Michael Russo's Sunday Insider: Top talent is available

Five prominent forwards are being shopped , and the Wild has to decide if the price is right before Tuesday's deadline.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: February 24, 2008 - 12:14 AM

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WILD WEEK IN REVIEW

Record: 1-1-1.

• Not a good week. Built a six-point lead after beating Nashville 4-3 on Sunday on Marian Gaborik's winner in the final seconds of overtime, but the Wild played pitifully against Vancouver before coughing up a third-period lead and losing in overtime Tuesday. Then, it got shut out in Chicago on Wednesday night and lost for the first time in 10 meetings.

STAR TRIBUNE'S STAR OF THE WEEK: Marian Gaborik, Wild

The red-hot Wild gamebreaker scored two goals and an assist against Nashville, the winner being buried with 4.4 ticks left in OT. Then, Tuesday vs. Vancouver, he scored a power-play goal.

THIS WEEK: Four games

Today: vs. Calgary, 1 p.m. Tuesday: at Washington, 6 p.m. Wednesday: at Tampa Bay, 6:30 p.m. Friday: at Florida, 6:30 p.m.

• This afternoon the Wild plays host to the Flames in a significant divisional showdown. The team then hits the road for three games against the Southeast Division, starting Tuesday (trade deadline day).

THE QUOTE

"Hey guys, we’ve got six shots on net in two periods. Come on? You’re telling me the effort is there? It’s impossible." — Wild coach Jacques Lemaire’s words to his team during the second intermission against Vancouver

MICHAEL RUSSO

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Marian Hossa. Brad Richards. Olli Jokinen. Alex Tanguay. Mats Sundin.

Five forwards with spectacular star power, and all are being shopped. Rumors are running rampant, but it'll be interesting to see which players are moved by Tuesday's trade deadline.

Hossa: Atlanta is making one final stab to sign Hossa, but he seems intent on getting out. Remember, Thrashers coach/GM Don Waddell gave up an exorbitant amount for Keith Tkachuk last season, so the pressure's on to acquire a significant package for a true star.

A couple of things that hurt Hossa's trade value: He's unrestricted at the end of the season, so how much do you give up if you're uncertain he'll re-sign? And Hossa's been a postseason flop -- 13 goals in 55 games.

Ottawa, Montreal and Boston are all over Waddell. Watch the Senators' Bryan Murray. This is a daring GM who's not afraid to make bold moves. He has made several blockbusters and could be dangling Antoine Vermette.

The Wild would love Hossa, but what do you give up when pal Marian Gaborik publicly said last month Hossa has no interest in re-signing in Minnesota?

Richards: The Tampa Bay Three of Richards, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier could lose a cog. GM Jay Feaster, looking to also move Vinny Prospal, wants to clear cap room to re-sign Dan Boyle and finally acquire a competent goaltender (now or this summer), and Richards with his $7.8 million salary has weighed the Lightning down long enough.

Columbus, trying to build for the future and with tons of cap room, is hot after Richards, but is he going to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Jackets? Centering Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev could be enticing.

Jokinen: In Florida, owner Alan Cohen, as recently as two months ago, said unequivocally he wouldn't trade Jokinen, but he has backed off that. The Panthers are on the verge of missing the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.

It's a difficult quandary: Jokinen is the team's lone star in a floundering market, so how do you trade him? On the other hand, he's the one constant through all the failures since 2000.

There's no doubt Panthers coach/GM Jacques Martin is shopping him, and the price is lofty. The Wild is interested, but would it part with a core piece such as Pierre-Marc Bouchard? You can bet Calgary has interest. Two things: Jokinen's $5.25 million cap hit is reasonable, and he doesn't have a no-trade clause.

Tanguay: The Flames might have to discard Tanguay and his $5.25 million cap hit if it wants to re-sign free agents Kristian Huselius, Daymond Langkow and/or Craig Conroy. Reportedly, the Flames are trying to trade Tanguay to Montreal for Michael Ryder, and it's a matter of Tanguay waiving his no-trade clause.

Sundin: The Toronto captain could be moved and still wind up re-signing with the Maple Leafs this summer, so interim GM Cliff Fletcher would like to move Sundin for quality assets. It's up to Sundin waiving his no-trade clause, and reportedly Fletcher met with Sundin to get a list of teams he'd be willing to go to.

Other names being bandied about: Buffalo defenseman Brian Campbell, an upcoming free agent, has turned down another contract offer. Two things GM Darcy Regier has to weigh: Buffalo's in a playoff battle, but he has lost guys such as Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and J.P. Dumont for squat in recent years.

Columbus has several free agents it might move -- centers Sergei Fedorov and Michael Peca and defenseman Adam Foote. Several, including the Wild, are interested in Fedorov, 38, and he clearly tried to audition in Ottawa on Thursday for Ottawa's Murray, his old Red Wings coach and GM. Fedorov was tremendous.

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