With Bouchard's deal done, focus turns to Gaborik

Pierre-Marc Bouchard's cell phone battery died Friday night because he spent so much time conversing with his agent, Allan Walsh.

If Marian Gaborik is smart, he should charge some spare batteries.

Now that the ink's dry on Bouchard's five-year, $20.4 million contract, the Wild plans to focus all of its attention on trying to extend Gaborik's contract with the richest, most groundbreaking offer in franchise history.

It might be the final piece to the Wild's offseason agenda, but it's the largest and most critical.

"Now that Pierre-Marc is done and we know what our team looks like going forward, it's time we start talking to Marian," said Tom Lynn, assistant general manager.

In early August, the Wild will make a variety of proposals to Gaborik, probably ranging in term from four to seven years.

While Gaborik, who is one year from unrestricted free agency, makes $7.5 million next season, his current contract average is $6.33 million.

The Wild plans to make an offer averaging in the $8.5 million range. As of today, if Gaborik signed any contract that averaged more than $7.8 million, he'd have the fourth-largest average contract in the NHL after superstars Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and right above Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier.

As usual, Lynn will be captaining the negotiation cockpit with Gaborik's agent, but GM Doug Risebrough plans to be more involved.

"It's obviously very important," Risebrough said, "but we had some arbitration-based decisions with Butch and [Stephane] Veilleux that we had to deal with first, and these things take a lot of time -- more than people think."

Bouchard -- the 24-year-old who ranks right behind Gaborik on the Wild's all-time assists (160) and points (221) list -- was ecstatic to pocket long-term security after three successive one-year deals.

It's been a difficult summer for Bouchard, because he knows the Wild used him as trade bait.

"I was trying not to worry about it, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried," Bouchard said from his home in Montreal. "That's why I'm so relieved. Like I said all winter long, I wanted to stay with the Wild and try to get a long-term deal done because I love Minny and this is a great organization. It took some time, but we finally got it."

Bouchard also received verbal assurance from Risebrough that he would not be waived or traded in the first two years of the contract. In return, Risebrough said Bouchard must produce in the regular season and during the playoffs.

"His best years are ahead of him, but it's getting to the point where he has to make a significant impact, and that should be over the term of this contract," Risebrough said from his Banff, Alberta, home. "He's mature enough to understand that. I've committed that I won't trade him for two years, but after two years, I want his performance to be at that level of salary.

"This is not a big risk, because he's a 24-year-old that is still developing, but at the end of two years, everything's got to kind of converge and he needs to perform. And he knows that."

And Bouchard said he will.

"I've had a lot of one-year deals, but I see an organization now that wants me to be part of the core of the team for many years. That gives you confidence," said Bouchard, who had a career-high 50 assists and 63 points last season.

"They know I can do better and be a better player and bring more to the table. I know I can do better, too. I'll come to training camp ready to play."