Trade could give Wild new life

Mark Parrish's wife, Nicholle, gave birth to the couple's first child, Gianna Marie, on Tuesday morning. Parrish, being a hockey guy, played in the Wild's game against Vancouver on Tuesday night, anyway.

"My wife said, 'Your daughter and I can't wait to see you play tonight,' " Parrish said. "That made the decision pretty easy."

Parrish could be excused if he wasn't particularly sharp. His teammates should hope they all have home videos of them cutting umbilical cords if they want to receive forgiveness for the way they played.

The Wild's 3-2 overtime loss to Vancouver was embarrassing for a team that has been playing well of late, was playing at home against a hated rival, and had a chance to bury that rival in the Northwest Division standings.

At one point in the second period, the Canucks were outshooting the home team 24-4. This was good news for Nicholle, though -- watching this game had to make childbirth seem painless as a Wiggles video.

"You've got to come out better than this," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said, revealing the conversation he had with the players. "You have six shots after two periods? You're telling me the effort is there?"

It wasn't, which is disappointing if you're a Wild fan, but perhaps revealing if you're assessing the strength and depth of this team as the trading deadline approaches.

Risebrough loves to talk about building from within and avoiding the kind of rash mistakes that marked last year's trading deadline. But every situation and each year is different. Maybe this is the year to go for it.

Marian Gaborik, who is earning his star status this year, will become a free agent after next season. That means if the Wild wants to avoid being Johan Santana-ized, it will have to trade him this summer if it can't sign him long-term, and perhaps only a long playoff run would persuade Gaborik to agree to that kind of a deal.

So maybe this is the time to make a run, to try to trade for Florida's Olli Jokinen, or any other skilled center.

This team needs someone capable of winning big faceoffs, preferably one who could center Gaborik and Pavol Demitra.

The question is: Does the current Wild roster warrant such a gamble?

Gaborik is brilliant. Rolston and Demitra aren't going to be around much longer. And the Team of 18,000, as the Wild calls its continual sellouts, might not remain patient with the team's patience forever.

Every franchise has to recognize that there is a time and a place to take a chance, and this might be that time and place for the Wild.

In fact, the loss to Vancouver might have been a sign. The Wild got outplayed, badly, and outshot 37-22. It needed to win a couple of faceoffs late in the game, and didn't get them.

And even center Eric Belanger's go-ahead goal Tuesday -- his first in 15 games -- can't obscure his struggles.

The Wild is on the verge of something special but might need a little more help.

Parrish had to get on the team charter to Chicago late Tuesday night. "Every part of my being wants to go to the hospital," he said.

The way the Wild played, though, Parrish might be better off heading out of town. After watching Tuesday's game, Gianna might have spit up all over Daddy.