Minnesota better after unusual flurry of activity

Minnesota Wild fans often feel left out during big NHL events. Few players in the team's short history have deserved to be in the All-Star Game, the draft has traditionally been more painful than root canal, and they have never been in the running for big name free agents on July 1st nor much for mixing things up at the trade deadline. Add it all together, and it becomes clear why the team has never sniffed the Stanley Cup Finals.

This summer is different.

General Manager Chuck Fletcher has a vision for the team that involves getting younger and getting faster. He is willing to trade from strength to counter weakness, and to add young prospects and picks for players in their prime.

Wild fans finally have something to be excited about, with big name players and a cupboard stocked with prime prospects ready to make the team better over the long term. The question remains if the additions and subtractions below result in a return to the playoffs, but it is certain that Chuck Fletcher has zero interest in standing by and watching from the sidelines.

Signings

Josh Harding - The Wild brought back a familiar face, returning a player they drafted and developed and giving him a chance to prove his worth at the NHL level all over again. It is a low risk deal, with just a $750K cap hit, and Harding has proven to be a capable backup at the very least.

Kyle Medvec - The Wild's fourth round pick in 2006, Medvec is considered a "depth signing" but there are doubts if he ever sees the NHL. In his time with the University of Vermont, Medvec failed to use his size (6' 6" 229 lbs) to his advantage. He often wore the undesirable tag of "pylon" on the ice. This move is good for the Wild in that it puts a body on the ice in Houston, allowing them to promote others on the blue line to the NHL.

The Wild have also re-signed Houston Aeros players such as Jed Ortmeyer and Drew Bagnall while adding Jeff Taffe to the roster for the farm club as well. Bagnall is the only player that could challenge right away for NHL time, and almost made the team out of camp last season.

Trades

Dany Heatley for Martin Havlat - This is a great trade for the Wild as they unload a player who did not live up to expectations and never found a way to fit into the role he was hired to play. Another pass-first player, Havlat never found chemistry with Mikko Koivu, and found himself playing on the second line with Kyle Brodziak, where both found a modicum of success. Heatley, however, gives the Wild a sniper with a shoot-first attitude. If Heatley and Koivu can find the chemistry that Havlat lacked, the Wild are a dangerous team.

Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, 1st round pick for Brent Burns & second round pick - Trading Brent Burns sucked the air of the Xcel Energy Center during the draft, but when the return was announced, the arena exploded. Setoguchi is another shooter, Coyle is a top prospect, and the first round pick turned into Zach Phillips, who will jump right into the Wild's top ten prospects. The subtraction of Burns hurts the defensive corps, but that is the one position the Wild are extremely deep.

Darroll Powe for a third round pick - Powe will likely skate on a line with Cal Clutterbuck, forming a line that will have the opposition looking to get off the ice as soon as possible. It is possible to lose this trade with the other two being blockbusters; but have no doubt, this will improve the Wild in an area -- defensive-minded forwards -- they strongly lacked last season.

The Wild still have five open roster spots, and plenty of cap space to work with to fill them. However, expect players like Colton Gillies, Casey Wellman, Marco Scandella, Justin Falk, Nate Prosser, or Bagnall to fill those holes. Fletcher has made it clear he wants to give the kids a chance to prove themselves, and with the moves he has made, it shows little doubt he is moving that direction.

No one move instantly turns the Minnesota Wild into Stanley Cup contenders, but they have made some moves that certainly make them a playoff team. The fans in Minnesota have been patient, well beyond what anyone could have expected them to be. This year could be the reward for that patience, with playoff hockey returning to Saint Paul.

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