Sometimes it’s tough to deal with the offseason when most of the things that happen with your team have a negative-type spin. People leaving, people quitting, people choosing not to play for your team are all negative things. Even if the move is for the best in the long-run, no one wants to hear that they were someone’s second option. Think about it: if you were in love with someone, and they decided that they’d get with you because someone else (who they really wanted) didn’t work out, it wouldn’t be enough. That’s the kind of offseason the Minnesota Wild have had so far this summer.
Just because some of these moves were expected doesn’t make them any less painful. We’ve known for since, well… since Marian Gaborik signed his last contract that he’d be signing with another team on July 1, 2009 (and he did). Last season Gaborik brought little more to the table than one healthy groin and a bag full of question marks; so any player that the Wild could bring in for a full 82 games is technically an upgrade. Add in the fact that Gaborik signed a ludicrous 5 year, $37.5 million contract, and it’s probably a good thing that the Wild chose not to resign the Slovakian winger. But that doesn’t change the fact that he had the choice to stay in town, but preferred to leave.
Another guy that packed his bags at the end of the season was Jacques Lemaire. The only coach the Wild had ever known decided it was time to step aside. When asked immediately following the last game of the season, here’s what was on Lemaire’s mind:
“There comes a time when you know it’s the right time to go. And I know this.” –Jacques Lemaire (CBC.ca)
That sounds like a man that had been thinking about leaving for a while. So as he stepped aside from a team that he spent the last 8 years building from the ground up, you had to think that he might just be growing tired of the rigors of the NHL. Then again, if you thought that—you’d be wrong. Only weeks after announcing his decision to leave Minnesota, he was named as the new coach of the New Jersey Devils.
Was there ever a chance for Gaborik to stay? I doubt it...
So let me get this straight: he still wants to coach, he just doesn’t want to coach the Minnesota Wild. Again, I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. There comes a time that its best for all parties involved to infuse a little new-blood. A change of scenery could recharge Lemaire’s batteries; a new coach for the Wild could provide a shot in the arm for a team that almost made the playoffs last season. But that doesn’t change the fact that he had the choice to stay in town, but preferred to leave.
Then there’s the player that the Wild had been targeting for about a year. It’s no secret that the Wild had been rumored to be in the Saku Sweepstakes since the season ended. It only made sense: with Mikko Koivu such an important part of the Wild franchise, shouldn’t they have an inside track to sign his older brother (think Neidermayers). Apparently the ties of brotherhood weren’t enough, because Saku chose a 1 year deal to play in Anaheim. When you look at the deal that the Ducks signed the elder Koivu to last week, it’s apparent that it wasn’t the terms of the contract that would have swayed his decision. How the hell can you have the man’s brother (who is the captain) and still not close the deal?! All signs point to his friendship with Teemu Selanne as the determining factor to sign with Anaheim and shun Minnesota. But that doesn’t change the fact that he had the choice to join his brother, but not to.
Of course, not all of the news has been bad news for the Wild this summer. Picking up Martin Havlat on July 1st to replace Gaborik looks like a great move right now. Both of the talented, yet oft-injured wingers were signed to huge contracts—but Havlat’s contract is the lesser of the two evils. There are no guarantees that either player will magically find the remedy for career full of injuries—but Havlat’s deal is $2.5 million LESS per year. In a salary cap world, every penny counts.
They also picked up the underrated Greg Zanon from the Nashville Predators to replace the much maligned Martin Skoula. Shane Hnidy is a tough guy that will fit on Minnesota’s blueline. But are those the kind of additions that are going to help the Wild IMPROVE over the offseason? Remember, they were a team that didn’t make the playoffs last season. They don’t need maintain the status quo—they need to get better if they want to break into the Western Conference’s Top 8.
This offseason makes me wonder if there’s not a bigger problem going on in Minnesota. Take the Gaborik situation—it’s completely understandable that they didn’t sign him to that astronomical contract. The problem was that I never thought the Wild had a chance to resign him. They were able to take that money they saved and throw it at Martin Havlat, but I get the distinct impression the Wild wasn’t his first choice. And Havlat wasn’t theirs. And clearly Jacques Lemaire and Saku Koivu had other options they preferred.
It’s hard to believe the Wild franchise has quietly fallen into this situation. The fans at Xcel Energy Center are arguably the best in the entire NHL! So why isn’t this a more desirable destination?
Maybe Lemaire and his notoriously defensive style of hockey kept the most talented forwards away from the Twin Cities. Like anywhere else, the elite players will like to play in Minnesota if they have a ton of cap space. But outside of money, the Wild just need to win. Win games and the elite players will be attracted to Minnesota. Until then, they’ll continue to be everyone’s 2nd choice.
Matt Reitz
Matt Reitz is an NHL Writer for ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports and the Editor-In-Chief here at ViewFromMySeats.com. When he's not shoving a mic in the face of NHLers or explaining why home teams should wear white, he's usually trying to figure out what song to play next on his iPod. It's a never-ending job.
