Source: Saku deal appears to be going south; Best of the Rest
Posted on July 2nd, 2009 – 7:26 PMBy Michael Russo
ALERT: Source: Ruslan Fedotenko to make decision Friday because Pittsburgh, which has an offer on the table, needs an answer. Wild and other teams in the fold.
As for Koivu, a number of teams interested. Anaheim is definitely involved, as is NJ and NYR, among others.
Last night, the Wild thought Saku Koivu would be signed, sealed and delivered by this morning.
Now, it appears as if it’s going nowhere, according to sources.
Agent Don Baizley said no decision is imminent and he’d reserve comment until “the situation is resolved.”
Koivu is expected to take some time and weigh his options, but he’s got a bunch of scenarios and many teams coming at him hard, and like I said, it appears the deal with the Wild is going south.
New Jersey is one team hot after Koivu, as well as the New York Rangers, who now that they traded Scott Gomez, really doesn’t have a center to get the puck to Marian Gaborik. Anaheim likes him, too.
The Wild wants Koivu, 34, desperately. It needs a No. 2 center, but GM Chuck Fletcher says at this point the “ball’s in his court.”
If the Wild can’t land Koivu, it likely won’t sign any of the other free-agent centers. Look at the guys below. Fletcher said it makes no sense to grab maybe a 40-point-max guy to play on the second line and then possibly inhibit an ability to grab a better player at a later date via trade. The only other top center on the market was Nik Antropov, and he signed with Atlanta at $4 million per.
So if he can’t make a trade — and he did talk trade today — he said he’s comfortable going into camp with Mikko Koivu, James Sheppard, Benoit Pouliot, Eric Belanger and Kyle Brodziak. And remember, Todd Richards plans on experimenting with Pierre-Marc Bouchard at center in camp.
This again is if it can’t land Saku Koivu or make a trade. But Saku looks bad right now, I’m hearing.
Fletcher said waiting for Koivu is not hindering his ability to do anything else.
“They probably have several conversations going and we have several conversations going. You’re always looking and you never want to close the door on other avenues. We’re not handcuffed. We’re able to move in different directions if something came up that is the right deal.”
Other things from the Fletcher conference call today:
– He has targeted a few other players, but if he can’t get them, he’s willing to be patient because it’s bound to become a buyer’s market.
– He’d like to acquire at least one more “quality forward” and a defenseman. The defenseman could be a one-way contract or a “bunch of two-way contracts.”
– On Havlat: “Looking at what Marty did this past season would be a good indication of what he can do when he’s healthy. … He produced a lot offensively. He’s a smart player too defensively. He’s underrated in that regard, he can kill penalties, he’s a responsible player and makes solid decisions with and without the puck. He’s been a player with a track record of success in the playoffs. … There were certainly three or four offensive players who would have fit the bill well. But Marty’s 28 years old, an explosive skater with tremendous offensive skills. He can score goals, he can make plays, he can play the power play, he can kill penalties. I truly believe his best years are still ahead of him. It made an awful lot of sense.”
– Fletcher talked a lot about Havlat’s injury history and whether he had concerns. He admitted that’s a risk, but there’s a risk in everything, he said. You can read more of that in the paper Friday or on www.startribune.com/wild tonight.
– Quality free agents still on the market:
Wingers: Alex Tanguay, Alexei Kovalev, Ruslan Fedotenko Ales Kotalik, Mikael Samuelsson, Rob Niedermayer, Mike Grier, Miroslav Satan, Maxim Afinogenov, Petr Sykora, Taylor Pyatt, Stephane Veilleux.
Centers: Saku Koivu, Mike Comrie, Robert Lang, Todd Marchant, Jason Williams, P.J. Axelsson, Radek Bonk, Manny Malhotra, Dominic Moore.
Defensemen: Francois Beauchemin, Derek Morris, Kurtis Foster, Martin Skoula, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Nick Boynton, Phillipe Boucher, Greg de Vries, Christian Backman, Denis Gauthier, Dmitri Kalinin, Paul Mara, Francis Bouillon, Andrew Alberts, Dennis Seidenberg.
191 Responses to "Source: Saku deal appears to be going south; Best of the Rest"
Stay away from the light Saku!
I’m beginning to wonder if this franchise truly is cursed. As for Fletcher saying he would be comfortable going with the centers we have should Saku go elsewhere then count me out of that. It’s Pouliot and Belanger that cause me the most angst.
Too bad if he doesn’t come here. There could be killings to be had later when teams need to dump salary though.
I still have hope I will awake tomorrow and Saku will be a Wild.
Agreed. No Saku = a long season of mixing and matching centermen on our #2 line. Yikes.
That sort of thing is ok on lines 3/4, but you need a quality #2 guy. Oiy vey.
I have faith in Chuck. At least he is not panicking and either throwing the farm at him, or trying to sign a 4th line center for a 2nd line position.
I don’t understand why Fletcher insists on not closing the door on these two first round busts (James Sheppard, Benoit Pouliot) they are not going to come to camp and turn into a top line players. So basically we are going to have pretty much the same mediocre team as last season.
This is not good though because it means we are reliant on a trade. CF might be right that it is a buyer’s mkt but that could mean we head into the season a rather mediocre club. Havlat and Saku meant we should be better than last year. For all the Foster folk I suspect he will be around for a while and is still a possibility at some point and for the right price.
Boooooo. Thought this was a slam dunk? Time for Mikko to lay the guilt trip down.
Eric B- Pouliot maybe, but Shep’s like 17. He was rushed through the system and will need some seasoning.
How can Saku not want to play with his brother? He has plenty of money.
On Saku, here is what has been reported:
-Mikko states that Saku intends to take his time and review all options and weigh the pros and cons.
-Wild made a solid effort Wednesday night and throughout the day today.
- There is a lot of interest in Saku.
All this means is in the first 36 hours of free agency Saku has received anywhere from 2 - 15+ offers from teams. He probably has a short list, but he will at least use due diligence and review all offers and come to a decision when he is comfortable. As stated by other posters, he is 34 and this may be a final destination decision for him, and then you have teams probably throwing tons of $$ at him.
I am betting that as more teams offer more money it does not help, but it will come down to where he wants to play the most. I feel that is what we have to offer. (ugh I kinda sounded like DR there).
Marcel Goc is not going to be re-signed by SJ, and is a demon in the face-off circle (58.2%)…could be had for very cheap.
At this point in his career money should have nothing to do with it. He’s rich. A chance to play with your brother and against the canuck twins. Come on, no brainer.
Saku, come home to Minnesota! There are many countrymen (and women) here… Finnlanders look great in the Wild sweaters!
Money always has something to do with it, let’s be real here. This is his last chance to get paid. Money is huge.
WOW, so much negativity. Have faith people, the true WILD fans have faith. You have to let Fletcher do this thing. Liepond hired him for a reason. Look at what Fletcher was dealt and look at what he has gotten us so far. Havlat is a quality player and has stayed more healthy than Grion-rik. At least we got someone to replace him. Otherwise we got nothing since Groin-rik was a UFA. If he hasn’t done anything by the beginning of the season then you can start complaining.
Have faith WE ARE THE STATE OF HOCKEY!!!
I would be comfortable with a 4 year 11.5 deal for Saku. Anymore may cripple your options and going beyond 4 years would be tough unless he would be willing to do the 5th year for less than 2mil.
I’m glad that CF is being very wary of giving Saku any more than a 3 year deal.
1) The fourth year he would be 38 going on 39.
2) Mikko and Burnsie will both be up for new contracts within that time frame. At that point…the Wild will have at least 4 and possibly up to 6 players in the 5 plus million per bracket. The fourth year could jeopardize one of those key slots.
I wonder what kind of cap hit Tanguay is going have? We could really use a top six LW, and to me he seems like something TR is looking for.
I can understand both sides here. Although it would be nice to see Saku in IRR, you also don’t want either side coming away from this feeling cheated.
CF can only open the pursestrings so much, and then that’s it. If NJ or the Rangers (how can either team afford anyone else?) think that they can do a deal, so be it. If Anaheim can do it and not break the bank, good for them (again, how with all the high-priced players the Ducks have?) and good for Saku.
I was optimistic, but circumstances beyond the control of the Wild make me much less so tonight.
I bet that is what he wants/holding out for, a hefty 4th year.
But at 34 already, I seriously doubt the amount of $ dedicated to him and the diminishing returns on said money spent after year 2 of the contract is worth the future cap trouble.
His pts/games played have declined for the last 3 straight seasons.
I wish he would consider a solid 1 yr deal from us and call it a day.
I dont see how you would go to a team without a coach?
referring to the devils.
WRT: +1.
Michael Russo - thanks for the effort and great information.
Too bad we couldn’t ditch Johnsson and his high salary and sign Leopold. He is just as good a player as Johnsson, and it would have freed up a few million in cap space. Johnsson should be kissing Risebroughs nether regions for the contract he gave him.
True Wild fans have faith…..wasn’t that said last when the Wild missed the playoffs. True Wild fans are knowledgeable and know when they are being sold a bill of goods. And that is the reason Risebrough is no longer with us.
If we didn’t want to give Rolston a 4 year deal, then I wouldn’t want to give S. Koivu 4. I will not be upset if older Koivu goes elsewhere.
Bruno and Nolan will be 38 or 39 when there contracts expire. 4 years for a 34 year old who will be playing with their younger brother, thus more likely to find an extra step, is within reason for me.
I would love to see Saku on the Wild. I think it would be good for us.
time to shop burns; remember his agent is salcer and we know what that means when his contract is up.now the the added concussion questions i think the timing is right……heatley; nash?
If Koivu wants to be here, it is up to Fletcher to figure out how to make it happen. If he does not, then no amount of $$$ or years will make any difference.
You want to think the team will get better, not stay the same with different names.
They need a #2 bad. I think Saku has proven himself not to be your average old man.
shop burns?? are you high?? Even if it is not like we have a big depth pool for D-men so to give him up for Dany “he hate me” Heatley or Nash would not help us out.
If you want him on the Wild, give hime what he wants.
Why do these GM’s act like women and make things so difficult when they’re really quite simple.
Burns for Nash would help us big time SkiBum. Are you high?
Brian…you can’t just go around giving guys what they want because you want them on your team. this isn’t baseball. there is a cap.
KJ is in his last year of a big contract. Nash is in the last year of his contract. Burns is locked up for a few more years.
True Wild fans are knowledgeable and know when they are being sold a bill of goods. And that is the reason Risebrough is no longer with us.
Apparently the fans fired Risebrough. And here I thought it was the owner.
I like to think I fired DR. You’re welcome.
Obviously Nash is gonna seek a BIG payday, then we have to find a top D man as Burns is the heir apparent. That would leave us in a situation where we may be forced to overpay for a #1 d-man that doesnt produce, see Chicago Blackhawks & Brian Campbell. I believe with the team we have we can reach the playoffs, but goaltending and defense is what wins championships, so they say.
If we could get Nash for Burns straight up, I’d be interested. However, there’s a better chance of me winning every powerball for the rest of the year than Columbus even entertaining that deal for 3 seconds. Salcer isn’t going to make his client leave if Burns wants to stay…..the guy has a Wild tattoo on his back, I think he likes it here. In the end, the player tells the agent what to do, not the other way around.
if we cant get saku i say we go hard after kovalev.
Burns isn’t as amazing as you’re making him sound. I like the dude but if we could trade burns for nash, we would severly improve our predicament. “May be forced to overpay.” Hypothetical…no basis. burns simply isn’t as valuable to a team as nash is.
Kovalev isn’t my favorite, but I could stomach a one year deal. I think he’d probably play in Russia before he’d play here though.
kovalev is better than saku…talent for talent. what they want $$$ wise is different
Well said, donut. There is zero chance that Nash won’t stay in COlumbus. They need him badly, and he has to like the direction the team is finally heading in.
I would do a Burns for Nash deal in a heartbeat. I love Burnzie, but Nash is the #2 LW in the NHL. After the way Columbus improved last season, I sincerely doubt they’d trade their franchise player.
I am just saying to give up someone that should and will be a #1 D with 3 more years on contract for a UFA next year that will demand a big paycheck is a very risky gamble. I would hold on to Burns and try and sign Nash in the offseason.
ENOUGH of this CRAPOLA!! Give him the fourth year he wants for god’s sake! Saku Koivu has earned that kind of deal. Not just because of his performance on the ice, but his character is what we need more of in MN athletes. GET IT DONE Chuck. you’ve been awesome so far, so I’m not knockin’ you, but get this deal done. This WILL make or break us being a good team in the toughest division in the league. We NEED a #2 Center. If we don’t get Saku, PMB better be practicing his face-offs because we will not be prepared for this season w/out a #2 Center. Plain and simple.
this koivu deal will neither make nor break us. he is a good guy and a good player but he is no savior.
is tanguay washed up?; he certainly does not seem to be drawing chuck’s attention.
I’m sure Nash will be extend before the end of 2009.
to be a serious playoff team the wild need more than just a #2 center. everyone needs to get realistic and see that change will take time. you don’t get out of the mess in the first year. fletch didn’t walk into the front office of the red wings. he’s doing a good job with what he has.
They’ve reportedly made progress in a new Nash deal.
I agree Wallshot, but the way Nash talked in a TSN report he is not afraid to test the market. here is a quote he gave. “There were tons of teams throwing some pretty big money around (Wednesday),” Nash said. “If this doesn’t get done, I’m sure I won’t have a problem getting signed by somebody next summer.”
hi, im an object in the microwave - listen to me - i have an opinion.
so what is it? you have something to say about everyone else’s posts, but nothing for yourself…
please bless us with your insight, oh wise one.
should i copy and paste from above or do you just want to scroll up? i’m not wise, but i know you don’t rebuild a team in the first year and you definitely don’t do it by throwing money at a guy just because he wants it. go ahead and scroll up to read more of my opinions. you can get insight from a book. i’m no author.
Scuderi signed with the Kings, for 3.4 a season.. wow!! Sounds like a bargain to me. I’d rather have an up and coming 28 yr old Defenseman than an aging (34yr old) Saku.
Leopold is gone too, signs a one year deal.
Scuderi signed with the Kings, for 3.4 a season.. wow!! Sounds like a bargain to me.
Um…no. Far from it.
kevin; what kind of dough is fedetenko
lookin for?
Lucky @ 8:19 … the problem with paying Rolston on the 4th year was his age being over 35. That meant the team is hung with the cap number whether he plays or not didn;t it?
IN this situation, if Saku is one of the better options for the guy we need … a #2 center and he wants to be here. Then, the GM needs to figure it out.
That does not necessarily mean the biggest bucks.
Donut,
You seem to know what’s up so let me ask you, what’s your solution? It seems to me the only way to become a Cup contender(Besides DET, ANA, and NJ) is finish last a few years in a row, then eventually all your 1st and 2nd overalls will get you their eventually? We have a good team, and Shepp and Pouliot are not busts! Super sick of hearing that. Pouliot can play, but not on the 4th line and Sheppard has improved, but should’ve marinated in the minors for a bit. Just Like M. Koivu!!! Same goes for Gillies. By the way, quit knockin’ everyone elses opinions Cliff Claven. Be cool were all just talkin’ here.
The thing with Fedotenko seems to be he’s looking for at least three years. I don’t know for sure about the money, but it seems to be in the 2.5-3 range maybe. Penguins aren’t too keen on giving him a third year. They supposedly increased the monetary value though after Scuderi went to LA. Tenk made $2.25 last year.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Fedotenko back but I also wouldn’t get excited over his return, especially if the terms aren’t good.
Saku has been a big character guy since he has been in the league. I think his past performance says he is not much of a gamble.
Great comment regarding Eklund over on Puck Daddy’s live blog:
You guys can knock Eklund all you want, but he’s found a way to get people (suckers, if you will) to pay $20 a year to read his drivel and monkey poop lies. That’s brilliance. You might not respect what he does (and you shouldn’t), but damn, he’s making money off morons, and if there is one thing this country has an overwhelming supply of, it’s morons. Now, I’m not sure which is sadder: People that pay for his crap, or people that pay for his crap and actually admit that they pay for his crap.
Kipa: re eklund
Amen
marcus, not knocking anyone, unless replying to someone’s comment on a blog by listing my opinion is a knock. you said koivu will make or break the playoffs. i disagreed and said it won’t. i never said i have a plan on how to win the cup. i’m not the gm but i like what i see from him so far. we aren’t winning the cup this year. we don’t need to be throwing money and contracts around just because the fans want it. finishing crappy for a few years in the row would certinaly help, but i don’t like that. i agree that we can be competitive with the team we have, as you say. however, we need time to see what the best moves will be for us in the future. teams will have to cut cap…teams that are throwing money and contracts around or have in the past. players will become available. better offers will exist. of course, fletcher could get the deal done but coming in as a first year guy into the pile that risebrough left requires time. so, that’s what i would do. i would be patient.
I wanted to alert everyone that the sky is falling because we might not get Koivu, but I see others beat me to it. I also wanted to let everyone know that running an NHL team is easy, we could all do it, and we could all do a better job than Fletch, but others beat me to it again. Carry on.
I Think Saku will sign here. Should be interesting to say the least.
Saku is a great player in every respect but I have to admit since CF took over I have wanted to see what PMB can do at center. Can’t say I love the wingers left on the board or the other centers but if the cap hit for Saku is being driven too high I would rather have competition to play on the top 2 lines with cap space to play with and players to trade. Even though the Wild does not appear to be in the Heatley rumors now, until he is traded there is always hope 
I’m not worried. I think he’s just mulling things over. If Mikko has any say in it, I think Saku will end up in a Wild sweater.
Also, Rob Niedermayer can play center too, no? I would be ok with that.
At this point, forget Saku. I think if you move PMB to center, with his playmaking and what I believe will be Richards ability to get through to him on distributing the puck better, he’ll be a great #2 center. I can see 70 points for him between Brunette and Nolan. Then, go get Alex Tanguay to play LW on Mikko and Marty’s line. Man, that would be a nice first line.
Couple teams look to be in big cap trouble atm. Detroit and Boston are soooooo close to the top, and still have roster spots to fill. Chicago looks tight too, not sure what they’ll do to field 23 guys. There’s a few others too.
There’s guys available, and there WILL BE more available via trade, so as causalobserver has noted, carry on.
Same here! Yeah Chuck Fletcher is litterally turning dog**** into diamonds. He’s done swell. There’s just nobody on the remaining list that will make us much better of a hockey club IMO. Sorry for being too harsh man, my apologies for that. MN in my opinion doesn’t have the patience to do what PITT, WAS, and BOS has done. But I stand by my opinion that Sheppard and Pouliot are not bust. Daigle…..He was a bust. Tangent time….lol, but Lemaire said that if Bellanger busted ass, he could be an 80 point guy. I believe that. Just like I believe that with the right chance and opportunity, those guys can flourish w/ this club. Butch is a guy who really needs to play to his potential too. I’ve seen him pull off some awesome moves. He needs linemates that will allow him to be a better finisher. I don’t to see him become another Samsonov, or Afinogenov. PMB and Hemsky IMO are almost identical in talent. He should have Hemsky’s points. Give these guys the chance please. If they fail, at least the club did everything they could as far as giving them a real opportunity to succeed. I believe this is where Richards and Fletcher can really CHANGE this team.
I hate to agree on 2 fronts with Lala72 but maybe Tanguay is the best option at wing.
“Too bad we couldn’t ditch Johnsson and his high salary and sign Leopold. He is just as good a player as Johnsson.”
Put down the crack pipe, take off your maroon/gold sweater and try to sleep it all off. We promise not to make you feel foolish in the morning.
Call me Debbie Downer, but I’m not thrilled with PMB playing center (or anywhere else for that matter). The non-stop figure skating is too much.
Havlat was an OK pickup, but really a 2nd-tier forward. Rolston (who I liked) put up similar numbers but that does not replace Gabby like numbers.
Nolan is a year older and had injury issues last year. We need another solid scorer or it will be a long year at the X. Hopefully Fletcher can pull off a trade.
Sorry but Leo is not in the same class as Johnsson.
Heatley is a virus. You don’t want that sniffling, whiny, vehicular-homicide fool. Forget him.
Lala…
I personally think Tanguay is one of the most mentally soft players in the league, but I have to admit that when you threw that line combo out there, it really clicked with me. I like it. Maybe if they can’t get Koivu, Tanguay wouldn’t be a bad option at all. I have to disagree on how effective that second line would be though - a non-aggressive playmaker with two slow, one dimensional wingers - that’d be a lower tier second line in the league.
LOL. Gabby numbers??? Right. You mean the 23 spot he put up this past season? Yeah, that’s tough to replace.
tjericks, I only say the second line part because we’re stuck with the geriatric pair. I do honestly believe that PMB could finally blossom at center in the new system. Find him a couple wings, huh?
But, remember, Saku isn’t going to bring lightning in a bottle for Brunette and Nolan either.
Heatley is a virus.
If scoring goals is a virus than I hope we catch a cold - glad to see we can agree to disagree again 
If scoring goals is a virus than I hope we catch a cold
If scoring goals is a virus, Heatley’s got full-blown AIDS
My lady’s sitting here with an idea for PMB to play center. We put one of those invisible fence collars on him. Richards holds the trigger. When PMB starts figure skating all over the ice, as soon as one of his linemates is open in front of the net, Richards zaps that bastard with all his might. Bingo. PMB distribution problems solved!
Samuelsson… Great winger to grab in that list. Hoping Saku comes here, don’t think he’s the end-all answer though. Good Luck Fletch!
Pouliot is doing a happy dance….
Top Five Free Agent Signings According To S.I. Wild has 2 of them…
• 1) Daniel and Henrik Sedin stay in Vancouver (five years, $30.1 million each): The Canucks maintain the core of their offense with a contract that features both a hometown discount and reasonable term, allowing GM Mike Gillis enough space to make at least one more significant addition. Hard to imagine any deal topping this one in terms of value for the team and a fair stipend for the players.
• 2) Mike Komisarek to Toronto (five years, $22.5 million): Coming on the heels of a disappointing season, you can argue that Komisarek’s game needs significant development before he’s worth the $4.5 million cap hit provided by this contract. Still, this is exactly the type of player that Brian Burke has been promising he’d add since arriving in Toronto, a nasty piece of work who’ll make life miserable for invading forwards and up the entertainment quota on a nightly basis. When you consider the general surliness of Toronto’s right side (Komisarek joins Luke Schenn and Garnet Exelby, acquired earlier in the day in exchange for Pavel Kubina), next season will be miserable for opposing left wingers.
• 3) Marian Gaborik to New York Rangers (five years, $37.5 million)
You want to rip this deal? You wont have any problem finding an angle, but it says here that Glen Sather finally nailed a landing. After finding another sucker to assume the indefensible contract of Scott Gomez — an award-worthy move in and of itself — Slats morphed that cap space into Gaborik, one of the top three one-on-one players in the game. New coach John Tortorella wants to play an up-tempo style? It’s hard to imagine many players who are more ideally suited to the role than Gabby, whose speed and finishing ability ensure that the Rangers wont have to suffer through another year as the worst offense in the East. Granted, there are no guarantees he’ll stay healthy for the duration of the contract, but the same can be said of every player. After all, we’re all day-to-day, arent we?
• 4) Greg Zanon to Minnesota (three years, $5.8 million): An underappreciated element of Nashville’s defense corps, Zanon is an old-school warrior. He won’t contribute much to the offense, but he does all the little things that help a team maintain control of its own zone. He’s smart positionally, plays a disciplined physical game and ranks as one of the league’s most fearless shot blockers. He’ll be a fan favorite in Minnesota.
• 5) Martin Havlat to Minnesota (six years, $30 million)
The Wild quickly filled the hole created by Gaborik’s departure. Havlat, who bounced back from an injury-shortened 2007-08 campaign with a career year, was Chicago’s top forward, scoring 77 points in 81 regular season games before amping up his effort in the playoffs where he played with a passion that hinted more at a hunger for success than a new contract. Now that he has one, Wild fans should be thrilled that not only does he want to play in Minnesota, something that clearly couldn’t be said for the more talented Gaborik, but he signed at a price that will allow Chuck Fletcher the flexibility to deepen the talent pool. If that money is used to bring in Saku Koivu or Ruslan Fedotenko, this deal ends up looking even better.
Heatley scored 39 goals last year. That’s nice, but I wouldn’t put up with his whining for that, especially for the one year he’ll want to be here.
Lightning in a bottle? Nolan and Brunette was awesome last year! Nolan would’ve had 35-40 goals last season if not for his injuries. Bruno played on ONE KNEE for half a season almost and still was 2nd on the team w/ goals. Come on, if you put their hearts into some of our other players…..watch out!
LOL, I don’t think anyone will win this one. Man I so wanted that twitter membership
The Koivu Pool.
Gunslinger says:
July 1st, 2009 at 11:00 am
Beauj: 7/1 11:30
Gunslinger: 7/1 12:10 pm
Jimlove: 7/1 12:25pm
AustinTX: 7/1 1:40 pm
NiNY: 7/1 2:45 pm
FW99: 7/1 5:48 pm
Katie: 7/1 8:00 pm
Aaron in Houston: 7/2 3:00 pm
Maschneid: 7/3 10:00 am
Gunslinger says:
July 1st, 2009 at 10:35 am
alright! its on!
Get ‘em in folks! i am shutting down the pool at 10:59.
Winner gets a lifetime membership to follow KiPA’s new Twitter page
I just watched TSN’s Fantasy Hockey Update. Excited about this upcoming season’s FH.
Can’t wait.
I hear Saku is torn between Anaheim and the Wild
Marcus, you don’t need to argue with me. I’m the guy that said put PMB between the two old guys. Someone else was ripping them. Therefore, I told that person that Saku wouldn’t save them anymore than PMB. Don’t be so snide, my friend, especially when you pop up in the middle of a conversation.
Lala:
Fair enough on the second line. I think that if we can land Koivu, every effort should be made to ship one of Nolan or Brunette away.I know it’s not popular to say in these parts, but Brunette is awfully one-dimensional in the post lockout game. He has a ton of heart, but heart alone isn’t worth his price tag when he’s too slow to keep up in what’s promised to be a more up tempo game for our squad. He’d really only be effective on the PP IMO, and pairing PMB with Nolan and Bruno is a complete and utter waste of not only Bruno’s cap money, but also PMB’s. Also, Marcus, if Nolan wasn’t lightning in a bottle, he would’ve commanded a lot more than what the Wild had to pay him last year, no?
Man I so wanted that twitter membership
Grr…
I’m not arguing w/ you brother. We’re all allowed to talk on here. My apologies to you as well. I would rather trade Miettnen away first even with the age difference. We need those leaders on and off the ice. Bruno should go NOWHERE. Nolan, I think he should stay as well. Who ever calls them geriatrics, thats SNIDE and unesessary, oh yeah and Stupid too. Those guys are real Wild players!
I hear Saku is torn between Anaheim and the Wild
Blood is thicker than water, Saku. And Teemu won’t be there forever. Mikko will be around longer.
Saku
7/3 8:00 PM
where’s game on! tonight???
Some “ruse’ this is turning out to be.
Saku is turning into the Brett Frave of Hockey watch…
everyone thinks about the sedin twins and thinks that’s typical, or the importance of getting local guys… i’ve had this conversation with a minny bred vet (cup winner) nhl’r when he had the chance to close out his career with the wild. he gave good reasons to not go for it. maybe mikko is the real issue. russo’s alluded to it in interviews.
TSN is reporting Saku decision is coming today.
SAWF,
yeah, we heard that yesterday too…i’ll believe it when i hear it.
Burns for Nash??? Are you people dumb? Nash is due to become a UFA next summer. Already turning down big contracts from the Jackets. Just like Marian he’d walk away from us too.
[…] previously reported that the term of the contract was the sticking point. He also wrote that the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks were in play for Koivu’s […]
Pouliot so far has not been impressive, but we have to remember is that when he has been up here he has not been playing on a scoring line, he has been on the 3rd or 4th line. The guys needs players around him and I think he can really take off this year under a new offensive style and Richards. Look we drafted him to score goals, not to play shutdown defense that he was asked to do under Lemaire. Give him another year or two and then make an opinion on whether or not he is a true bust. Sheppard has a ton of skill and great hands, which he displayed more than a couple times when he went in alone against 1 or 2 defensemen and made them look silly. He is still young and I believe is another one of the players who will benefit tremendously under our new system. I say Shep goes for at least 20 goals this year.
Gawd. This is almost as bad as the Henny penny sky is falling purse swinging nonsense we saw earlier when Russo told you to be patient. If he signs here, cool. If not, who are you to judge how anyone (let alone the centers we would presumably go to camp with) is/are going to play this next season in a system that isnt so freaking dependent on the center being defensively responsible (ie in two places at once)?
Settle down. Sheesh.
Jake, Pouliot WAS on a scoring line in Houston, played with some of the top scorers in the AHL, against much weaker defenses than you’ll find in the NHL, and he still couldn’t produce.
But he is in a friendlier situation now. He and Constantine get along well and maybe he’ll irritate Richards less than he did Lemaire. I’m interested but not particularly hopeful.
So, I’m over Saku. You know that book/movie “He’s just not that into you”? That’s what this feels like. Great guy but I give it about a 5% chance he ends up in MN.
Oh, I know! How about we sign some AHL guys today! That sounds like fun! Everybody’s doing it! Just sayin’….
How about Todd marchant? Hew was fine for Anaheim in the playoffs last season. Much better faceoff percentage than Beloanger and Sheppard.
ms.c IMO i don’t think Scotty Bowman would be able to get anything out of Pouliot. Sadly for the Wild we are stuck with this guy unless we can find some sucker willing to take him off our hands in a trade (as a toss in). He has had chances to produce and done nada; i say no more chances.
Poultine may be doomed to being a 4th line role player his entire NHL career.
Which grows shorter with each passing year.
I’d like nothing better than to see B-B-B-Benny and Kalus surprise everyone and have breakout years. But Wild fans have been waiting and wondering for years about Pooh-Bear.
Fletch hopes too, but he’s using them as plan Z…
Ms. C: How ’bout we get the NHL club fixed first, then we work on your ‘problems’, shall we??
After all the worst you can do is get B-b-b-Benny back, and get Kalus also. (I thought you liked him.)
I’m sure the Wild will take care of the farm, just not right away.
Patience, dearie. The season is still 3 months off…and it’s only Day 3 of free agency.
Pouliot = Daigle = biggest busts in draft day history?
Pouliot = Daigle = biggest busts in draft day history?
Funny how they both have Smug connections… 
Daigle actually became a serviceable winger for a season or two…..so I’d say he has the upperhand right now…
on the defensiveman available…if we could get one of these 4 d-men for a 1.5 mil or under price tag….I’d jump all over it
morris(2 mil or under for him), boyton, kalinin, and mara
saku…just remember that wild fans want to cheer for you…..and if you sign with the ducks…..well…..you just signed with one of the most hated teams in the nhl…..all good will disapears when you put on a duck jersey…..mikko might not speak to you for a couple of years……not because you didn’t come here….because you went to freaking anahiem…..please don’t torture us so……anywhere but anahiem/vancouver/calgary!
(preferably in Minny though!!)
UGH.
Anyone else like Alexei Kovalev? For some reason it wouldn’t seem right for him to leave the Canadians. It would be fun to watch him play at Excel.
It would be interesting to have Saku on the team, but, I kind of would like to see what happens a little farther down the off-season. Aren’t we dangling Harding out as trade-bait? For who and what?
I’m with the Wild on this one, just go already Saku. You have your freakin brother here and you can’t sign? Jesus, what a greedy a hole. It would be a perfect place for you to play and your being an a hole about it. If you sign elsewhere, you WILL here it from the fans here and Mikko may feel the effects of it now. What happened to pro athletes? These guys are just unbelievable now. These agents try and squeeze every penny out of the teams even if the players rep gets ruined. It’s not like Saku is freakin Sid Crosby. End your career on a high note by playing with your family.
Look WRT, you have your SkoulaSucks, I have my SignSomeAerosAlready. You can keep telling me to cool my jets but as long as I see other teams signing AHLers and us doing nada, my jets will be en fuego.
From what I understand, Daigle is having quite a nice career in Europe. I’m just sayin…
Hey Russo, who is this Brian Bouchard the Flyers signed in the nets?!? I’d do a smiley face but not that accomplished.
<—for Woodcock
just to keep pre-occupied while russo catches up on his sleep or coffee, who was in the same draft class as daigle?
“Pouliot = Daigle = biggest busts in draft day history?”
Not in my opinion, but a horrible disappointment? Yes. Pouliot wasn’t talked up to be the franchises savior and wasn’t selected first overall.
I’d say he’s more like Pavel Brandle(SP?) from the ‘99 draft. Way hyped up to be this top notch player and development just never went anywhere.
Ms. C.: I’m agreeing with you 100%, other than the ‘big club’ was left in such sorry shape, that it needs repair more than the Aeros do. (After all, which team made the Conference Finals this past spring?) You’ll get some nice fresh young players soon. Fletcher won’t let you down.
About Daigle: That’s the problem…he’s playing in Europe, not in the NHL. If Pouliot doesn’t pull his head out and get his brain to where his talent is, that’s where he will be playing.
The Wild, Wild East.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftsearch.htm?year=1993
Pronger was #2. Still is. 
So ms.c, the Wild should sign Daigle for Houston then???
No reason you can be signing some AHLers at the same time as working on the NHL roster. That’s MY point. Other teams seem to be managing to do both at once.
Ever feel like you just fell down the rabbit hole?
Here’s the first thing I read this morning:
So ms.c, the Wild should sign Daigle for Houston then???
Obviously, I’m late to the party again, but…uh, wtf? LOL.
How can you not be excited to get your crack squirrel back?
No, kj, I’m saying the Pouliot should be playing in Europe.
Bite me, Lucky.
Meant to say at 9:13, no reason you CAN’T… that distinction is kind of pivotal to my point.
No doubt, but Fletcher is just trying to conserve cash while trying to un-do what DR did. Don’t forget, we should have about ten more players in the pipeline (at least), but no thanks to DR he traded those draft picks away, hence nothing coming into Aeros’ camp.
Other teams have not blown up the front office that was in place for over a decade this spring, then tried to re-build the front office on the fly, either. Until the now-infamous Managed Expectations™ comment from DR, there waqs a good chance that the Wild would still have DR in place, trading away draft choices, not signing anyone to replace Gaborik, not replacing Skoula, etc., etc.
Ya like Daigles?
When will you figure out it’s no use reasoning with me on this?
I think Daigle would be a fine addition for Houston. Him and Poultine on the same line. Makes sense, no?
kj, you can bite me, too.
There are a lot of biting proposals this morning. We do not bite kitty.
Ha ha, but hey you are getting three fresh faces from the 2007 draft (I’m assuming Gillies gets sent down). That is pretty good for a Minnesota draft, four players total from one draft already in the AHL.
Dang!
Where’s the end of the “Bite Me” line?
lol
No, Ms. C., I did not want this to de-generate into a name-calling festival. (Someone must not be having a good 3rd of July.)
Lucky is correct that you will also get Gillies down for some over-due ’seasoning’ this fall. The new hierarchy will not allow raw, untested rookies to play at the NHL level any more.
I’m having a bad 3rd, too, as evidenced by misquoting Dr. Evil. Bite = Gnaw. :\
Domonic Moore is still available??? What is wrong with our new regime??? Ink that guy pronto!
Wonder what Kyle McLaren’s asking price is, after the Sharks kept him in Worcester all last year, now that he’s a free agent? Could be a good physical defenseman as the 6th blue liner for the club.
Lots of decent physical blue liners still available…
What the Wild is saying is that we have absolutely no one who can put the puck in the net on the second line at C and if we don’t get Saku, we’re going to have to role with it. Sheppard, Pouliot, Belanger, all have proven year after year that even when sitting in front of the net they can’t put it away. If we have to roll with Sheppard again next year, I’m going to throw up.
I’m not seeing it with Sheppard. I know he’s out of Lemaire’s system now, but what evidence is there that he has “great hands”?? He would have had a hard time burying one in a soccer net in his two years here.
hope we get koivu, but if not i’m in favor of playing it cool for the summer and seeing what trade options open up.
that being said tanguay might actually be a good pick up. he has ridiculous talent, but the nock is his last two years were steps backwards and he’s no mentally tough. this may be true but his last two years were also terrible stuations: having to play for keenan in calgary and playing on last year’s disaster of a montreal team. he seriously might be worth a shot…
oh, and andrew alberts might be a good pick up for our 6th D spot…
We can all stop talking about hypotheticals like, “since Koivu isn’t coming we should go after [insert player]” Have no fear. Chuck isn’t sitting by the phone waiting for Koivu only. He’s working multiple deals at once. Let’s have some faith that he will do what’s best for the team for the position it is currently in…and that position is one of rebuilding. Until Fletcher messes it up, let’s be patient and let the guy do his job.
If we sign Saku and Fedotenko, that will give us a two solid scoring lines and depth at the 3rd and 4th lines. Man , we might actually be a real hockey team!
I have faith but I’m unnerved by how quiet it is. You might even say it’s Raph. Yeah, a little too Raph.
Jaromir Blogger - I believe evidence for Shepperds talent was in his rediculously good year(s) in QMJHL.
Year - G - A - Pts
2004 - 14 - 31 - 45
2005 - 30 - 54 - 84
2006 - 33 - 63 - 96
Russo if I have to work today you should be working to….GIVE US SOMETHING…ANYTHING!!! PLEASE!!!!!
In Chuck We Trust.
From what we have seen in his short tenure, he has made moves to fulfill CL’s wishes.
There will be cap deals down the road.
Let’s review the roster the week of training camp.
But…the Havlat signing is good and whomever he finds for the 2.5 mil difference between Marty and Gho$t will justify not tendering an offer.
Not to rain on your parade or anything, but here are Max Talbot’s stats from his last three years in the QMJHL:
2001-02: 65 GP, 24G, 36A, 60PTS
2002-03: 69 GP, 46G, 58A, 104PTS
2003-04: 51 GP, 25G, 73A, 98PTS
He turned into a grinder/role player. Not that I’m saying the same’ll happen to Sheppard.
Hmm. Some potentially good news regarding Skoivu’s decision: Teamofsalamis says next year is his last. If one of the major things weighing on Skoivu’s mind is whether to play with his pal or his bro, I’d like to think it’d be less worth it to play with Teemu for just one season rather than playing with his bro for 3/4 seasons.
If there is nothing to report, why should Russo report anything? What do you think he is, Eklund? Throw stuff up there and see what sticks?
Patience, everyone.
Sorry, peeps like links: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4304464
Like I’ve said a thousand times, neither Koivu or Burns were wowing Wild fans at the age of 21. Now if you suggest either should be traded people would rather give up their first born. Just a thought.
Fletcher appears to be blowing it big time. I can not believe he never offered Gabby a contract. You don’t let your best player go without trying to sign him. Fletch better sign a couple of big scorers or the Wild will have a very tough season this year. The fans have had enough of the lip service and being told how great the team of 18,000 is. We want and deserve results. If Fletcher is not able to produce a bonafide playoff team this year, I think it should be viewed as a failure and the fans should be greatly disappointed. Are we the fans supposed to accept another year with no playoffs????
KiPA…are you sure you’re not from MN?
That post was pure passive-aggressive…
Sheppard showed offensive talent in his junior seasons but I wouldn’t call it ridiculously good. The top scorers in the Q regularly put up point totals in the 120s to 140s.
Pouliot is 22 and it won’t cost much to see if a change in regime doesn’t lite a fire under his ar$e before kicking him to the curb as an official bust. Some guys take longer to mature. Look at Brunette or Briere. They kicked around into their mid to late 20s before finding the right role and opportunity to become productive members of NHL society.
I’m really disappointed that CF hasn’t already won us a Cup. He’s a failure for making us wait so long.
You have it wrong…as Doug Risebrough said last year…his biggest failures was not setting reasonable expectations…meaning he forgot to tell the fan base that they may not make the playoffs. Can you imagine if a GM ACTUALLY made that statement. I for one WILL be very disappointed if we miss the playoffs. There was plenty of talent out there and we still have dollars to play with. No reason to think we can’t have 2 scoring lines and a chance to win the division. Afterall it was just one year ago where we won the division. Of course Calgary and Vancouver have quite frankly made better deals than the Wild. I would have to say so far this offseason, the same is true. But give it time and let’s see what we have starting training camp. I am however growing a bit concerned.
KiPA…are you sure you’re not from MN?
That post was pure passive-aggressive…
I think it’s fallout from reading so many people complaining about Fletcher and wanting his head on a stick when the guy’s been on the job what, less than two months?
By the way, if Fletcher does get fired before the day is out, we’ll happily take him back as assistant GM.
Mikael Samuelsson to vancouver
RT @Sean_Leahy: TSN has Samuelsson deal at 3 years with #Canucks. No numbers yet
In fairness to CF, nobody here knows what Salcer said to him. Russo thought that CF seemed to indicate that his conversation(s) with Salcer didn’t go well. In addition CF recognizes that this team lacks depth. So if your top scoring primadona is ready to hit the road why get into a bidding war against yourself before FA starts. That will only eat up cap space that is needed to try and fill out the teams depth. My 2 cents.
“News” on Fedotenko: Supposedly he’s down to Minnesota and Pittsburgh as his final options and a decision is expected in the next 40-50 minutes.
Also, fun fact on Tenk: Take away the two years he was on the Cup winner, and he has scored one playoff goal (three points) in 31 games over five years.
KiPA…we called ‘no backsies’ on Fletcher.
I hear Risebrough is still looking for work…
we
Who’s “we”? I see a lot of people calling for Fletcher to be ousted.
Games aren’t won or lost on paper. It’s way to early to even start worrying about what has been done in the first 72 hours of free agency.
I see people calling our most recent draft a bust even though the players haven’t even shown what they can do at the next level.
I saw people coming out and defending Doug Risebrough after he was fired because he did a great job here.
You see a lot on this blog.
Yeah…the only thing you don’t see on the blog is actual reporting!
KiPA…a lot of uninformed trolls are calling for his ouster.
I can name at least 3, semi-rational Wild fans that would back me up on that sentiment.
Has Shero considered Risebrough? We’re looking for any competitive advantage we can get.
I still understand that DR is in the running for the Florida Panthers’ GM/President job. But, like the Timber-chihuahuas, they have to keep the current coaching staff.
Should DR be hired in Sunrise, ‘Old Russoville’ will look like the guy from the Teachers’ union ads here in Minnesota says:
“Mediocrity, mediocrity, MEDIOCRITY!!!
Rangers signed Corey Locke.
RT @FriedmanHNIC: Reports are Samulesson is three years, $7.5 million. Good value.
Smart Rangers. He’ll be good for them in Hartford.
This should help Saku decide.
Anaheim forward Teemu Selanne says next season will be his last in the NHL. Selanne, a 10-time all-star from Finland, turned 39 Friday and told daily Helsingin Sanomat that a man that age does not belong in a league like the NHL. “It is a forum for young boys”, Selanne said.
Haven’t seen much of Fedotenko. What’s the attraction other than a few runs in the playoff? Stats would seem to indicate that he is a 3rd liner, maybe a 2nd liner on a team like the Wild
News travels fast to San Antonio
What did i miss? Awesome pickups by Fletch! Excited for the season ahead, should be a good one. I got a story for you all about last night..what ever happened to just getting a girls number these days, no you cant have that but here is my twitter address…
fresh post.
Yeah fedotenko didn’t really stand out to me just watching the playoffs this year…but haven’t seen him much other then that.
