Just thought I’d jump on real quick. I’ll be back later this afternoon after the Doug Risebrough media gathering.

Just to let you know because I think there’s confusion judging by my email box, but I don’t expect Risebrough’s going to make some big announcement today. I talked to him on the phone this morning, and this is just a way for him to address the media at once because he’s been besieged by requests.

This is very much protocol. Take it from somebody who covered a firing a month in Florida, I’ve attended many a press conference at a restaurant, bar or hotel from a fired GM or coach.

Doug’s just taking the opportunity to say goodbye, thank the fans, talk about his time here, etc., before he leaves for his home in Palm Springs tomorrow for an extended vacation. OK, I’ll be back later.

Here is the link for the (Nashville) Tennessean’s story, as written by the esteemed John Glennon. It has quotes from GM David Poile and assistant GM Paul Fenton.

Here is the link for my story. I talked with Santos today.

Wild owner Craig Leipold is beginning the process of setting up interviews to replace GM Doug Risebrough.

The former Nashville Predators owner has received permission from Predators GM David Poile to speak with Predators Director of Hockey Operations Mike Santos and assistant GM Paul Fenton.

Leipold declined comment on them, “just like I won’t comment on any of the other candidates.” 

There are lots of candidates that have surfaced. These are just two that so far I know he’ll be allowed to talk with. I’m sure there are others. I’m working the phones.

Santos is in his third year in Nashville and is responsible in negotiating player contracts and preparing for salary arbitrations. He served as assistant GM for the New York Islanders from 1997-2002 and director of hockey operations for the Florida Panthers from 2002-03.

He was Commissioner and President of the North American Hockey League from 2003-06. He’s worked for USA Hockey and the NHL.

Fenton is in his third year as Nashville’s assistant GM after eight as the director of player personnel. He oversees the Predators’ amateur player development and managers the team’s pro and amateur scouting staffs. He’s also GM of the AHL Milwaukee Admirals.

Fenton, who played eight years in the NHL for seven teams and was a former Boston University standout, also spent five seasons working for the Anaheim Ducks. 

It hasn’t happened yet, but another person I’d assume Leipold would request permission to speak with his Pittsburgh assistant GM Chuck Fletcher. He’s 41 with 16 years of experience. He’s immensely respected after years in Florida, Anaheim and Pittsburgh.

Remember, Leipold has a fabulous relationship with Penguins GM Ray Shero, who used to be assistant GM in Nashville.

———————————————

Also, regarding Detroit’s Jim Nill, he’s under contract through the 2010-11 season. In his contract, Nill committed to not leaving there, according to Red Wings’ reporters I’ve talked with. He’s turned down a number of jobs over the years, and when Toronto was interested in him for its recent GM vacancy, Nill was quoted in the Windsor Star, saying, “The way we do things here, I’ve already got most of the responsibilities and input that a general manager would have. Ken [Holland] and I work really well together.

I’m comfortable, I’m well-compensated and I like the organization. I know which side my bread is buttered on.”

(UPDATED, AND I’LL THROW ON ANOTHER BLOG LATE TONIGHT) 

According to two outside NHL sources, Wild GM Doug Risebrough has been fired by owner Craig Leipold. It is unconfirmed inside the organization.

Leipold was said to have agonized over the decision but decided, in the final analysis, that a change in direction was called for.

Here’s the memo from the team:

Minnesota Wild Owner, Craig Leipold, announced today that the organization will not renew the contract of President and General Manager, Doug Risebrough, beyond the 2008-2009 season.

“The entire Minnesota Wild organization is forever indebted to Doug for his substantial efforts in establishing this franchise’s solid foundation and winning tradition,” said Leipold. “The positive impact of Doug’s service will be felt for many years to come. We wish Doug the very best.”

The search for a new General Manager will begin immediately. The first order of business for the incoming General Manager will be to select the Team’s next Head Coach.

Until a replacement is found, Assistant General Manager Tom Lynn, will be acting-General Manager.

I will be on early this evening to blog more, but right now, I’m working the story.

I’ve talked to several people today, including a number of people interested in the job. I’ll throw stuff on later, and obviously in tomorrow’s coverage.

Here’s Jacques Lemaire, whom I reached in Montreal. He’s coming back to Minnesota tomorrow.
Lemaire

“I got a call from [assistant coach Mario Tremblay] and he told me this and I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ It was shocking, it was shocking. I never expected it. I never thought he’d be fired after I left,” former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. “We tried to get this team better. What Craig thought was something different.
“Us, I thought we did some decent things there. We don’t know anymore what to think there. It just shows you the owner has a different perspective than a lot of people could go.”

Lemaire was unable to get in contact with Risebrough.

Lemaire, by the way, does not want the job.

From the Leipold conference call:

– He made his decision a month ago.

– He told Risebrough Tuesday, and he took it professionally.

– The new GM will only be GM, and not GM and President

– On whether Lemaire would have been fired if he didn’t quit, Leipold said he hasn’t thought about that because he always assumed Lemaire was leaving.

– He has a little of former GM’s and bright stars he’s interested in. Candidates have solicited him already today via call and email.

There will be lots of speculation that Leipold will want to hire his former GM in Nashville David Poile, who’s on a year-to-year contract. I know from a source the two spoke yesterday. However, the Tennessean reported last July that in the sales papers, Leipold is prohibited from ever hiring Poile for a job with another NHL franchise.

In other news:

Like Marian Gaborik before, it appears goalie Niklas Backstrom’s groin pain was stemming from a hip problem.
Hesitant to speak because he had yet to talk with Wild acting GM Tom Lynn, Backstrom said Thursday he may need surgery.
“I saw a doctor today, and the team doctors, and we have to decide now in a couple days if I need surgery,” Backstrom said. “I need to get other opinions, and also from back home in Finland. It’s tough for me because everything’s in English, so I need someone to translate to me so I know exactly what’s going on.”
Backstrom said he hoped to talk to Gaborik so he can see his hip specialist, Vail’s Marc Philippon. He said the recovery from an operation “is speculated, but in my mind, I’ll be ready by the start of the season.”

Left  wing Andrew Brunette had successful reconstructive surgery on his right knee Thursday and he will begin rehab immediately.
Left wing Derek Boogaard will have surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday and will be ready in time for the start of next season.

Big news out of Wild practice today. Barring any setbacks, Marian Gaborik said he feels he will return to the lineup Sunday afternoon against Edmonton.
Gaborik will travel with the team to New Jersey this afternoon. But he said playing tomorrow night against the Devils is unlikely. Instead, he’ll wait for the Oilers.
“We’ll probably shoot for Sunday’s game,” Gaborik said after an hourlong practice this morning. “Hopefully everything will progress. Hopefully I’ll be more pain free each day and go from there.”
Gaborik has played in just six games this season and underwent hip surgery Jan 5.
Coach Jacques Lemaire has said all along that the decision to return is the player’s. So this means it is a good bet Sunday will be the day.
Gaborik today skated on a line with Peter Olvecky and Dan Fritsche - two lineup regulars.
“I don’t feel 100 percent; I don’t feel close to 100 percent,” Gaborik said. “I don’t think I will be playing to my potential until next year. But I want to get close to it. Obviously to be out there, to do drills, to laugh, to just have fun out there. It’s been a long time since I experienced it. Hopefully it will translate into games.”

So there you have it. Sounds like the next 24 hours are big, pain-wise.

As if Wild fans aren’t smiling enough at this news, here’s another nugget you might like:

A certain young player was filling out his NCAA basketball bracket this morning and was told to just write UCONN should he fancy the Huskies. He did - only on the sheet, he printed “Yukon.”

Good day!

Great news. Brian “Stencils” Stensaas is a pops.

Sara Stensaas, Brian’s lovely wife, gave birth this morning at 7:52 to Paige Lynn Stensaas, who weighed in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces. It is the young couple’s first child.

Mom and daughter are excellent. Dad’s still in ICU.

(updated) 

As you know, Peter Olvecky cleared waivers.

Two gems so far from practice:

Marc-Andre Bergeron looked at me and said, “I made it.”
Jacques Lemaire said, “I wasn’t traded. You have to accept me for at least a month-and-a-half more.”
What do you think that means?

Real quick update from practice: Andrew Brunette didn’t practice today but is expected to play tomorrow. Also, Lemaire announced, “This is our crew.”

He also said something tells him Marian Gaborik will skate with the team when the Wild returns from Minnesota. Asked if it’s “something’s telling him or someone,” he said, “someone.”

Now, can the Wild, which has lost four in a row and three in a row on the road trip, weather the rest of this trip?

I’ll be on KSTP am 1500 tonight at 7 for Russo Radio.

The deadline came and went without the Wild making a move. I just got off the phone with GM Doug Risebrough, and he said, “This is our team.”

Risebrough said it was quiet for him all day. The team maintains that it will not trade its core players like Mikko Koivu and Brent Burns or its young talent like James Sheppard, Colton Gillies and Tyler Cuma.

What that left were UFA’s like Stephane Veilleux and Marc-Andre Bergeron, and there clearly wasn’t a market or the Wild would have likely moved them. Risebrough said there just wasn’t a “fit.”

This has been the quietest trade deadline leaguewide I’ve ever seen. It clearly has to do with how many teams are close to the salary cap ceiling and how uncertain the economic future is in the league. Teams are also not willing to give up prospects and high draft picks unless it’s guaranteed they’re going to go far.

I was told by a very good source that Marian Gaborik was in play, but clearly the Wild wasn’t able to find a market. Asked if he tried to trade Gaborik, Risebrough would only say, “No.” Like I said, I trust my source though, and it would make no sense that the Wild wouldn’t at least dangle a carrot.

Assistant GM Tom Lynn said the Wild was in a “major deal” up until this morning, and then it fell through. Talking just now to Risebrough, and reading between the lines as you’ll read tomorrow, I think it was for Jokinen again. The Wild was just not willing to give up a young player and definitely not willing to give up a first-round pick in any big deal, Risebrough said.

Biggest trade of the day as you know was Jokinen going to Calgary for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a first. Big price, big get.

To me, this automatically elevates the Flames to a true contender. They’re flying right now, and Jokinen, I bet, will become the Jokinen of old simply because he’s reunited with coach Mike Keenan.

I covered the two of them in you know where. Jokinen literally was preparing to quit the NHL before Iron Mike delivered his tough love. Jokinen took to it immediately, and Keenan massaged a star out of him.

The other huge move of the day thus far is Columbus acquiring center Antoine Vermette for goalie Pascal Leclaire and a second. I heard this the other day from a stellar source, so much so, that I emailed my editor just as he was leaving for the weekend on Friday and asked him to insert a line into Columbus for my Sunday column that the Jackets were pursuing Vermette. 

The Jackets need to make the playoffs, and they desperately needed a center. With Steve Mason established in goal and the team’s future in goal, they were able to parlay an asset like Leclaire into Vermette.

Other interesting move of the day was Brendan Morrison being picked up by Dallas. Morrison, whom the Wild pursued as a free last summer, has struggled dramatically this season in his return from reconstructive knee surgery. But clearly the Stars, in need of a center, were willing to take a gamble with him.

OK, the Wild plan just landed. Practice is at 3:30 CT. More later.

(updated on bottom with post-morning skate stuff) 

The Wild has signed Niklas Backstrom to a four-year deal worth $24 million. This makes Backstrom tied for the fourth-highest paid goalie in the NHL starting next year. According to a source, there’s a conditional no-trade clause that’s at least two years and continues as long there are certain statistics in terms of games and/or minutes prove he’s still the Wild’s No. 1 goalie.

The signing ends all speculation that Backstrom will be traded before Wednesday’s 2 p.m. CT trade deadline.

“The only thing I wanted to do was stay here,” Backstrom said. “It was a big deal for me to stay here. I’m really happy that it worked out. It’s almost like a second dream come true after my shot to play in the NHL.”

By the way, I asked him the most he ever made in the Finnish Elite League? 250K

However, this puts Josh Harding’s Wild career in a state of flux. Remember, soon after Manny Fernandez was inked to a three-year extension three years ago, Dwayne Roloson was dealt to Edmonton.

The Wild will almost certainly use Harding now as an asset. However, there’s no rush to trade him. The Wild could wait until the summer and create some type of frenzy, maybe at the Draft, but if the Wild does it by the trade deadline, out-of-playoff teams in need of goalies for the future include Toronto, Ottawa and Colorado.

Also, according to sources, the Wild has placed Peter Olvecky on waivers, and the Rangers have placed former Wild players Aaron Voros and Erik Reitz on waivers. Huge names on waivers today. Others include Brendan Morrison, Miroslav Satan, Craig Adams, Jon Sim, Eric Perrin, Gary Roberts and Martin Gerber.

Also, just talked to assistant GM Tom Lynn. Regarding Marian Gaborik and his comments yesterday, Lynn said:

“From our perspective, what Marian said is exactly what the team would expect, that he’s working hard to get back, that he’s been following the team closely, that he didn’t watch games. It’s difficult to watch games when you’re out. I even talked to Marian about that when we were out there. It’s tough to watch games when you’re out. But he did follow the team closely.

“So the perspective that somehow he was detached from the team or didn’t care shouldn’t be read into his comments. I was there. I haven’t seen a guy work harder to come back. I’m surprised he was ahead of where he was supposed to be. And we’re very pleased where he is. Me spending the two days there with him, I was very proud of how hard he’s working to come back.

“The team believes in him. As far as the potential discrepancy in time, I simply related what the doctor told me and Marian, which was March 10-20. He wouldn’t be held to it, but there was this window of expectation. Marian said to me he hopes to be back by the end of the month, and he actually said, ‘Tom, if it’s March 15 or 20, I thought that was the same as by the end of the month. I don’t disagree with what my doctor said.’

“So we were both relating what his doctor was saying in different ways. It’s not like the team is saying it’s this and Marian’s saying it’s that. The doctor’s the one that governs because we’re not going to want him to come back early and potentially reinjure himself. I know it’s a sticky situation, but I feel bad for Marian.”

(more…)