Time for Wild to make a splash

MONTREAL - OK, the NHL draft was more like a ripple than a splash for the Wild. But if you had listened to owner Craig Leipold on Saturday, you'd have to believe that splash is just around the corner.

The sales calls will soon go out fast and furious. The Wild is going to advertise the arena, the passionate Minnesota fan base and the offensive -- stress on the word offensive -- system that will be installed by a young, innovative coach.

Free agency opens Wednesday, and Leipold says the Wild has the loot to throw at upper-echelon players.

The Wild struck out last summer with Marian Hossa. If Detroit's unable to re-sign him, expect the Wild to step up to the plate and try again. Maybe it's the Sedin twins. Maybe it's Michael Cammalleri or Martin Havlat.

"We want to be a team that's competing next year and we're going to have money available to sign one of those top guys, and I'm including Marian Gaborik in that," Leipold said. "Gaborik can still be the guy. If not, there are three, four, five other guys you would put in that category.

"We're a team that's got everything to offer. And we would have the cap space to do it and the ability and the desire to do it."

The NHL draft was Chuck Fletcher's first real test at piloting the Wild, and so far, so good. In Nick Leddy, Fletcher delivered the Wild a promising young defenseman, and a Minnesotan to boot. And by dropping from 12th to 16th, Fletcher accumulated the extra draft picks -- or currency -- he so desired.

If he hadn't swapped with the Islanders, he wouldn't have gotten the third-round pick that brought the top-rated goalie in the draft, Matt Hackett, to the Wild. Later, he used two other draft picks to acquire center Kyle Brodziak from the Edmonton Oilers.

Brodziak might not be the blockbuster Wild fans had been hoping for, but considering he performed for Todd Richards earlier in his career and has the rookie coach's utmost trust and respect, Brodziak could wind up being a decent pickup.

But Brodziak is not going to be enough to keep the masses happy.

If the Wild loses Gaborik -- and it would be absolutely shocking if it doesn't -- Fletcher must replace the Wild's career leading scorer, whether that means with a true superstar, a package deal for the Sedins or two or three players who can add big-time production.

Fletcher wasn't able to fill any immediate holes this weekend. He was in a ton of trades, but as was proven by the crickets this weekend, significant trades are next to impossible. Still, Fletcher remains in the mix on Dany Heatley trade talks -- if the Ottawa Senators would just stop asking for defenseman Brent Burns.

But free agency seems the more likely path right now.

The Wild plans to experiment in training camp with moving right winger Pierre-Marc Bouchard back to his natural center position, but the team will also attempt to sign a second-line center behind Mikko Koivu.

The intended target will be Mikko's older brother, Saku, the longtime Montreal Canadiens captain.

The Wild needs defensemen, especially if Martin Skoula, Marc- Andre Bergeron and Kurtis Foster are allowed to walk. It wouldn't be surprising if Fletcher pursued two or three he's familiar with -- perhaps Francois Beauchemin or Rob Scuderi.

But, you can bet after last summer's well-publicized snubbings, Leipold desperately wants the Wild to attract star power.

"As a fan, I'd be disappointed if we can't," Leipold said. "As an owner, I understand we're competing against 29 teams. Look, we're going to do something. We are going to spend the money. We have the assets out there to do it. The thought of us doing nothing, it's just not going to happen. We're not going to be blocked out."

Leipold believes it's time for the Wild to make a thunderous statement to the NHL that Minnesota's the place to come play hockey.

"We had bad luck last year," Leipold said. "If Gaborik were healthy, I would argue with anyone we would have won the division. That could happen again next year. We could lose one or two key players and not make the playoffs.

"But do I expect us to, on the basis of the team? Absolutely I expect us to make the playoffs. We are a team that is getting better next year.

"Burns didn't have the year we wanted him to have, but it wasn't his fault. Bouchard didn't have the year we needed him to have. Mikko Koivu will only get better and he was great. We'll have Gaborik or someone replacing Gaborik. Our goaltending is locked for a long time. I love the new coach, the new system.

"We're jumping forward as an organization."

Boy, opening night can't happen soon enough.

Michael Russo • mrusso@startribune.com