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This is Michael Russo's 18th year covering the National Hockey League. He's covered the Minnesota Wild for the Star Tribune since 2005 following 10 years of covering the Florida Panthers for the Sun-Sentinel. Michael uses “Russo’s Rants” to feed a wide-ranging hockey-centric discussion with readers, and can be heard weekly on KFAN (100.3 FM) radio and seen weekly on Fox Sports North.

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Posts about Wild trade news

Wild GM Chuck Fletcher: "We’re no longer a seller"

Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 3, 2013 - 6:36 PM

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UPDATED
 
The Wild tried hard on Tuesday to trade for San Jose’s Ryane Clowe, but he wanted to go East.
 
In fact, this morning, from people I talked to, it was clear the Wild felt it offered a better package to the Sharks than they wound up receiving from the Rangers. But Clowe had the hammer with a no-trade clause and chose New York.
 
From seeing what the Wild was willing to give up to get Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville, you can bet what I was hearing is accurate.
 
As you know by now, the Wild traded Johan Larsson, Matt Hackett, a 2013 first-round pick and a 2014 second-round pick to the Sabres for Pominville, who has scored 20-or-more goals the past six seasons and twice 30, and a 2014 fourth-round pick. Pominville, when he arrives hopefully tomorrow, will be slotted on the right side of Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu for an all-Captain line.
 
Pominville is just an all-situation guy. PK, point on the power play, does all the little things, versatile, booming shot, etc.
 
I just talked on the phone to his linemate, Thomas Vanek, who said, "We all heard Darcy's (GM Regier) comments that he could be gone, but when it happens, I was shocked. It's part of the business, but we're losing, myself also, I'm losing a great teammate in the locker room, somebody I was with for eight years, and a good friend. He's such a great player and linemate. The Wild, they're lucky. Just a smart, good hockey player who can adapt to any situation and make his linemates better. He's going to really help them. We're going to miss him a lot. Jason is as good a guy as there is."
 
But big, big price from the Wild. Chuck Fletcher explains why below.
 
First of all, “We’re really excited. Our players have played hard and played well this year. I believe we’re improving as an organization. We’re starting to take some positive steps. It was important if we could find the right fit at the right piece, I think it was important for us to try to continue to upgrade our talent and improve our team.
 
“You never know what can happen, but today was an important today. We’re no longer a seller. We want to keep pushing forward and want to compete for talent. It’s just a good day for our franchise.”
 
On Pominville: “He’s scored 30 goals in the league, he’s had 70 points, he’s a team captain. He’s a hard-working, 200-foot player, and I think like some of our other top players, like Parise and Koivu and Backstrom and Suter and you can go right down the list, not only is he talented, he’s got a hard-working mentality and a high level of character.
 
“He plays the point on the power play, he kills penalties. He’s just a guy that brings a lot of dimensions and versatility and a player that could fit into a lot of different roles.”
 
You paid a huge price: “There’s no question, we paid a price. Jason’s a talented player, he’s not a rental, he has term left on his deal (one year), he’s the captain of his team and he’s a guy that we wanted. Anytime you want a good player who’s not a rental, you’re going to pay a price.
 
“(Assistant GM) Brent Flahr and his staff have done a great job for us. They’ve drafted very well. We’ve been able to apply a lot of young assets over the last few years, and the fact that we have really good depth in terms of talented young players, it allowed us the opportunity to pursue a player like Pominville. We have plenty of assets in the cupboard and plenty of talented, young players at evev position. The last few years, our focus have been to gather prospects and picks, but our team is growing and showing some positive signs, at times you’ve got to dip into that pool of talent that you’ve accumulated and pay some assets to get in this case an All-Star NHL player.”
 
Basically, the price was obviously high, but the way the Wild sees it, the foundation of the franchise for years is in place with top-liners Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu and No. 1 defenseman Ryan Suter. Then, there future cornerstone forwards Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund and blue-chip defensemen Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba.
 
From there, the Wild is developing defenseman Marco Scandella, forwards Brett Bulmer, Zack Phillips, Tyler Graovac, Raphael Bussieres, is loaded with other college-level players from Mario Lucia and Erik Haula to Adam Gilmour and John Draeger.
 
It still has two hotshot goalie prospects with Darcy Kuemper and Johan Gustafsson, who plans to come to North America next year.
 
So since there’s only so many positions on a hockey team and so many contracts permitted to be handed out, the Wild felt it could afford to give up the hefty price and potentially lose a couple top draft picks.
 
“Hey, we recognize that we paid a price,” Fletcher said. “Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett are good, young hockey players. And anytime you trade a first-round pick, you’re obviously paying a significant price. But as a franchise we’ve spent a lot of time accumulating assets and trading for draft picks, and I think it’s a positive sign that as a franchise we’re now trading prospects and picks to acquire players. Typically that means you’re moving in the right direction. There’s always a balance. You can’t make these moves all the time. But if you never make them, how do you get better?”
 
Does this mean win now or bust though? “Again, he’s not a rental. He has term on his contract. And again, we still have a lot of really good young players. Brent and his staff have shown the ability to draft well and I have no doubt they will continue to. Our goal is to win as many games as we can. We feel we’re a competitive team, we have work to do, but we’re trending in the right direction. We want to keep pushing that. We’re not shy about our desire to get better. We’re going to be a competitive team for a long time.”
 
I asked Fletcher what this means going forward for guys like Backstrom and Matt Cullen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who are in the last year of their deals, and Dany Heatley, who is an amnesty buyout candidate this summer. The Wild is only $9 million from next year’s $64.3 million cap without buying out Heatley or maybe re-upping Backstrom or Cullen and before re-signing restricted free agents like Cal Clutterbuck and Jared Spurgeon.
 
“At the end of the year we’ll sort it all out. There’s a lot of hockey left to play. We have flexibility to do the things we need to do, but that’s a conversation for another day.”
 
By the way, the Wild still has two thirds this summer (one extra for Sheppard) and two sevenths and then all their picks from Rounds 2-7.
 
Right now, the hope is Pominville can meet the team in L.A. and debut tomorrow, but that is not set in stone yet. I have left messages for Pominville, known as one of the most accomodating athletes in the NHL by the way, but haven't talked to him yet. I'm sure he's swamped with his life being uprooted.
 
The Wild also acquired goalie Jeff Deslauriers from Anaheim for future considerations (nothing). He’ll take Darcy Kuemper’s spot in Houston until hopefully Josh Harding is ready to return.
 
Lastly, and I’ll leave you with this, Fletcher is always looking and thinking ahead. Pominville was Thomas Vanek’s linemate. They are very close. Vanek has been quoted in the past saying he wasn’t too keen being a part of a rebuild in Buffalo. He’s a free agent in the summer of 2014.
 
Is acquiring Pominville the precursor to pursuing Vanek, the former Gopher, in two summers? Just something to keep in your head from somebody who, if you’ve read me for awhile, guessed for three years that the Wild had its eyes set on the summer of 2012 to go after Parise.
 
It just makes sense. Regardless, the Wild keeps making bold moves, from the Brent Burns-Devin Setoguchi one, to the Dany Heatley for Marty Havlat one to signing Parise and Suter to this.
 
Its eventual goal, besides winning, of course, is to show all players in the NHL that Minnesota wants to win and should be considered a destination the way markets like Pittsburgh, the Rangers, Philly, Detroit always have been.
 
A lot more in tomorrow’s paper and the coming days. Oh, and there’s a game tonight, so more later. I’ll be on Fox Sports North during the second intermission tonight.

Wild has acquired Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville

Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 3, 2013 - 3:32 PM

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The Wild has acquired Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville and a 2014 fourth-round pick for Matt Hackett, Johan Larsson, a 2013 first-round pick and a 2014 second-round pick.
 
Clearly a huge price, but one from a team that has missed the playoffs for four straight years, is looking to win now and is full of young prospects right now and core pieces that are going to be mainstays on the team for a long time.
 
The 30-year-old Pominville, a right winger, was asked to submit a list of eight teams to the Sabres that he would not accept a trade to.
 
Minnesota was not on that list.
 
Pominville, Thomas Vanek's linemate and 2001 second-round pick has played full 82-game seasons in five of his six full years. He has scored 185 goals and 456 points in 578 games. He’s a two-time 30-goal scorer who has also topped 20 goals four other times.

He has scored 10 goals and 25 points in 37 games this year.
 
"Heck of a player," Zach Parise said as he left the ice. "Heck of a player."
 
Later, outside the locker room, Parise said he played on a line with Pominville at the 2008 world championships in Halifax.
 
“He works hard. You just look at the way he’s been used, he plays power play, penalty kill, reliable, but he puts pucks in the net, he makes plays, he gets point. He plays a really all-around game. That’s what we’re going to see.”
 
On the acquisition, Parise said, “It’s really exciting for us. It just gives you the sense that they believe in the way we’ve been playing and they believe in our team. Now it’s up to us to elevate our game even more. But just that addition, it really gives us a good look and a lot of good, offensive players.”
 
Pominville has one more year left on a five-year, $26.5 million deal. That’s a $5.3 million cap hit with $5.5 million in real salary next year.
 
Hackett, 23, was a third-round pick in 2009. In two years with the Wild, he went 3-7 with a 2.64 goals against average.
 
Larsson, 20, a 2010 second-rounder who captained Sweden to gold at the world juniors in January 2012, made his NHL debut earlier this season.
 
Coach Mike Yeo said he couldn’t speak until the trade was official.
 
“What I will say is I know that management has a lot of faith in this group and right from Day One has always been very committed to doing whatever we can to put a great product on the ice.”
 
On pulling Hackett and Larsson from the ice, Yeo said, “That is always a tough part of it. It’s not an easy thing, for sure.
 
“Especially for young kids, you just don’t quite know what’s going on. I’m able to say very little. Obviously we know it sure sounds like something is going on.”
 
Darcy Kuemper has been recalled by the Wild and is on his way to San Jose. Nate Prosser will likely have to play wing tonight.
 
The lines will be mix and match tonight. Charlie Coyle may begin to see shifts at center because Pominville, whom I assume will debut tomorrow night in Los Angeles, would skate with Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu.
 
Tonight, Kyle Brodziak will center Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley. Pierre-Marc Bouchard will skate with Cal Clutterbuck. That was the line Larsson was supposed to center tonight.
 
More to come.
 

Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett pulled from Wild ice

Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 3, 2013 - 1:30 PM

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UPDATE: Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett were just pulled from the ice here in San Jose. Trade coming

I am hearing through reliable sources that there could be a big pending trade coming down with the Wild.

Houston Aeros goalie Darcy Kuemper has been sent to the Houston airport with his equipment bag packed, sources tell me. The kicker though is he has not yet been told where he is going or if he is going anywhere.

My gut tells me he may be coming here to San Jose. If that were the case,  the Wild could be on the verge of trading Matt Hackett. That would obviously be part of a bigger trade.

More to come as this evolves, but I do still know the Wild is heavily going after Buffalo's Jason Pominville.

 

 

Wild making calls, has shown interest in Buffalo's Jason Pominville

Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 3, 2013 - 11:36 AM

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With 2 hours, 30 minutes left before the 2 p.m. CT trade deadline, there has been one minor trade today in the NHL. As I wrote in today's Insider, there was a good chance today would be a bit of a dud around the league after guys like Ryane Clowe, Jaromir Jagr and Derek Roy were traded yesterday and so many deals had been executed in the days leading up -- Jarome Iginla, Doug Murray, Jay Bouwmeester, etc.

The Wild tried hard for Clowe and felt it made a quality offer, but in the end, Clowe decided to go east. That was even with some gentle persuading I hear from former Sharks teammates on the Wild.

The Wild is making calls and I do hear it is one of many teams that has been talking to Buffalo the past few days about captain Jason Pominville. I know the Wild has scouted Buffalo recently, too.

The 30-year-old right wing was asked to submit a list of eight teams the other day that he would not accept a trade to. Minnesota was not on that list, I am told.

Pominville has one more year left on a five-year, $26.5 million deal. That’s a $5.3 million cap hit with $5.5 million in real salary next year.

The 2001 second-round pick has played full 82-game seasons in five of his six full years. He has scored 185 goals and 456 points in 578 games. He’s a two-time 30-goal scorer who has also topped 20 goals four other times.
 
He has scored 10 goals and 25 points in 37 games this year.
 
I am not sure what it would take to reel in a fish like that, but as I wrote in today's Insider, just the fact that the Wild showed such interest in Clowe makes you realize that GM Chuck Fletcher is willing to pay a price if he feels the player would provide a significant upgrade.
 
The Sabres have also been shopping Drew Stafford as well.
 
We will see if anything happens with Buffalo and the Wild or anywhere else soon enough. The Sharks skate in one hour, the Wild in two -- 30 minutes before the deadline -- so stayed tuned to www.twitter.com/russostrib for any news.
 
Regardless, NHL trades should start trickling in soon. They always do.
 
Just in: reported veteran defenseman Scott Hannan will head back to San Jose from Nashville.

Two days before playing the San Jose Sharks, Wild shows interest in Ryane Clowe

Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 1, 2013 - 2:38 PM

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UPDATED

Wild hosts the very desperate, very big St. Louis Blues tonight at 7 as it looks to improve to 14-3-1 at home before hitting the road for three. Torrey Mitchell, who missed Saturday's win over Los Angeles with the flu, is back in the lineup. Nate Prosser, called on to play forward the other night, is scratched.

Brett Clark remains in the lineup and Justin Falk sits again.

Clayton Stoner's had a couple rough games in a row, but coach Mike Yeo felt Stoner responded well after his mistake the other night led to Justin Williams' breakaway goal. Also, the Blues are a heavy, physical team. Stoner's not getting pulled against a team like them, and the Wild feels he has had a quality season, especially alongside Jared Spurgeon.

Niklas Backstrom vs. Jaroslav Halak.

The trade deadline is two days away at 2 p.m. CT and rumors are running rampant around the NHL.

There's a difference between rumors and actual stuff that's going on, and I can tell you from digging around the last few days, there's definite steam to what ESPN's Pierre LeBrun and TSN's Bob McKenzie reported this morning -- that the Wild is one of a number of teams involved in the Ryane Clowe trade talk with San Jose.

Here are his stats Here is David Pollak's story (SJ Mercury News) from today's practice that quotes Clowe

Now, GM Chuck Fletcher talks to every GM in the league about all sorts of players. We also know that Fletcher and Sharks GM Doug Wilson have each other's number in the *VIP section of their iPhones -- so to speak. Two summers ago, Fletcher and Wilson executed three different trades. I also know the Wild's had interest in Clowe before.

But the difference here is it sounds like the Wild has talked to Clowe's agent Kent Hughes. For that to have happened, the Wild would have had to have been given permission from San Jose. The reason?

For Clowe to waive his no-trade clause, he is looking to sign an extension with his new team.

The questions are: 1) What's the price to get Clowe and is the Wild willing to part with that? The Wild has said it is not looking to trade any of its blue-chip prospects, BUT, if it's not a rental pickup, if he's to be part of the core in the future, that changes things. The Sharks are looking to get younger and faster and the Wild is loaded with lots of prospects now; 2) How much are you willing to pay Clowe if you extend him. I've heard he's looking for a five-year deal in the $25 million neighborhood. That seems hefty; 3) What does acquiring Clowe do to your chemistry and where does he fit?

I just talked to Fletcher, and while he wouldn't comment on Clowe and "I've talked to five managers today and I talk to lots of teams," he said with 12 games left, he is very cognizant that the Wild has a good thing going. "Chemistry is a funny thing, so you've got to be mindful of the fact that the new player you're bringing in doesn't have a lot of time to get going."

Fletcher is always looking to upgrade, "but we're not going to force anything. We certainly like this team. We haven't lost a lot of games lately, and to me, this team has earned the right to continue going forward."

On Clowe, he is very good friends with Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi and Torrey Mitchell. They've all told me for a long time that he's a great teammate, will do anything for you, will fight for you. I'm sure you've seen me quote Clowe many times about those guys over the last few years. Phenomenal quote and seems like a good dude.

Clowe, 30, can obviously play. Just a big power forward that brings muscle and intensity, and I do think the Wild wouldn't mind getting bigger in order to compete in the hard-nosed playoffs. Clowe is a horse, built for the playoffs and was very effective against the Blues in last year's postseason, Ken Hitchcock told me this morning.

But Clowe hasn't scored in 28 games this year (11 assists).

“I don’t know what’s going on — it’s pretty crazy actually,” Clowe was quoted as saying in the Vancouver Province a few days ago. “If I went back and played that many games and tried not to score, I think I’d still score. It’s just one of those things, but the last three games are probably the best three I’ve had all year.”

So the question is, if you trade for Clowe, what are you getting?

He's been banged up. He was in the press box here 2 weekends ago when the Sharks were in town because of a shoulder injury, yet he was visibly limping, too. He was never the fleetest of foot even when he scored 43 goals over two seasons (2009-10, 2010-11).

Also, where would he fit? The Wild's third line is a combined minus-30 now, so it wouldn't be shocking if the Wild was trying to upgrade that. Do you put him on the second line? That to me is a risk because that line's success has been predicated on speed.

So right now, not knowing what the Wild would be willing to give up, I just don't see a clear-as-day fit. A couple guys I talked to in the room today could see him going to Montreal.

McKenzie tweeted Vancouver, Philly and the Rangers are also in the mix. I hear Boston, too.

We will see. Fletcher did say he doesn't anticipate making any moves today, but we shall see. More later if anything develops.

The Wild plays in San Jose on Wednesday. It is almost guaranteed Clowe will not be in the Sharks' lineup that night. The question now is whether he'll be in the Wild's.

Regardless, what this does show you: As much as the Wild says it's happy with the team and not looking to shake things up, calls are always being made and upgrades are always being sought. If the Wild's talking to San Jose about Clowe, you know they're talking to other teams about other players.

I'll be on Fox Sports North tonight and KFAN in the morning tomorrow starting at 9:55 a.m., I believe.

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