NHL Minnesota

Just over a month from now, the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota will play host to the 2008 Republican National Convention for four nights. Forty-one nights out of the year (and a couple more, depending on how hard they're willing to work in the Spring), the building serves as home ice for the Minnesota Wild. The mildly disturbing image above (via Wonkette) combines the two equally entertaining events (zing!) by poorly photoshopping the GOP's traditional mascot over (we think) Wild forward James Sheppard.

Since the NHL season won't open for more than a month after John McCain and friends leave town, there can only be one explanation for the inclusion of this picture in the confab's promotional material -- a subliminal campaign by the Wild to make newly re-acquired Andrew Brunette look like a decent skater by comparison. Well-played, Minny. Well-played.

Well, let's just say that Wild fans hope the Wild aren't done yet.

Free agency started Tuesday, and as usual, it's anything but free. The insane money being thrown around makes you wonder how the league's personnel people got their jobs ($3.75 million a season for Jeff Finger? Really?).

In Minnesota, the Wild have developed a reputation for fiscal conservatism. There's nothing really wrong with that, but there's a bit of a problem on the Minnesota roster as of right now.

That problem? There aren't many forwards. In fact, Jacques Lemaire couldn't field four full lines right now.

Not only did Brian Rolston sign with New Jersey, but Aaron Voros went to the Rangers, and Todd Fedoruk signed with Phoenix. Yes, the Wild signed Andrew Brunette and Craig Weller, but look at the roster on the Wild's official website. Ignore the fact that they still have Voros listed.

The forwards on the team right now? Eric Belanger, Derek Boogaard, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Brunette, Marian Gaborik, Mikko Koivu, Mark Parrish, Benoit Pouliot, James Sheppard, Stephane Veilleux, and Weller.

(Bouchard and Veilleux are restricted free agents who are expected back.)

That's eleven players, and if you think Boogaard and Weller are each playing 82 games, you're crazy.

Unless the Wild plan on taking two more minor-league prospects to camp this fall (outside of Sheppard and Pouliot), general manager Doug Risebrough needs to sign (or trade for) at least two more decent forwards. Minnesota doesn't have enough quality players to fill two solid lines as is, and that won't cut it on a team expected to take another step toward a Stanley Cup.

Back in 2003, this goal by Andrew Brunette accomplished a few meaningful things.

• It gave Minnesota their first-ever playoff series win.
• It ended the legendary career of Patrick Roy.
• It cemented Brunette as the kind of player Wild fans would never forget.

After the NHL lockout, Wild general manager Doug Risebrough decided not to re-sign Brunette, who went to Colorado. The thought was that Brunette's lack of speed would hurt him in the "new NHL". Instead, Brunette tallied over 200 points in three years for the Avalanche. Oops.

Today, the 34-year-old Brunette inked a three-year deal with Minnesota, bringing him back to the place he made a name for himself as a pro.

Brunette scored 55 goals in his previous three-year stint with the Wild. Forward Brian Rolston is thought to be as good as gone, so the Wild will probably need more than that out of Brunette this time around.

The Wild also tried to bolster their defensive corps. They acquired Marek Zidlicky from the Nashville Predators in exchange for young forward Ryan Jones and a second-round pick in 2009. Zidlicky is a good offensive defenseman, but he doesn't bring much to the physical side of the game. The Wild are clearly upgrading the blue line with puck-moving players, but it appears they may be falling short of the physical presence they'll eventually need there.

It sounds simple.

Let one veteran forward (Brian Rolston) go. Sign another veteran forward (Andrew Brunette). It sounds simple, and it may be what the Minnesota Wild decide to do when free agency opens up Tuesday.

As Kevin Schultz reported, the Wild have traded Rolston's negotiating rights to Tampa Bay for a conditional pick. Common sense dictates that this is the final step in the process of losing a player who has scored 96 goals for the Wild in the last three years.

Michael Russo notes that the Wild and Brunette seem to have mutual interest in a reunion. There is no secret that Wild general manager Doug Risebrough has a tinge of regret over his decision to let Brunette walk three years ago. Evidently, Brunette has some similar regrets. Well, not exactly the same.

Plus, if Brunette returns, all will be forgiven with his wife, Lorie.

"I don't think she's still gotten over leaving Minnesota," Brunette quipped.

Hey, Risebrough will take it any way he can get it. He needs a presence in front of the net, and he needs a presence in the locker room that can pick up some of the void left by Rolston.

Minnesota Gopher men's hockey coach Don Lucia was not happy when the New York Islanders signed forward Kyle Okposo before his sophomore season was complete. Islanders GM Garth Snow wasn't happy about Lucia not being happy.

"Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program there," Snow told the paper. "They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."

He continued, "[Okposo] just wasn't getting better - bottom line. And to me, that's the frustrating part. We entrusted the coach there to turn him into a better hockey player, and it wasn't happening. We feel more comfortable in him developing right under our watch."

"Whether it was Kyle or another player, until things change in that program we'd probably make the same decision," Snow told the Star-Tribune. "There should be a coach there that looks in the mirror. ... I don't think we'd be at this point if he was being coached properly."

The controversy was a hot topic in Minnesota hockey circles through the Christmas season, as people who love and hate the Gophers opined on Okposo's departure. Minnesota floundered on the ice for a time, but found a way to make the WCHA tournament championship game and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Oh, to be a 21-year-old free agent in the NHL.

Granted, former University of Minnesota star Blake Wheeler can't break the bank when he signs his first NHL contract. His earning power is severely limited by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, to the point where he could have made much more money by signing with Phoenix, who had his draft rights.

As of July 1, Wheeler is free to sign with any NHL team. He's been free to talk to teams since June 1.

Since teams can only offer him so much money, Wheeler can shop his services and find the best fit. He's apparently at work on that. Larry Brooks of the New York Post says he met Wednesday with the New York Rangers, and he also stopped by the Devils facilities for a chat.

Certainly, the Rangers present an interesting potential match, and there will be other earning opportunities readily available for Wheeler in New York City if he can play well. New Jersey's organization has been quite kind to college players as of late, with Zach Parise (North Dakota) and Brian Gionta (Boston College) serving as prime examples.

Meanwhile, Michael Russo reports that Wheeler isn't keen on signing in Minnesota.

"He loves Minnesota and loves living there, but we're looking elsewhere because I think he wants to get a different life experience, explore a different part of the country and grow and mature and experience new things," (agent Matt) Keator said. "The Wild has shown plenty of interest. They've been great."

Hard to argue with that point. I love Minnesota, but there isn't a ton to do or see here compared to other places.

A month ago, we told you that University of Minnesota forward Blake Wheeler had withdrawn from school to turn pro. Wheeler was drafted four years ago in the first round by the Phoenix Coyotes, who had 30 days to sign him.

Those 30 days have come and gone, and Wheeler is still unsigned. Therefore, Wheeler is now an unrestricted free agent.

"We offered Blake a contract which was both commensurate with his draft position and far exceeded any guaranteed contract he can receive, under the current CBA, with any other team. He has decided, however, that becoming a free agent is in his best interest," said (GM Don) Maloney.

"We are very happy with the compensatory pick we will receive for Blake not signing, which will be the fifth pick in the second round. This is a very deep draft and we now have five picks in the first two rounds, which is very exciting."

This is a bit surprising in one way. Why would you let player you drafted fifth overall become a free agent? One possibility is that Wheeler will sign with the Coyotes, anyway. Phoenix gets their player, and they still get the draft pick compensation.

However, the Coyotes also run the high risk here of losing a player they coveted four years ago. Yes, Wheeler had a somewhat disappointing career at Minnesota. His size and skill set, however, should make him a coveted player on the open market.

As Maloney notes, the entry-level contract Phoenix offered him was higher than what he can get as a free agent, as he's now subject to the CBA rules enacted after the lockout. Those rules will restrict the amount of money he can make.

(Memo to Wild GM Doug Risebrough: Sign him. Thank you.)

(Tap of stick: Mirtle)

The incomparable Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports Minnesota Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire has decided to return for another season.

"When you are younger, it's a lot easier to make a decision,'' Lemaire said in a statement released by the team. "At the end of the year, I said I wanted to ask questions of Doug (president and general manager Doug Risebrough). I wanted to make sure my boss is happy with the work I am doing and with the way I manage the team. This is what we talked about in our meetings. I am reassured of my work and I want to coach again. My satisfaction behind the bench is getting the team to play the best it can, individually and as a group. Success will come with that.''

Lemaire is the only coach the Wild have ever had. At age 62, he sounded after the season ended like a man who knows he won't be doing this coaching thing forever, but he didn't sound like a guy ready to hang it up.

Now the work begins. General manager Doug Risebrough may end up retooling the roster, as the Wild have 13 free agents. They had 14, but Petteri Nummelin has already decided to play in Europe.

Such a high number of contract-year players may have led to some selfish play during the regular season, but Russo has noted a couple different times that Lemaire was pleased with the team's effort during their first-round playoff loss to Colorado.

No one is making excuses for Minnesota's poor performance in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They were putrid offensively and average defensively, and lost in six games to Colorado.

One of the major factors in Minnesota's early exit was the struggle their star player went through. Marian Gaborik didn't score a goal and tallied just a single assist in the series, after scoring a franchise-record 42 goals in the regular season.

Gaborik elected not to play in the World Championships for Team Slovakia, citing a hip injury. We learned Friday that he has undergone successful surgery on that hip.

The surgery was to repair a torn labrum and relieve some pressure on Gaborik's hip. The injury will keep him from playing for Slovakia in this month's hockey world championships.

Gaborik, who is entering the final year of his contract, will spend 10 days to two weeks in Colorado and then return to the Twin Cities to continue his rehabilitation, Wild general manager Doug Risebrough said.

Risebrough went on to say that Gaborik had issues with the hip all season, but it didn't affect him during the playoff series. It does make you wonder what the guy can do when both hips are healthy.

This doesn't sound too serious, but when you consider Gaborik's injury history, it does bear watching.

Expectations were higher.

Even after Kurtis Foster was injured and Nick Schultz went under the knife, a first-round exit was simply not going to be tolerated.

Especially like this.

Minnesota lost Saturday to Colorado, 2-1, dropping their first-round series in six games. The Avalanche simply outworked and outhustled Minnesota for most of the series, using their forward depth to wear down Minnesota's depleted defensive corps.

It's the fifth straight year that the Northwest Division champion has failed to get past at least the second round of the playoffs. It's not a stat with a lot of meaning, as two Northwest teams (Calgary and Edmonton) have made the Stanley Cup Finals in that stretch, but it shows that a division title means nothing but lame t-shirts for the fans and pointless banners in the home arena.

The Avalanche await their second-round opponent, while Minnesota tries to find a teetime. The Wild were slightly better during the regular season, but were undone in the playoffs by Colorado goaltender Jose Theodore, who backstopped the Avs to at least two of the four wins they picked up in the series.

(He stole Game One and Game Five for them, while Colorado won the other two games by being the better hockey team.)

This site shows what lies ahead for Minnesota. It's a lot of uncertainty, and possibly the most significant offseason in the short history of the Wild franchise.