Things are quiet with the Wild at the moment. I’ll keep checking and talking to folks, but it’s hard to get agents on the phone during the day because they’re negotiating with teams.

They’re still in it with Huselius. Problem is a market was sort of set with Niklas Hagman at $3 million a year in Toronto. Huselius and Hagman’s careers started together, and statistically, there’s no comparison. Huselius has performed much better and more consistently, so if the Wild wants him, one would assume it’ll have to be at more than $3 mill.

Huselius and other UFA forwards are clearly being patient right now as they try to drive up the price.

And like I said, there are other guys out there, and quite frankly, something might not necessarily happen today with the Wild. I’m told nothing big is brewing right at the moment. There are things that are “pending” but are on hold due to the stuff I’m alluding to above with Huselius and others.

Patience by the agents.

I wish I could publish Marek Zidlicky’s phone number. I just want you to hear the stuff I’m hearing on the other end of the line. I don’t think we’ll be getting him today either. I think he lives on a farm in REMOTE Czech Republic or something.

Marian Hossa snubs bigtime long-term offers to sign with Detroit at one-year, $7.4 million, according to TSN. I told everybody I talked to yesterday no way he’d go to Edmonton, but wow. Interesting decision, and there’s got to be a reason other than just the fact he gets to go to Detroit.

Sean Avery to Dallas. No French Canadians there, just Finns.

11:15 a.m. update: I just talked to Kristian Huselius, who’s back home in Sweden. Amazingly, he’s got the same cell phone from when I covered him pre-lockout.

Huselius told me he hopes to make a decision later today on his destination. He’s gotten a lot of interest and confirmed he’s considering Minnesota, but said, “I’m considering every team I’ve heard from. Until I decide, I can’t really do much or say too much. Minnesota is in the mix, but like I said, so are others. I haven’t made a decision at all yet.”

We’ll see what happens. Huselius is just one guy I know of. The Wild is clearly talking to other players, too, and if Huselius takes too long, the Wild could move on to other players. That’s the deal in free agency. When you have to wait around for players to make decisions and talk to others, sometimes you have to move on.

There are about a dozen or so pretty quality players still out there.

Here’s a Craig Weller YouTube clip. Check out the hits on Rick Nash and Dan Fritsche. As you can see, he’s a big, tough, you know what. I remember watching this game live, and in fact, I think this might be the same game Nash scored that sick winner by splitting the two Phoenix D. As you can hear, Danny Gare understandably doesn’t like the punch after the fact.

Here’s two Marek Zidlicky clips. Here’s one deke

and here’s one pickpocket on Willie Mitchell. 

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