With free agency pending, Demitra visits Vancouver

Last update: May 6, 2008 - 7:48 AM

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Wild forward and pending free agent Pavol Demitra was in Vancouver over the weekend so he could check out the city prior to returning to his native Slovakia for the summer.

Demitra, 33, can become a free agent July 1 and both he and the Wild appeared destined to part ways after the season.

The Demitra visit was confirmed by new Canucks GM Mike Gillis during a radio interview on Vancouver's Team 1040-AM.

Gillis, Demitra's agent until last month, called it "flattering" that an unrestricted free agent would take the initiative to check out Vancouver on his own.

Gillis would not officially be allowed to talk to Demitra until July 1, or it would be tampering.

Reportedly, Demitra was given a guided tour by Canucks captain Markus Naslund, also a possible free agent and a former client of Gillis.

Demitra is coming off the worst full season offensively of his career, scoring 15 goals and 54 points in 68 games.

Last month, Wild GM Doug Risebrough intimated that the team would attempt to re-sign pending free agent Brian Rolston and not Demitra.

MICHAEL RUSSO

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