Craig Leipold doesn't necessarily fancy himself an aggressive team owner.
"I consider myself to be an opportunist," he said.
Whatever the proper description, Leipold's insatiable thirst for winning has compelled the Wild owner to execute some bold transactions, regardless of cost. His latest shrewd move happened last week when the Wild agreed to give up two prospects, a first-round draft pick and a second-round pick to acquire Buffalo captain Jason Pominville at the trade deadline.
That hefty pricetag might have caused other owners to stand pat. Leipold pushed his chips to the center of the table.
This guy is all-in in his quest to make a deep postseason run this spring.
"In order to get a really great asset," he said, "you have to trade great assets."
Leipold represents precisely what sports fans should covet in an owner: a big thinker who is willing to commit money and resources to give his team the best chance to succeed; someone who is passionate about his product and not paralyzed by the unknown or an overarching fear that a deal might backfire.
Tired of seeing his team miss the playoffs and his arena not filled to capacity, Leipold committed nearly $200 million to sign Zach Parise and Ryan Suter last summer. And even though the Wild won seven consecutive games recently to position itself firmly in the playoff picture, the owner moved to bolster his roster rather than sit idle.