koivu brothers, at least not for a year. Saku Koivu signed with the Anaheim Ducks, turning down more lucrative offers to play in California with long-time friend, Teemu Selanne. And, as hard as it is for Wild fans to belive, Saku made the right decision for himself, and for his brother's team.
True, the Wild are still missing a #2 center. True, the Wild could have definitely used the veteran leadership, and a line of Saku Koivu, Andrew Brunette, and Owen Nolan could be very interesting to see. True, without a trade, the Wild will be looking at shoring up the center position with players either untested (Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who hasn't played center since coming to the NHL), unproven (James Sheppard, who still has to find his game, but should fare better in the new system), or underwhelming (Benoit Pouliot, who definitely has the skills to make an NHL player, but has spent far too much time watching the puck, instead of pursuing it). But by travelling to Anaheim for a season, he offers something more important in the long-term than his shot, or his face-off ability.
He offers Mikko the chance to truly become the leader of the Wild. It goes without saying that many thought Mikko should have been the first player in Wild history to be named captain for the entire season during the last year. That didn't happen, but even without the "C", something interesting was taking place on the ice. Mikko was doing everything a captain should do, and more. He was also turning himself into an elite player, and more than a few games turned simply because of his individual efforts. He doesn't have the prettiest shot on the team, but he may just be the hardest worker, and the most underrated player. With the new front office, Mikko could be shuffled out of the leadership position he carved for himself, and, without Saku, he can once again prove (to new eyes) that he is the Wild's captain, regardless of who wears the "C". If Saku had joined his brother, then Mikko might have been overshadowed, and he might not have been able to make the team his own. By getting at least one more year separated, the elder Koivu made sure that the younger one is given every chance to flourish, and to do it without looking over his shoulder at his older brother, fighting for his ice time.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wild's splash in free agency pool
The clock struck noon on the Eastern seaboard, and suddenly, all across the league, players will contacting their agents and prospective new teams. The frenzy had begun, and it wasn't long before there was a big announcement. Actually, one of the biggest announcements of the day came shortly before free agency began, as the Vancouver Canucks were able to lock up the Sedin twins again. The move not only removed the Sedins from the pool, but it practically made it so that Vancouver wouldn't be looking towards any big names.
The biggest name of the day may very well have been Marian. Both Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik changed jerseys, with the former going to Chicago, and the later going to the Rangers. With Hossa, Chicago has brought in a dynamic scorer, one who's been chasing the Cup and coming oh-so-close the last couple of seasons, but they may have mortgaged their future down the line to do so. With Gaborik, New York has secured a true gamebreaking superstar, if only he can stay healthy. Interesting that Gaborik pulled down a larger contract that Hossa, as well. If he doesn't play most of the season, expect the fans in New York to let him hear it more than Minnesota ever did.
And what about Minnesota? Well, new GM Chuck Fletcher (is it time to take the word "new" off of that title yet?) made a couple of moves, and has some more offers dangling out there. The moves that Fletcher made? First, the Wild picked up Greg Zanon from Nashville. Zanon doesn't have a lot of name recognition, but that's because he simply goes about his job, and does it without a lot of flair. That job, by the way, is stopping the puck from getting to the goaltender, so Nick Schultz will have someone to compete with for shot-blocking on the team. Expect Zanon to sit with the third defensive pairing, possibly with John Scott.
But the big news out of the day? With Gaborik and Hossa gone, there was really only one elite winger left on the table, and he landed in Minnesota. The Wild picked up Martin Havlat from the Blackhawks. Havlat brings a definite scoring punch, but he fills the skates of Marian Gaborik in more than just the offensive categories. Havlat, like Gaborik, has also been plagued with injuries throughout his career, but, like Gaborik, he believes that he's put his injury troubles behind him. Time will tell, but Havlat, paired up with Mikko Koivu, could help solve the Wild's scoring woes.
As for other players that Fletcher is rumored to be trying to bring in, the names are definitely intriguing. Mikko's big brother Saku is on the table, as is Rob Scuderi, who had an amazing Stanley Cup Finals with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both players could bring a huge impact to the team, although signing one would make it difficult to chase the other. Of course, the Wild are still in the Dany Heatley hunt, but that just looks like a trouble situation waiting to boil over. Best to avoid that one, and look at other impact players through trades.
UPDATE: Scuderi has signed with the Los Angeles Kings. The Wild are still looking for another defenseman to join the ranks, so which direction are they looking now?
The biggest name of the day may very well have been Marian. Both Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik changed jerseys, with the former going to Chicago, and the later going to the Rangers. With Hossa, Chicago has brought in a dynamic scorer, one who's been chasing the Cup and coming oh-so-close the last couple of seasons, but they may have mortgaged their future down the line to do so. With Gaborik, New York has secured a true gamebreaking superstar, if only he can stay healthy. Interesting that Gaborik pulled down a larger contract that Hossa, as well. If he doesn't play most of the season, expect the fans in New York to let him hear it more than Minnesota ever did.
And what about Minnesota? Well, new GM Chuck Fletcher (is it time to take the word "new" off of that title yet?) made a couple of moves, and has some more offers dangling out there. The moves that Fletcher made? First, the Wild picked up Greg Zanon from Nashville. Zanon doesn't have a lot of name recognition, but that's because he simply goes about his job, and does it without a lot of flair. That job, by the way, is stopping the puck from getting to the goaltender, so Nick Schultz will have someone to compete with for shot-blocking on the team. Expect Zanon to sit with the third defensive pairing, possibly with John Scott.
But the big news out of the day? With Gaborik and Hossa gone, there was really only one elite winger left on the table, and he landed in Minnesota. The Wild picked up Martin Havlat from the Blackhawks. Havlat brings a definite scoring punch, but he fills the skates of Marian Gaborik in more than just the offensive categories. Havlat, like Gaborik, has also been plagued with injuries throughout his career, but, like Gaborik, he believes that he's put his injury troubles behind him. Time will tell, but Havlat, paired up with Mikko Koivu, could help solve the Wild's scoring woes.
As for other players that Fletcher is rumored to be trying to bring in, the names are definitely intriguing. Mikko's big brother Saku is on the table, as is Rob Scuderi, who had an amazing Stanley Cup Finals with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both players could bring a huge impact to the team, although signing one would make it difficult to chase the other. Of course, the Wild are still in the Dany Heatley hunt, but that just looks like a trouble situation waiting to boil over. Best to avoid that one, and look at other impact players through trades.
UPDATE: Scuderi has signed with the Los Angeles Kings. The Wild are still looking for another defenseman to join the ranks, so which direction are they looking now?
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