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This is Michael Russo's 17th 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.
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Posts about Wild player moves
Wild transactions on the horizon; NHL and NHLPA swap proposals as lockout looms
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: September 12, 2012 - 2:24 PM
UPDATED With an NHL lockout potentially on the horizon, the Wild will make a number of transactions prior to Saturday's 11 p.m. CT expiration of the collective bargaining agreement for the purpose of those players spending a lockout in Houston.
All players signed to an entry-level contract except 2012 first-round pick Matt Dumba and Jared Spurgeon will be assigned to the Aeros. That includes, in no particular order, Marco Scandella, Matt Hackett, Darcy Kuemper, Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin, Brett Bulmer, Johan Larsson, Jason Zucker, Zack Phillips, Tyler Cuma, Chad Rau, Steve Kampfer, Kyle Medvec, Justin Fontaine, David McIntyre, Joel Broda, Kris Foucault and Josh Caron.
Colton Jobke will start in Houston but still has a year of junior eligibility left.
Sean Lorenz is on an AHL deal, so he'll be down there.
Also, the following players would need to be put on waivers to get to Houston: Drew Bagnall, Brian Connolly, Chay Genoway, Carson McMillan, Jarod Palmer, Stephane Veilleux and Jake Dowell. Spurgeon, too. If a player is a risk to be plucked by another team off waivers, the Wild won't send him to Houston (i.e. Spurgeon). That includes, maybe, Veilleux and Dowell.
When a lockout ends, players sent to Houston via the waiver route can be recalled without having to clear waivers again.
Dumba isn't eligible to play in Houston due to his age, so he will return to his Western Hockey League club, Red Deer. If and when a lockout ends, the Wild could technically recall him from Red Deer.
By the way, the Wild does have one remaining free agent. Nick Palmieri has declined to accept his qualifying offer thus far. If he feels he is good enough to play in the NHL and didn't make the Wild, you'd think he'd feel confident enough to take the QO because he'd be waiver bait for another team. But he hasn't signed, meaning maybe he'll just sign in Europe because it's not like he has done enough to earn a one-way contract or guaranteed spot from the Wild.
The Wild still owns his rights.
In New York today, the NHLPA reportedly made a new proposal during a 2 1/2 meeting with the NHL. The NHL countered with a proposal of its own -- one the union wants to study. Both were on core economics.
NHLPA Executive Director reportedly said it's too early to say if that means meaningful progress, but players are willing to take a lower percentage over time but not an absolute salary reduction.
Commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly says the player proposal was not that much different around the edges, that the NHL's proposal had significant movement and that if it's not accepted by the weekend, it's off the table. That's according to tweets from reporters on the scene. The reason is the damage that will be done to the business.
According to reporters on the scene, the NHL's biggest olive branch is returning the hockey related revenue definition to the current definitions. The league was trying to change the definition. That puts about $100 million back into the player pockets. Bettman reportedly said in the latest NHL offer, players get $250-$300 million more back.
The NHL wants player reductions through escrow -- estimated at 9.7 percent in the first year, Bettman says.
We will see what happens here. Whatever side you fall on here, the reality is the lost money and time by NHL players if there's a lockout is unrecoverable. This is money they'll never get back. This can only get worse for them as time goes by because the owners control their ability to play.
So in a lot of ways, they'd be better off making the best possible deal they can possibly make by Saturday, take the hit and play.
But as you know, it doesn't often work out that way.
More than 280 players are in New York for meetings today and Thursday with Fehr, including new Wild players Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The NHL will hold a Board of Governors meeting Thursday, too.
Parise, Suter talk about their decisions
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: July 4, 2012 - 2:07 PMZach Parise and Ryan Suter talked to the media via a conference call this afternoon. A few quotes follow.
Also, some contract details, as they are both on 13-year, $98 million deals: Suter and Parise each will make $12 million the next two seasons, $11 million the year after that, five years of $9 million, then $8 million, $6 million, $2 million, $1 million and $1 million the last five years.
This includes $10 million signing bonuses the first two years, meaning $2 million in-season salaries.
Now to some quotes:
Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher:
“This is a great day in the history of the Minnesota Wild. ... These are high character people who are going to add as much off the ice and in the community as they do on the ice.
“We will have cap space going forward to continue adding to our rosters and make adjustments.
“These signings will resonate well with our fans. Our goal wasn’t to make a splash, it was to make us better. The real work is just starting. ... If we assume we just have to go to camp and get out on the ice, we’re kidding ourselves. ...
“It’s a great start ... we have a lot of character on our team, we added a lot of talent.
Zach Parise, who will wear No. 11:
“Ryan and I had talked throughout the year, at the time you always say to each other, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have a chance play with each other on the same team?’ Was it realistic at the time? I don’t know. Different teams have to have the availability. I know how great Ryan is ... to have an opportunity to play with a guy of that caliber is a great opportunity. We kept in touch throughout the whole process. You have to decide what is best for you.
“This meant a lot to me and to my family. My parents were so excited ... I grew up here. I love coming back here in the summers, I enjoy it so much, [thought] it would be great to be here year round.
“In the end, it came down between New Jersey and Minnesota. I have great friends in New Jersey. I’m a loyal person. I loved playing there. It came down to coming home and being around family.
“I always hoped that I would have an opportunity to play in Minnesota. We do have a lot of ties to Minnesota, but ... every kid that’s growing up in Minnesota would like to play for the Wild, and ... we’re lucky to make it happen.
“There are great fans in New Jersey. As far as going back there, it’ll be pretty unique, it’ll be pretty tough with all the memories that I have there. From a fan’s standpoint, I think I gave everything I had when I played there, I don’t think anyone could argue that. I can see it from their standpoint, but I’m confident in saying that I did everything I could have when I was there.”
On talking to Wild players: “I was playing phone tag with Mikko [Koivu], and got a couple of texts from [Dany] Heatley, that’s about it."
On the team's outlook: “I’ve been on teams that looked great on paper that didn’t make the playoffs, and teams that just squeaked into the playoffs, like this year, we were a sixth seed, and made it in to the Finals."
“We like what they are doing here in Minnesota, the young players that they drafted and are coming in, the goaltending, they’ve got the pieces. We want to help get them to where they want to go.
Parise was captain New Jersey. On being captain here, where Koivu wears the C: “They’ve got a captain, they’ve got a great captain. That’s not a concern of mine now."
On other teams pursuing him: “I’ve kept everything pretty private, I don’t like to discuss other than New Jersey who was in who was out, if they want to discuss it, they can."
How to say his last name: “I pronounce it “Par-e-zee.”
And now ...“I will be going right into the lake and shutting my phone off."
Ryan Suter, who will wear No. 20
About Parise: “We were in contact, texting back and forth, asking about different places and differenct situations where we both could work. Probably last night and this morning it became realistic.
“When the season ends and you start thinking what’s next, big thing is my family, obviously. They were an option right away, Minnesota, and I always thought about Minnesota, it just never seemed realistic, but for me, right after the season, you think about places you could potentially go to, and the situation that is best for you and your family."
Calling Nashville GM David Poile: “I talked to David this morning, called David, toughest phone call that I’ve ever had to make in my life, it was so hard to make that to David, David had done so much for me, they’re a first class operation in Nashville, and it stars with David Poile."
Ex-teammate Shea Weber: "He said you have to do what’s best for you, and he wished me nothing but the best of luck.
“I got a phone call from Dany Heatley ... our friendship goes back. He called and said he really wanted me to come and just expressed how great an organization it is, and how they’re very close to winning ... that’s all the contact I really had.”
on playing in the West: “I definitely thought about different teams that I would be a good fit with, eventually it just came down to where my family would like to live. My wife is from Bloomington, Minn. That had a lot to do with it, and also the fact that Minnesota has a lot of good young players that I think will help make this team successful.
“Zach had a big part in my decision, and my family.
“Detroit is a great franchise, they came in yesterday and I met with them, and they got a great thing going there, obviously, and they were right there until the end as well..
“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We want to win. And the fans do to.”
Parise, Suter agree to join Wild
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: July 4, 2012 - 1:04 PMWild owner Craig Leipold was beyond excited when I got him on the phone a few minutes ago. Never has anyone been so happy to invest $196 million in two people, as he did with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter this morning.
Some excerpts:
“We’re going to get a Winter Classic. We’re an exciting team, a great market, good players. We’re everything.”
“They drove this bus and we’re just lucky they drove it to Minnesota. They want to be part of something special.”
“They were offered more money. We know it. By a number of a teams. But these guys spent so much time looking at us.”
“This was discussed months and months ago going back to last season. This is a result of very smart hockey ops department thinking longterm."
And the best one: “AHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I am a madman. Oy, oy, oy. This is hard to come to grips with. It was a great process.”
Leipold has this letter on the Wild web site.
Here's my online story with some more reaction from players:
Zach Parise and Ryan Suter have agreed to terms with the Wild.
The team landed the two biggest prizes in this year's NHL free-agent class this morning.
Both received 13-year, $98 million deals, according to people familiar with the terms.
"Not a bad day," said Wild forward Matt Cullen. "Unreal, unbelievable. Man, what a great day. Honestly, what a huge day for the organization, for the state."
Parise and Suter will form a star-studded tandem that will be expected to alter the fortunes of a franchise that has missed the playoffs four consecutive seasons.
Wild winger Dany Heatley, who like Suter played at the University of Wisconsin, spent some time texting Suter earlier this week.
"This is huge. This is a real big turning point for all of us," Heatley said.
Parise, 27, the 17th pick in the 2003 draft by the Devils, spent seven years in New Jersey. He has averaged .82 points per game. Parise ranks fourth in Devils history with 194 goals, ninth with 410 points, tied for fifth with 51 power-play goals, fourth with 37 winning goals and fifth with 1,699 shots.
His best year came in 2008-09 when he scored 45 goals and 94 points.
The Minneapolis-born, Shattuck-St. Mary's product and Orono resident is the son of former North Stars player and assistant coach J.P. Parise.
Like Suter, he is highly decorated in USA Hockey. Both won a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics, with Parise forcing overtime in the gold-medal game with 24 seconds left.
Suter, 27, was drafted seventh overall in 2003 and spent his entire seven-year career with the Nashville Predators.
In Predators history, Suter, who spent much of his career being paired with Predators star defenseman Shea Weber, ranks fourth with 542 games, fourth with 200 assists, tied for eighth with 238 points and second with a plus-43.
He scored a career-high 46 points last season and averaged 26 minutes, 30 seconds a game - third-highest in the NHL and a minute higher than any one of his previous seasons.
Suter's father, Bob, played on the United States' 1980 gold-medal winning Olympic team and his uncle, Gary Suter, was a five-time All-Star, a Calder Trophy winner and is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
His wife, Becky, hails from Bloomington, where her father, former Minnesota-Duluth standout defenseman Stan Palmer, is entrenched in the youth hockey community.
Tuesday night, Parise told Josh Rimer on nextsportstar.com that he and Suter had been talking throughout this process.
"Ryan's a great player," Parise told Rimer. "He's a top defenseman in this league. Those type of players don't come around often. They're tough to find. I'd love to play on a team with a defenseman like Ryan Suter. Immediately you've got your top defenseman, immediately you've got a power-play guy, you've got shutdown guy. Again those guys are hard to find, so to get an opportunity to play with him would be great."
The Wild recognized early on it would be going up against hefty competition for Parise.
Pittsburgh has Crosby and Malkin, Philadelphia has Giroux, Detroit has Datsyuk and Zetterberg, Chicago has Toews and Hossa.
For Suter, it was mostly going up against Detroit, which was wooing Suter by using Hall of Famer Chris Chelios in its recruitment. Chelios and Suter's uncle, Gary, are good friends from their days playing for the Chicago Blackhawks.
But in a league where there's no guarantees you can go to a team and win a Stanley Cup every year, the Wild worked to sell both Parise and Suter that they can be the two players, who along with captain, Mikko Koivu could help shape a franchise for the next dozen or so years.
Wild officials were apparently very convincing.
No Parise, Suter decisions tonight; Wild signs Torry Mitchell, Zenon Konopka
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: July 1, 2012 - 5:06 PMUPDATED
The Wild, entrenched in its pursuit against many others for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, was aggressive right off the bat, loading up with speed and power on the third and fourth lines by signing Ottawa Senators center Zenon Konopka to a two-year deal worth $925,000 per and San Jose Sharks center/right wing Torrey Mitchell to a three-year deal worth $1.9 million per.
As for Parise, he called off all in-person pitches and only talked to teams by phone, I'm told. I don't know what to make of that, but according to Pierre McGuire on TSN, Pittsburgh is the frontrunner, which wouldn't be a shock. And McGuire is bigtime buddies with Pens GM Ray Shero.
I am told a decision will come tomorrow. Parise will think about things tonight and they'll reconvene tomorrow for the decision.
"He has narrowed the list of teams to a small select group," said agent Wade Arnott.
There is no doubt the Wild has offered astronomical contracts for both. But so did half the league, with Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Philadelphia and Carolina making runs at both Parise and Suter. Crosby was part of Pittsburgh's recruiting.
As for Suter, agent Neil Sheehy's phone blew up and he called each team methodically one by one. Suter did not meet with teams today. Sheehy emailed me and said there's no truth to the rumor he's decided on Detroit and they have a lot to consider.
Decision won't be tonight.
So stay tuned.
Coach Mike Yeo badly wants to get tougher and faster. Signing Konopka and Mitchell does that at least.
Konopka, 31, was tied for fourth last year with 18 fights, has 92 in his career and is a great faceoff guy (career .588). This regime has long liked him. He has 27 points in 250 career games.
He said he takes a lot of pride in faceoffs and compounding that into penalty killing, which is his MO. You don't get too many fighters in the NHL that can play a regular shift.
But toughness is his bread and butter.
"Koivu is a superstar that maybe doesn’t get enough respect around the league and he should," Konopka said. "Heatley is a world-class player and we have to make sure those guys are taken care of and they feel very comfortable and nice. If they want to sit down at center ice and read the paper, they should be able to do that without anyone touching them."
Koivu does love reading the paper! 
Mitchell, 27, is fast and hounds the puck, Dany Heatley says.
"First thing is his speed," Heatley said from his home in Kelowna. "He's one of the top guys in the league, that’s how fast he is. Real good team guy, a guy that’s going to kill penalties for us, hound the puck. He’s real tough to play against because of his speed and his tenacity. He’s got some ability to produce a little bit offensively if he’s in the right spot. He put up real good numbers in college [Vermont]."
Yes, Mitchell is the player who hit Kurtis Foster from behind on the ice four years ago resulting in a broken femur.
"Not a good situation to be involved in," Mitchell said. "I'm glad he's recovered and the little trauma I had from it, I’m recovered. It was tough. It was my rookie year and I’m a pretty honest player and to get tangled up in that situation was not something I wanted to be a part of. It was difficult. We have a good relationship now."
Mitchell had 19 points in 76 games last year and has 73 points in 280 games. He is buddies with Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley. He lived with Setoguchi for three years when they played for the Sharks, but they won't live together here because that'd be "awkward." Mitchell is getting married in two weeks.
Mitchell also broke his leg three years ago ironically, missed all of 2008-09 and has played wing since. He says he's super pumped.
Heatley, by the way, said his knee feels great and has gotten into a good workout routine.
I still have not talked to the Wild, but I will say this, as I mentioned on the previous blog, there's only so much cap space and so many bodies. Signing two NHLers for your third and fourth line now could mean trading some guys later this summer. It also means the Wild is clearly not going to push their kids right onto the team.
So far, Guillaume Latendresse got a one-year deal worth $1.2 million and bonuses in Ottawa. Mike Lundin signed for one year worth $1.15 million in Ottawa, too.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM WILD
Konopka, 31 (1/2/81), tallied five points (3-2=5) and ranked third in the NHL with 193 penalty minutes (PIM) for the Ottawa Senators in 2011-12. He also won 58.9% of his faceoffs (232 of 394), ranking fifth in the NHL amongst players with 250 or more faceoffs. Konopka added two assists in six playoff games with the Senators. Since 2009-10, he ranks first in the NHL in PIM (765) and fourth in faceoff percentage (59.0%). The 6-foot, 209-pound native of Niagara on the Lake, Ont., skated in all 82 games with the New York Islanders in 2010-11 and led the NHL with 307 PIM and won 620 of 1075 faceoffs taken (57.7%). Konopka also led the NHL with 265 PIM in 2009-10. He has skated in 250 career NHL games with Anaheim, Columbus, Tampa Bay, the Islanders and Ottawa, totaling 27 points (11-16=27), 877 PIM and has won 58.8% of faceoffs. Konopka was a member of the Ottawa 67’s Memorial Cup-winning team in 1999.
Mitchell, 27 (1/30/85), notched 19 points (9-10=19) in 76 games with the San Jose Sharks in the 2011-12 campaign and added one assist in five playoff contests. He has skated in 280 NHL games in four seasons with the Sharks, totaling 73 points (30-43=73) and 152 PIM. Mitchell has seen action in 55 playoff games with San Jose, accruing 11 points (2-9=11) over five post-seasons. He recorded 105 points (35-70=105) and 154 PIM in 115 contests during three seasons at the University of Vermont (2004-07) and served as co-captain in his junior campaign. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound native of Greenfield Park, Que., was San Jose’s fourth-round pick (No. 126 overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Wild re-signs defenseman Clayton Stoner, close to signing Johan Gustafsson
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: May 10, 2012 - 10:12 AMUPDATE: The Wild has signed Stoner to a two-year, $2.1 million deal ($1.05 million cap hit)
As I mentioned after the season, the one unrestricted free agent I thought the Wild would definitely look to re-sign is defenseman Clayton Stoner.
I'm hearing through the grapevine that is very close to happening -- maybe as soon as today.
The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder suffered through another injury-plagued season, but coach Mike Yeo loves his physicality, the fact he stands up for any teammate and his reliability. He was a plus-3 in 51 games after being a plus-5 in 57 games last year. As GM Chuck Fletcher has even said before, being a plus player on the Wild the last two seasons is no small feat.
Stoner, 27, has 16 points in 116 games with 170 penalty minutes and 187 hits.
I remember asking Yeo with a few games left in the season if the Wild could afford to re-sign Stoner considering the myriad injuries he's sustained throughout his entire pro career. Yeo said, "Can we afford not to?"
"We would love to see him in the lineup, and durability is important when you're trying to make those decisions, but this is a character guy," Yeo said at the time. "This is a guy that plays for his teammates and is effective when he's on the ice. We'd like to get more games from him, but he's a valuable piece."
No details yet on the contract Stoner will receive.
The Wild is also close to signing goalie Johan Gustafsson, 20, to an entry-level contract. He backstopped Sweden to gold at the world junior championships and will play again next season in Lulea before I guess he comes over to North America in 2013-14. He is a sixth-round pick from 2010 and needed to be signed by June 1, or the Wild would have lost his rights.
My guess is next year, Matt Hackett and Darcy Kuemper start as a tandem in Houston. Kuemper is coming off shoulder surgery, and even though Hackett is close, you don't rush goalies. My guess is the Wild will either re-sign Josh Harding as Niklas Backstrom's No. 2 or sign a veteran backup.
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