Wild is front and center as NHL draft and free agency collide

#VanekWatch and #NiskanenWatch, kinda, sorta, begins Wednesday.

The free-agent interview period in advance of the July 1 opening bell of NHL free agency officially has started, meaning teams can contact pending free agents. Agents, though, still were trying to figure out the right approach with the interview period falling right in the middle of draft week in Philadelphia.

"I would assume that it would be a logical move for a couple of the free agents to cruise over to Philly since the entire league will be there," Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher said.

That could create a media circus if players such as Thomas Vanek and Matt Niskanen, two of the top candidates when free agency begins Tuesday at 11 a.m., were spotted going into meeting after meeting.

Last year, when bought-out Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier was seen in a New York hotel, reporters and TV stations camped out in the lobby. That's why the agents of Vanek and Niskanen both say neither client will come to Philadelphia.

"The whole [interview period] isn't working, at least from the player side, the way it was intended," said agent Steve Bartlett, whose top two free agents this cycle are Vanek and Tampa Bay's Ryan Callahan. "It handcuffs everybody when everybody's sitting in Philly.

"The way this was envisioned was players could go into cities and see the schools, the neighborhoods, look at the facilities, go out to dinner. When someone has to make what often they feel is a pressure decision on July 1 or 2, they want to have a sense more than just what they might know from playing on a visiting team."

However, one agent who asked not to be named because he doesn't want to create a distraction, said he might bring a "few of my lesser free agents."

The good part of the free-agent period is players can learn what role they would have on interested teams and hear directly from a GM his objectives. It should create less of a July 1 frenzy.

"In the past on July 1, it was all about getting the deal done," Fletcher said. "You didn't have time to get to know the player, have a conversation about fit, give him a sense of how quickly you envision winning. If you waited too long, somebody else would just sign that player."

Also, in a revision to the interview period, teams and agents can now talk "general parameters" of a contract without making any binding offers or promises.

That general parameters rule could help the Wild. Even with the amount of youngsters the Wild must re-sign this summer and next, Fletcher still feels there's room to add a veteran or two.

Asked if Vanek would agree to such a contract after turning down long-term, lucrative offers last season from Buffalo and the New York Islanders, Bartlett said, "I don't think we're absolutely entrenched on anything. Vanek is a very confident guy, somebody that is, I think, going to look at everything — the financial side, the family side, the team side.

"I don't think we have anything cast in stone come Wednesday or July 1."

Vanek scored five goals and 10 points in 17 games for Montreal in the playoffs. His ice time was limited at times and he was under tremendous media scrutiny, particularly in the conference finals against the Rangers.

"I find it very hard to believe the body of work he brings to the table is going to get erased over one so-so series," Bartlett said. "He still had a very solid season last year[27 goals, 68 points] despite all the baggage that goes with bouncing around like a yo-yo between three teams and living out of a hotel."

All year long, most have assumed Vanek is destined for the Wild. At the very least, Bartlett and Vanek will learn during this week's free-agent interview period which teams are in the mix.