Here’s a sneak peek at tomorrow’s article. Remember, since it’s running tomorrow, “today” is tomorrow in the article. Got it! 

This could be Stephane Veilleux’s final day with the Minnesota Wild. As I reported this morning, the 2001 draft pick was placed on waivers earlier today by the Wild as the team looks to resolve a contract dispute with the restricted free agent. 

Remember, Veilleux fired his agent earlier this summer, so he is representing himself in negotiations.

This is the basic strategy here, and it’s exactly what I speculated on the earlier post.

Veilleux is one year from unrestricted free agency. There is a major bridge between what the Wild feels he’s worth next year and beyond as an unrestricted free agent and what Veilleux thinks he’s worth.

So the Wild is trying to “solve the problem,” said Tom Lynn.

If Veilleux is right, another team will claim him knowing, conceivably, it will need to pay Veilleux what he wants. If the Wild is right, he’ll clear waivers and Veilleux will conceivably learn his value isn’t as high as he thinks it is.

Any team can claim Veilleux by 11 a.m. Thursday. If another team claims Veilleux, he immediately becomes their property and it will be their responsibility to either negotiate a contract with him or go to arbitration.

If Veilleux goes unclaimed, the Wild will either sign him to a one-year deal, go to arbitration where Veilleux would be awarded a one-year deal or the team will continue to attempt to sign him long-term. I’ve gotten some confused emails. Remember, waivers in the NHL are not like other sports. If he clears waivers, it doesn’t mean the Wild releases him. He’s still the Wild’s property.

I just got off the phone with Veilleux. He is taking this maturely, but he is deeply saddened and disappointed “that we have to go this far.” He said Doug Risebrough called him this morning, explained to him the waiver decision and offered him one final contract. Veilleux still turned it down. He said Risebrough was very nice and there would be no “bad personal feelings” if he clears waivers and is still Wild property tomorrow.

He would not divulge what he’s asking for and he does not regret his decision to fire his agent. If this is his last day with the Wild, Veilleux wanted me to thank the fans for how he’s been treated in his five seasons here. I’ll have more in Thursday’s paper.

Clayton Stoner has signed a one-year deal, and Peter Olvecky was officially announced as signing.

The Wild will open the season Oct. 11 at home against the Boston Bruins. Manny Fernandez will be back, but will he be starting? The Wild will also play each Eastern Conference team once next season, but will play Boston, Tampa Bay and my favorite team as a kid, the New York Islanders, twice.

The Wild is 6-0-1 in home openers. The Wild will release its preseason schedule at a later date, the regular season schedule Thursday. Preseason single-game tickets go on sale Aug. 23, regular season single-game tickets Sept. 20.

In other news, as you read here last week,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / JULY 16, 2008

BLACKHAWKS TO HOST RED WINGS AT HISTORIC WRIGLEY FIELD
IN NHL WINTER CLASSIC ON NEW YEAR?S DAY

NEW YORK (July 16, 2008) ? The Chicago Blackhawks will host the Detroit
Red Wings at Wrigley Field in NHL Winter ClassicTM 2009 on New Year?s Day.
The 701st all-time meeting of the clubs ? no NHL opponents have played
more regular-season games against each other ? will begin at the memorably
unique venue at 1 p.m., ET/Noon CT.

NHL Winter Classic 2009 will be the second regular-season outdoor NHL game
played in the United States (the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh
Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium last New Year?s Day) and the third
regular-season outdoor game in League history (the Edmonton Oilers hosted
the Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium Nov. 22, 2003). Several of
the game?s brightest stars will be on display, including the young
Blackhawks tandem of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and new addition
All-Star defenseman Brian Campbell. The Stanley Cup champion Red Wings
boast an All-Star roster that includes Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas
Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Chris Osgood and newly acquired Marian Hossa.

“The NHL is delighted to bring its most historic rivalry to one of the
most historic venues in sports,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “We
thank Rocky Wirtz and John McDonough for their vision. We thank Mike
Ilitch and the Red Wings for their cooperation. And we thank Mayor Daley,
in advance, for the warm welcome we know the City of Chicago will extend
to our newest tradition.

?We also acknowledge the interest and efforts of the New York Yankees and
the City of New York throughout the NHL Winter Classic 2009 site selection
process,? Commissioner Bettman said. ?We look forward to continuing
discussions regarding the possibility of playing a future Winter Classic
game at the new Yankee Stadium.”

NBC will provide live broadcast coverage of the game in the U.S. In
Canada, CBC and RDS will televise the event live. NHL Radio on Westwood
One will provide coverage for radio stations across North America and XM
Satellite Radio, and NHL.com will provide extensive digital video
coverage. More detail on the NHL Winter Classic will be announced soon.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 12:09 pm and is filed under Breaking news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.