wild/nhl

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - When the Wild closes the 2010-11 campaign at home against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, Andrew Brunette's second three-year stint with the Wild will come to an end.

The veteran left winger knows it could be the final time he puts on a Wild sweater.

Brunette, who turns 38 in August, is one of six unrestricted free agents on the Wild who have yet to have contract talks with management. With the Wild not having won a playoff round since 2003 and facing a third consecutive premature offseason, change is guaranteed. That includes letting most -- if not all -- of its free agents depart.

"We'll do some thinking when the year's over," Brunette said. "I might not even have an option."

But just the fact that Brunette's willing to do some "thinking" tells you that as comfortable as he is living in Minnesota, Brunette's willing to explore other options if it means a better chance at winning.

He's in the twilight of his career and usually sanctions himself to the depressing bowels of his home once the offseason begins. That's how much he craves winning his first Stanley Cup.

Two months ago, Brunette talked about how much he wanted to re-sign in Minnesota and "see this through." But a lot has changed since the Wild, thanks in large part to an eight-game losing streak, crumbled down the stretch.

When Brunette returned to Minnesota three years ago, "I thought we'd be an elite team in the conference." Instead, the Wild didn't make the playoffs once. That's been a blow to Brunette's pride.

"This is not where I envisioned we'd be after the run early in the year, or three years ago when I decided to come back," Brunette said. "It's not much fun right now. It's an even bigger kick because of how we were doing so well for that stretch. I believed we had a really good chance.

"For it to end the way it did and to slip as fast as we slipped leaves a real bad taste in your mouth. So I have some thinking to do."

Brunette is the first to admit his output hasn't met his expectations.

Brunette is having his least productive season since scoring 15 goals and 49 points in 82 games in 2003-04 -- the final year of his first stint with the Wild.

He has 17 goals and 43 points following Thursday's 5-0 loss in Vancouver. Brunette has scored two goals and eight assists in the past 25 games -- a 7-15-3 stretch for the Wild. During linemate Mikko Koivu's 11-game absence because of a broken finger, Brunette scored one goal and two assists.

"I felt I was playing at a level I was happy at until February," Brunette said. "Some things happened in between. You can say Mikko, I got sick at the wrong time and it affected my game and then the losing. Roll all that into one, and it's not where I'd like to be production-wise. There's more to give. It's been very frustrating."

Still, even if the Wild passes the baton to young forwards such as Casey Wellman, Cody Almond and Colton Gillies next season, coach Todd Richards said the Wild still will need experienced veterans the likes of Brunette and John Madden.

"Mikko is a young leader and needs guys to support him," Richards said.

That doesn't necessarily mean the Wild re-signs Brunette or he re-signs with the Wild, though.

"There will be a decision somewhere down the line if it's back here or somewhere else or who knows, right?" Brunette said. "It's played on my mind, I'm not going to lie to you, the last little bit. I'm trying not to really dig deep into that."

• Ryan Kesler had a hat trick and Mason Raymond scored the other two goals in Vancouver's victory.

• The Canucks were presented the President's Trophy for having the best record in the NHL before the game.

"I think it's exciting more for the fans than the guys," goalie Roberto Luongo said. "We want to stay focused on what we're here to do. It's a nice award to get, but we came in to this season determined to win the Stanley Cup."