Tuesday night update: It has been confirmed to me by Kristian Huselius’ agent, Don Meehan, that the Wild is pursuing the free-agent left wing and the two sides will speak again Wednesday. Huselius has got a ton of skill and was nearly traded to Minnesota in 2005-06.As you know by now, the Wild sent Ryan Jones and a second-round pick to Nashville for defenseman Marek Zidlicky, signed Andrew Brunette to a three-year, $7 million deal and signed Craig Weller to a two-year, $1.2 million contract.

Weller, a 6-foot-4 right wing, is bigtime overshadowed in my article tomorrow. I’m told he’s young, hungry and tough and is on a one-way contract, meaning he’s got a great chance to be up here and Cal Clutterbuck might have his work cut out for him now in camp. Weller’s essentially replacing Aaron Voros.

– I’ve been meaning to say this for a few days now because I know many fans grew an affection for Todd Fedoruk and Voros. Both were quality players here, and trust me, I’ll miss the quality quotes from a selfish standpoint.

But in this new cap world, fans need to get used to the fact that every year every team is going to have to let role players like Fedoruk and Voros walk away when they get too expensive.

It’s going to be one big recycling machine. Fedoruk got a three-year deal worth $3.1 million from Phoenix. Fedoruk is a good guy, did a solid job with Minnesota. Voros wanted a one-way at over a $1 million. Trying to track down what he got from the Rangers. Also a good guy, good player.

But it’s a lot of money for replaceable players. In this new cap world, teams are constantly going to be letting go their role players when they get too expensive and replace them with $557,000 Clutterbuck’s and $600,000 Weller’s. You will see every team do this. Unfortunately, you’ll have to get used to it.

Take care of the top guys, recycle the replaceable ones. That’s the new trend everywhere. I recently was talking to Detroit Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill about this exact subject, and yes, even the mighty Red Wings do it.

– The Wild is definitely still up to something. I don’t see it happening tonight — if it happens, I should say — because a very spent front office was heading home just now.

But I was told there are things “pending,” and as you see above, I think it’s Huselius.

Michael Ryder signed with Boston. I left a message for Huselius tonight (3 a.m. there now, so I won’t hear back), but I haven’t heard back.

I still see big needs. Depending on the market, I see the Wild signing one more winger and one more center unless Benoit Pouliot simply is being given a job. Centers so far unsigned as of 8:30 p.m. include Jason Williams, Sean Avery, Josef Vasicek and Brendan Morrison. There are others. And it just dawned on me, considering the controversy Avery’s created everywhere talking about French Canadians, he’s out, I would imagine.

I also think they need a high-scoring winger, and that would be Huselius. Others include Huselius, Brendan Shanahan, Markus Naslund, etc.

– Marian Gaborik: Risebrough talked to Gaborik before he left for Slovakia as you can read in tomorrow’s paper and told him they’ll soon talk regarding an extension.

Risebrough nearly combusted on the conference call when asked about whether Gaborik’s going get the 20 percent max, which is incomprehensible. I don’t know where this comes from. It’s a perception out there that have boggled the Wild’s mind for awhile.

That’s $11.34 million per season. I mean, Vincent Lecavalier is reportedly about to sign a nine-year, $77 million deal ($8.55 million a year). Ovechkin makes $9.5 mill, Crosby $8.7, Malkin about to be $8.7, Lidstrom $7.45, Thornton, $7.2, Iginla $7.

Marian Hossa’s got a pretty impressive pedigree, eh? I see him getting 9, so where does this come from that Gaborik’s going to get the max.

“I’d say anybody that’s talking about the full 20 percent doesn’t know the business,” Risebrough said. “First of all, that 20 percent probably represents more money than anybody else in the league is making. Who makes 11 million in a year? Nobody. So somebody that’s saying that guy (Gaborik) should make 20 percent is saying he’s got to be obviously considerably the best player in the league and I wouldn’t want anybody to make that statement.”

– Wild obviously gave up a big price for Zidlicky in Jones and a second. Wild doesn’t have a lot of prospects and they keep trading draft picks — although they picked up a fourth for Rolston’s rights. But I indicated the other day this was the direction they were heading. They’d rather pay a proven guy with two years left on his contract than signing a Jeff Finger! for $3.5 a year. I mean, what’s Toronto doing? When you look at the prices of defensemen today, it was clearly a volatile market. Guys were getting ridiculous money. Still a steep price.

Risebrough said, “Not very often in my business do you get a chance to correct your mistakes, so I did,” when referring to Brunette. He said “two mistakes became a big mistake” after the lockout — 1) bringing back Daigle over Brunette; 2) not communicating well enough with Brunette.

Wild is all full at D now: Burns, Johnsson, Schultz, Zidlicky, Bergeron, Skoula, Reitz. Risebrough stressed over and over again that he doesn’t want to put any pressure on Kurtis Foster to feel he needs to rush back from his broken leg. Foster’s aiming for Nov. 1 as a best case scenario.

– Rolston certainly got his big payday, four years, $20 mill. from New Jersey. Wild made an effort, but you can see why it didn’t get him. He’ll miss Minnesota, he said, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Rolston said 12 teams offered him contracts.

It’ll be hard to get used to the locker room without him. Just a good dude.

I’m sure I’ll be adding more throughout the night. Otherwise, that’s it for now. I’m spent too.

And by the way, that jab about not wishing me luck with my surgery, I meant that in jest. But I do appreciate all the emails today. Merci very much.

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