NHL minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild had quite the busy day in free agency on Wednesday, signing shot-blocker Greg Zanon from the Nashville Predators, and swapping one oft-injured, yet supremely talented forward (Marian Gaborik) for another oft-injured, yet supremely talented forward (Martin Havlat). There was also a report from Michael Russo of the Star Tribune that the team was working on a deal with Saku Koivu.

Havlat, 28, signed a six-year, $30 million deal in Minnesota late Wednesday night, and followed it up by voicing his displeasure with the negotiating process in Chicago ... via Twitter.

When Marian Gaborik turned down a ten-year, $78 million offer from the Wild last summer, it was clearly not just about the money.

After all, a $7.8 million annual average was about as much as he could possibly hope to earn, especially if he got a ten-year deal. Instead, this was about a fresh start for Gaborik. That fresh start will happen in New York, after Gaborik agreed to a five-year deal with the Rangers Wednesday evening.

It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We continue our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Northwest Division.

It appears we are setting up for an offseason of significant change in the Northwest Division. Only the Vancouver Canucks will have the same coach as last year, and there could be some real upheaval in terms of personnel. Not only that, but two teams (Minnesota and Colorado) have changed general managers.

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Change has come to the Minnesota Wild.

A new general manager -- Chuck Fletcher -- has arrived. Among the things he wants to do is up the tempo of play. No longer will this team be chided for playing a low-tempo, trapping, "boring" style of hockey.

The overhaul appears to be complete, as reports have Fletcher settled on his new coach.

A crucial offseason, possibly the most significant in franchise history, is underway for the Minnesota Wild. Head coach Jacques Lemaire and general manager Doug Risebrough, the only people to ever hold those positions for the Wild, are both gone.

The process of finding a new general manager took precedent for owner Craig Leipold, and he made sure to take his time and get things right. After a series of interviews, and a list of candidates that included high-profile broadcaster Pierre McGuire, Leipold has settled on a front-office veteran with a track record of helping build winning teams.

When the Minnesota Wild fired longtime general manager Doug Risebrough April 16, it was obvious that the team was about to embark on the most significant offseason in its almost decade-long history. Relatively new owner Craig Leipold made it clear that the standard of mediocrity on the ice was not going to be allowed to stand.

In searching for a new person to lead the franchise, Leipold appears to have reached out to a great variance of candidates. The list of finalists reported by Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is quite intriguing, as is word of a Tuesday interview with one of the candidates.

Aside from helping lead his team to the postseason for the first time in franchise history, Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason has an opportunity to take home some serious hardware at the NHL's award ceremony in June. After being named as one of the finalists for the Calder Trophy as the top rookie, the 20-year-old Mason is also a nominee for the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. Joining Mason as finalists are Boston's Tim Thomas and Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom.

According to John McGourty of NHL.com, the only players to win both the Calder and Vezina in the same season are Tom Barrasso, Ed Belfour, Tony Esposito and Frankie Brimsek.

In 2000, I had a chance to interview Doug Risebrough on a radio show I hosted in Duluth, Minn. It was an interesting conversation, and it was a bit of an education. Frankly, I didn't know a lot about hockey then, and I certainly didn't know a thing about building an expansion franchise from the ground up.

Nearly nine years later, Risebrough finds himself unemployed, fired as Minnesota Wild president and general manager by club owner Craig Leipold. While I was shocked by the move, it was one that I knew needed to happen. Given multiple chances at redemption, Risebrough could only destroy his chance of returning.

The Minnesota Wild are about to embark upon the most significant offseason in franchise history. After the resignation of head coach Jacques Lemaire Saturday, the Wild were left to search for a replacement for the franchise's only coach.

Now, they have to search for his boss, too. Wild owner Craig Leipold has fired the only general manager the franchise has ever known, Doug Risebrough. Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune was the first to report the move, citing "two outside NHL sources" in his report.

Speculation had been floating around for a while. A year ago, Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire decided to return, but only after consulting with general manager Doug Risebrough. He admitted he wanted Risebrough to tell him he could still coach, and it was an odd type of reassurance for a coach of Lemaire's stature to seek.

After the Wild closed out their season with a 6-3 win over Columbus Saturday, Lemaire announced he was stepping down as Wild coach.