Want to see Martin Havlat? Go to YouTube and watch some of his goals. Start with this 

A Russo’s Rants record — my sixth blog of the day and only the blog Gods know how many times I added or tweaked a line inside the other five blogs.

Here are the articles:

Martin Havlat/Greg Zanon/Potential near Saku Koivu signing article is right here

Column I wrote on Marian Gaborik’s departure is here

Gaborik timeline with the Wild, as put together by editor Mark Wollemann, is here

I promised you: BE PATIENT!

Did many of you listen? Nope, not judging by the completely out of control angst and anger and hysteria inside the below blogs today. I was honestly getting worried that some of you were about to send yourselves to the hospital or worse.

These things take time, and let’s be honest here, the Wild had a productive day.

This is the reality: When you consider the Sedin Twins didn’t hit free agency and Marian Gaborik was out of play for Minnesota, there were only three elite free agents left for 30 teams to pursue — Marian Hossa, Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat. 

Hossa signed for 12 years in Chicago and seemed to target the Hawks, so the Wild didn’t have a shot like seemingly 28 other teams. Cammalleri chose to go to Montreal. I just spent five days in Montreal; hard to blame the guy.

And the Wild — yes, the Minnesota Wild — landed the third — Havlat – and at a pretty quality price at $5 million per (4, 5, 5, 5, 5 and 6 actually) because it allows the team to do other things. I think I laid out in Wednesday’s Insider fairly well that Havlat was the most logical for the Wild to go after and that sources said he wanted to come here.

And like I laid out for you in the same column, I promise you, the Wild is not done. The team expects a decision from Saku Koivu in the morning, sources say, and if Koivu does go elsewhere, the Wild will decide how to proceed and spend that money elsewhere. But I’d be surprised at this point if Koivu doesn’t sign.

The Wild is still in on Ruslan Fedotenko, sources say, and it still must acquire a defenseman. Could Rob Scuderi or Francois Beachemin still be the guy? Depends largely on whether Koivu signs, and if so, what’s the price? If he does sign, I’d think those guys would be too expensive unless the Wild dumps some salary in a trade. And with Burns, Johnsson, Zidlicky, Schultz and Zanon signed, Wild may be seeking more of a 5 or 6 than another $3 or $4 million defenseman.

Could that be a Jordan Leopold, an Andrew Alberts? Not sure, but if you scour the free-agent lists, there are still some quality 5’s and 6’s out there. Maybe a Skrastins. 

Greg Zanon could amount to being a real solid signing, but just because it was released first, it seemed some fans lost their skulls like the Wild went home for the day or something. I don’t know Zanon well personally, but I’ve watched this guy play a lot and he’s a shot-blocking maniac. In fact, sometimes he gets a little too giddy at launching his body in front of pucks.

I talked to Havlat tonight on the phone, which I appreciated, because he was tired and wasn’t calling any other reporters back. As you could tell by his tweets in the blog below, he left Chicago a bitter guy. I talked to him about it extensively, but as far as what I’m able to write, he’d prefer to look forward. He’s very excited about signing here and is confident his injury woes are behind him.

As for his quotes, you can check out the article here.

Again, how good will this signing be? Largely depends on his health because in the past, he’s been every bit an injury risk as Gaborik. But if he’s healthy, Havlat’s a dynamic, dominant player at times. His contract has a no-move clause the first five years; last year is a no-move and limited no-trade.

OK, it was a fun day. I know earlier on there wasn’t a lot of news being flowed to you by me, which probably was frustrating to you, but that’s how it is on free agency day — well, when you’re not being sent emails directly from the NHL like the TV networks.

Agents and teams are busy during the day, and then later on when things quiet down, reporters like me can get to the news.

That’s why you knew about Havlat on here well before anywhere else, as well as Koivu. Self-serving, yes, but it was a frustrating day for me too, especially when you see the type of unethical stuff I’m starting to routinely see out there by “journalists” in this Internet age.

OK, it’s been a really long day. It’ll be another news-filled day Thursday, so talk to you then.

UPDATE: Star Tribune sources say the Wild is working on Saku Koivu as we speak. Still could be done tonight. Also, Havlat just gave me a ring. Quotes up later.

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As reported by the Star Tribune earlier this evening, the Wild has signed Martin Havlat to a six-year, $30 million deal.

“We are excited to add the speed and scoring of Martin Havlat to our lineup,” said Fletcher. “He is a terrific two-way player.”
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Havlat, 28 (4/19/81), led the Chicago Blackhawks with a career-high 77 points (29-48=77) while skating in a career-high 81 games in the 2008-09 season. He ranked ninth in the NHL in plus-minus (plus-29). Havlat added 15 points (5-10=15) in 16 Stanley Cup playoff games as the Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference finals. The 6-foot-2, 217-pound native of Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, has recorded 396 points (169-227=396), a plus-87 rating, 53 power play goals and 31 game-winning goals in 470 NHL games in eight seasons with Ottawa and Chicago. Havlat participated in the NHL All-Star Game in the 2006-07 season, when he led Chicago in goals (25), assists (32) and points (57) despite appearing in just 56 games. He was a member of the NHL’s All-Rookie team in 2000-01 and played for the Czech Republic at the 2002 Olympics.
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 Havlat was Ottawa’s first-round pick (No. 26 overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

In some tweets just now, Havlat said, “Excited to be in Minny where I was welcomed and appreciated by management. The real story about what happened in Chicago to come out.”

“Thanks to all Hawks fans for your love and support over the last 3 years. Will never forget your generousity and the great playoff run!”

“Hossa is a good friend and I am happy for him.”

“There’s something to be said for loyalty and honor.”

Yikes! Just a hunch, but Russo thinks Havlat’s not pleased with the Blackhawks letting him go and signing Hossa.

UPDATED WITH CONTRACT TERMS 

According to multiple NHL sources, the Wild is close to signing dynamic free-agent winger Martin Havlat. I’ve confirmed through sources it will be a six-year, $30 million deal. The $30 million will be the richest in franchise history, the term will be tied with Nick Schultz for the longest.

Havlat, 28, scored a career-high 77 points last season with Chicago in 81 games. It’s unclear as to whether this gets done tonight or in the wee hours of the morning, but I have been told by impeccable sources that Havlat has cut his list to one team — and that’s Minnesota.

According to sources, the Wild also continues to be in negotiations with free-agent center Saku Koivu, although it’s unclear how close that is. Because of the time in Finland, it could go into tomorrow.

The Wild and Havlat’s agent have been working on this contract for hours.

(updated: Gaborik unavailable tonight. Jumped on Glen Sather conference call, quotes below) 

 TSN is reporting Marian Gaborik has signed a five-year deal with the New York Rangers worth $5.75 million per.

If healthy, absolute bargain for one of the game’s great scorers, one who lit up the Rangers two seasons ago for five goals. Put this in perspective. He made $7.5 million last year with the Wild (17 games played), and averaged $6.33 million the past three years.

MAJOR CORRECTION: TSN NOW REPORTS $7.5 MILLION PER…MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE

I think my source was dead-on of Salcer’s 10 year, $75 million asking price, eh? Same contract, just cut in half.

I’d still give Slats Exec of the Year. Gets Higgins and McDonagh for Gomez, and now Gaborik. Like I said, it all depends on Gaborik’s health, but Gaborik is confident the two hip surgeries solves his years of abdominal problems.

Brian Gionta’s signed with Montreal…

Martin Havlat, Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Nik Antropov, Saku Koivu left. Ales Kotalik probably on the tier right after that (four 20-goal seasons) and Mikael Samuelsson. Ruslan Fedotenko, I put, in a different category because he’s got skill, but not as big a finisher but a proven winner.

But there’s a lot of pressure to get Havlat done if you’re the Wild now.

Sather on Gaborik:

“[Heatley] didn’t fall apart. It was a complicated scenario that we were dealing with. We needed to have more than one ball in the air. I had a pretty good idea he was interested in coming to New York. It took us a very long time to get a deal done, and I’m very happy to get him signed. … We accepted the deal on our terms.”

“Gaborik was the guy we had targeted from the beginning.”

“He scored 13 goals in 17 games. His health was fine. We don’t expect he’ll have any problems.”

“He had a point a game under Jacques Lemaire. It’ll be very interesting to see what he can do under a John Tortorella system. We’re going to have an up-tempo, speed game, and this guy fits the bill to a T.”

I thought this was up, but now I see it isn’t.

The Wild has signed Nashville defenseman Greg Zanon to a three-year, $5.8 million deal. Zanon, formerly of Nebraska-Omaha.

The 29-year-old played all 82 games last season and was third with 237 blocked shots. Good fit as a fifth-sixth D. Wild still needs another D — and I’d say, a scorer and No. 2 center.

Zanon’s wife is from Hastings. He said he’s learned the defensive game from Todd Richards when he coached him in Milwaukee.

I’m told from inside the Wild that Chuck Fletcher is still working on a number of things. I know for a fact from outside the Wild that he is still very much in on Martin Havlat.

And as far as Marian Gaborik, I am told by an NHL source that agent Ron Salcer was calling teams seeking a 10-year, $75 million deal. 

Gaborik turned down $78.5 million deal from the Wild last fall. Marian Hossa just signed a 12-year deal worth $5.2 million a season.

I think the market’s changed.

4:30 p.m. update: Sportsnet is reporting Mike Cammalleri has signed a five-year, $6 million deal with the Canadiens. If true, Marian Gaborik and Martin Havlat are the two best forwards left on the board, followed by the next wrung of Alexei Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Brian Gionta, Saku Koivu and Nik Antropov.

Is I’ve alluded to the past week, I’ve long suspected Martin Havlat would be the guy the Wild would target. Now of the upper-echelon guys, he’s the only one left other than Gaborik.

Plenty of Dmen still available, including Francois Beauchemin, Rob Scuderi and Mike Komisarek.

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Ladies and gents, patience, patience. This is how it works. Very few agents sign their guy to the first team that calls (minus Mattias Ohlund, apparently). Agents build a list, accept offers, go to their clients, go over the offers, go over the pros and cons of each team, where the player fits and then goes back to the teams and usually works one against each other.

They create bidding wars. This takes time, especially when the pool is so thin and the same teams are going after the same players.

There’s a reason why Marian Hossa is the only one of the elite forwards to sign so far.

Just because the Wild hasn’t signed anybody yet doesn’t mean they won’t the rest of the day or in subsequent days (Wild signed Johnsson, Parrish and Carney at about 8 p.m. on July 1, 2006). Last year’s news was early because I got wind very early that the Wild traded for Marek Zidlicky.

But as for free agents, usually in the afternoons of July 1, it’s hard to get a ton of info because both sides — the agent and the team — are busy chatting with each other. So that’s why it’s so quiet. That’s why I tried to do as much reporting as possible before July 1. In today’s paper, I informed you of the players I either know or think the Wild’s pursuing. I know on Havlat, Fedotenko, Saku Koivu and Scuderi.

We’ll see if they get any of those guys done.

Also, just an fyi, I’m not convinced Koivu will decide on his team today. Mikko made it sound to me like Saku will take his offers and go over them very carefully with his family.

Also, on Gaborik, I hear the Rangers are very interested but don’t want to pull the trigger with Heatley still up in the air. That’s surprising, however, because why give up a bunch of assets when you can simply sign Gaborik?

Pittsburgh Tribune Review’s Rob Rossi hears Minnesota, Dallas and the Rangers are on Rob Scuderi’s list. I heard yesterday Wild was “high” on the list.

TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting Marian Hossa is close to signing in Chicago. If true, Hawks may need to hire some mathematicians from MIT to get Kane and Toews done next summer. Unless he’s signing another one-year deal.

TSN’s reporting Hossa to Chicago is done. If Marian Hossa gets a $5.2 million cap hit, good luck Gaborik.

Edmonton’s lost Dwayne Roloson. They’ve almost definitely got to sign Nikolai Khabibulin or go back to the Wild and trade for Josh Harding. Oilers still very interested in Harding, a source says, but still looking at free-agent route with Scott Clemmensen.

Free agency starts at 11. A half-hour before, TSN reported that Daniel and Henrik Sedin agreed to duplicate five-year, $6.1 million deals with the Canucks.

This makes a thin free-agent pool thinner.

Vancouver still has the salary-cap room to go after Marian Gaborik perhaps, although the Canucks are aiming to sign Roberto Luongo to an $8 million-a-year extension that would go on the books starting in 2010-11. With the cap coming down, it would seem Gaborik would have to look elsewhere.

The teams that could be looking at him today are Montreal, the Rangers and Los Angeles.

Martin Havlat and Ruslan Fedotenko — two players the Wild’s expected to pursue — to the free-agent market, their agent says.

Team Canada to make Olympic camp roster announcement on July 2.

Seven years for Mattias Ohlund in Tampa Bay. Oh my. Guess teams are giving term.