There are three times of year that makes die hard hockey fans like myself check their computer or tune into TSN as often as they can to see if their team made any transactions.  Those three occasions are the NHL Entry Draft, the NHL trade deadline and the opening of free agency starting July 1st.  With the trade deadline way off in the distance and the NHL Entry draft still in the rearview mirror that leaves the day that sees the most movement of team's rosters each year.

Free agency, a place where teams take advantage of expiring contracts and attempt to fill holes in their lineup and often where you overpay to fix those deficiencies.  Perhaps moreso than ever, the league's 30 franchises are feeling the grip of bad contracts as they still seem to be learning how to operate in a salary cap system.  It seems odd that 5 years after the salary cap was introduced that the league's general managers would not have a better handle on it, especially as the salary ceiling has risen each year.  During the "Lockout" of 2004-05, the salary cap was supposed to provide cost certainty and help promote competitive balance by not allowing for such huge despairities in team salaries.  Yet has that really taken place?  You still have some teams spending right to the cap like Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago while others spend near the salary floor like Atlanta, Nashville and Carolina which was more or less the case before the lockout.  So has it really helped or have the league's GM's steadily gone back to their greedy irresponsible ways and now find themselves in a terrible bind?  With the exception of the trading deadline, the most common place for wheeling and dealing was at the Entry Draft but this year there was only one real trade of significance that involved NHL players in the Keith Ballard deal that sent him along with Victor Oreshkovich to the Vancouver Canucks while the Florida Panthers received Michael Grabner, Steve Bernier and the Canucks 1st pick (25th Overall) in the draft.  Even Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher noted just how unusual that was, as he feverishly tried working the phones on Day 1 but had no takers telling the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "it was strange, because there was a ton of communication but at the end of the day not many deals were made."  This was particularly rough news for the Wild who had hoped to be able to deal some of its uglier contracts for picks to gain a little more flexibility under the salary cap.  Apparently, all of the league's GM's was looking for similar solutions as they attempted to deal away their ugly contracts, but no one wants to trade one problem for another.  No one can expect every GM to be able to find a patsie willing to buy swampland in Florida which is really what these ugly contracts amount to.

Please Click "Read More" to Continue Reading This Article...

It normally is perhaps the most crazy 24 hours for the NHL and the Minnesota Wild.  With wheeling and dealing as the league's 30 General Managers attempt to achieve greater salary flexibility by a series of trades that often dealt troublesome contracts and picks, but at the end of the day not that many deals were done.  The bundle-ing of picks and bad salaries was not tempting to enough GM's for them to pull the trigger on trades but no doubt there were lots and lots of phone calls and all kinds of negotiations going on.  I am going to take a bit different approach then I normally do.  As I drove back home to Minnesota, I was listening to KFAN (AM 1130) on the radio in my car and radio personality Dan Barriero.  While I would never call Dan my favorite KFAN personality he does a decent job most of the time and finds ways to be entertaining and insightful.  During Thursday's broadcast he read an English tennis blog that attempted to describe the mixed feelings of tension and boredom of the 11 hour marathon tennis match between American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut.  The blog itself was hilarious, as he accurately captured those mixed emotions of the match but also just how bizarre and grueling it was for both the players and the spectators who just couldn't stop watching it.  It was pure brilliance and its mix of wit (especially the continual zombie references) and description brought a few chuckles in the midst of a four-hour long car ride.

So I am going to try to recapture the feeling of the 1st round of the 2010 Entry draft up until the point the Wild approached the podium at Staples Center and made their selection.  I hope you enjoy it, and I promise after this prolonged sort of introduction into my feelings as the 1st round unfolded I will go into a more conventional discussion about these draftees (both from Day 1 & 2) potential and just how well I think Wild did overall and player by player.

Please Click "Read More" to Continue Reading This Article...

I think one thing that makes sports special are the stories that are shared.  This is an excerpt from the book Minnesota North Stars: History and Memories with Lou Nanne by author Bob Showers.  "Dino was such a fiesty guy on the ice, and he could incite a crowd no matter where he was" which really was an understatement.  If Dino Ciccarelli was on your team his play and at times his antics would make you cheer, laugh and relish his ability to annoy the other team while also finding ways to light the lamp and often paying a terrible physical price for doing so.  From his debut during the 1981 playoffs, Dino became a hero an establishing a rookie record that was tied for the first time by Philadelphia's Ville Leino with 7 goals and 21 points.

For the last few years, when the NHL had announced who was going to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto I usually ended up angry and frustrated over the ommission of former Minnesota North Stars winger, Dino Ciccarelli who was continually passed over despite having excellent statistics throughout his 20-year career.  Ciccarelli was the only NHL player inducted in a class that included the first two female inductees in American star Cammi Granato and Angela James along with Detroit Red Wings upper management member Jimmy Devellano and the late-owner of the Calgary Flames Daryl (Doc) Seaman.  For Ciccarelli it has been a long wait since he retired from the game after the 1998-99 season.  He has watched class after class since 2003 be enshrined despite having a very deserving career.  A few years ago, ESPN's E.J. Hradek discussed how he felt the Hall of Fame may be calling on the former North Stars sniper as his father was struggling to hold on to life as he hoped to hear his son's name called.  Unfortunately, his father would pass away and but he no doubt would be celebrating at the deserved recognition finally realized for his son.  The statistics speak for themselves.

1,232 NHL Games, 608 goals, 592 assists and 1,200 points

Extremely impressive statistics at nearly a point-per-game rate.  Yet watching NHL Live today, all you could hear was complaining from fans that felt (insert player here) was snubbed.  The most common names mentioned were 1st year eligible players Dave Andreychuk and Joe Nieuwendyk and in all honesty I think they're both very worthy candidates that probably should've been voted in.  I understand their frustration, I know precisely how that feels, as it was becoming a joke that year after year that Ciccarelli was being passed over as his statistics were superior to other current Hall of Fame forwards such as, Dick Duff (1030 NHL games, 283 goals, 289 assists and 572 points), Cam Neely (726 NHL games, 395 goals, 299 assists and 694 points), Glenn Anderson (1,129 NHL games, 498 goals, 601 assists and 1099 points), Clark Gillies (958 NHL games, 319 goals, 378 assists and 697 points), and Pat LaFontaine (865 NHL games, 468 goals, 545 assists and 1013 points).  Dave Andreychuk now stands as the all-time leading goal scorer elligible but not in the Hockey Hall of Fame with 640 goals, 698 assists and 1338 points in 1,639 NHL games and Joe Nieuwendyk who had a more modest set of totals of 564 goals, 562 assists and 1,126 points in 1,257 NHL games.  Another named tossed out there, especially amongst Canadian circles is Eric Lindros (760 NHL games, 372 goals, 493 assists and 865 points) but he is very much in the same category as Cam Neely.  A talented player whose career was shortened by injuries but should that be an automatic mulligan some fans are suggesting?  That to me also ignores a more worthy candidate whose name has been absent throughout most of these conversations in Minnesota-native Phil Housley who has Hall of Fame worthy numbers with 1,495 NHL games, 338 goals, 894 assists, and 1,232 points.  While I think cases can be made, I don't feel completely bad that Andreychuk, Lindros and Nieuwendyk will have to sit out at least one more season before they hear their name.

Yet if you check out the posting over on TSN.ca, 'Canada's Sports Leader' the criticism is not as much about who didn't get in but who did get in along with Ciccarelli in Cammi Granato and Angela James.  In fact most of the comments are quite crude and show a blatent insensitivity over their accomplishments simply because they believe the Hockey Hall of Fame is an NHL-only entity.  Perhaps they'd like to protest the presence of Vladislav Tretiak who had a minimal impact as an NHL'er.  No, because he was so good internationally?  Well so were Cammi Granato and Angela James so why not include them?  Women play hockey and while they do not have an NHL to play in, they certainly deserve recognition in comparison to their fellow female athletes.  Why shouldn't they have a place in the Hall of Fame too?  Its not the NHL's sole domain as E.J. Hradek pointed out to a disgruntled caller on NHL Live today.  While it may sound like sacriledge to suggest this but one could say much the same about Herb Brooks' NHL contributions yet no one would dare take the league to task for it because he's a hockey legend just as Tretiak is.  However they're male and that prevents the sexist bigots from chiming in.  What those bigots patently forget is just how many female hockey fans there are and how many of them felt inspired by the NHL as kids.  Now, these female players like Angela James and Cammi Granato now inspire thousands of girls to play the game.  And let's face it, the sport needs it.  The number of boys playing the game has seen a steady decrease, while female participation continues to climb.  Many of these girls that play are die hard NHL fans, and I would say amongst major professional sports that women enjoy hockey in the greatest proportion of the overall NHL fanbase.  Perhaps in that respect James' and Granato should've been inducted as builders but they built their influence through their achievements as a player.

One person that is also deserved of consideration is long-time NHL coach Pat Burns.  Burns, the St. Henri, Quebec-native is a 3-time Jack Adams Award winner with three different Original Six teams; Montreal, Toronto and Boston.  He also helped lead the New Jersey Devils to a Stanley Cup title in 2002-03.  Burns stepped away from his coaching duties after developing cancer, but still is employed with New Jersey an used for special assignments such as scouting from time to time.  His impressive 501-350-175 record certainly merits inclusion into the Hall of Fame.  Sadly, his cancer returned in 2009 and he decided to pass on more treatments of chemotherapy and has mentioned he may not have all that long to live.  Yes, very bleak and sad I think he should've been included in this Hall of Fame class of 2010.

I better start by saying I enjoy hockey fights.  As a kid I liked watching fighters like Bob Probert, Tiger Williams, and Dave Semenko throw down.  I loved the movie Slap Shot and while the violence on the ice was a bit over the top at times, I appreciate the role that enforcers play at the professional level.  There is something to be said for a member of a team to willfully go over the boards to challenge the other team's toughest guy as a way to prevent further liberties from being taken on your skill players.  It is a difficult and punishing job not only to the face but also to the fists as they often have to weather a few painfully tough jabs to the hard plastic of a players' helmet before you can start doing the real damage.  The courage, that some think its pointless and or foolish quickly endears these tough guys to the fans.  Nothing draws the ire of the fans more than the coward who turtles or who refuses to defend themselves and that was also portrayed in the movie.  It is precisely why not a lot of fans have much respect for Matt Cooke who loves to be cheap but seldom pays the price when challenged to drop the gloves (unless it is an inexperienced skill player doing the challenging).  Goons, enforcers, tough guys whatever you wish to call them do still play a role in the game whether you believe their importance is vanishing or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aB5TXbXqW8

Boogaard vs. the Ducks (2007 Playoffs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0PfKSTR2g

Boogaard vs. Todd Fedoruk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHBkOsJJ3ZQ

Boogaard vs. Brian McGrattan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy8X6Bx4vuM

Boogaard vs. Wade Brookbank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2fFhY1Qm3U

Boogaard vs. Trevor Gillies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erK0ANuaK-o

Boogaard vs. George Parros

These clips from YouTube explains it all for most Wild fans.  The crowd chanting "Boo-gaard, Boo-gaard," as it hoped to see the team's chief enforcer Derek Boogaard enact a level of physical revenge against the Anaheim in Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in 2007 after the Ducks' Brad May sucker punched Kim Johnsson.  Boogaard had no takers in the very next shifts of the game, but that really what became a signature of his last few seasons.  After a highlight filled 2005-06 where Boogaard put on a clinic of how to obliterate most of the league's tough guys the challenges have become far more seldom.  Perhaps no fight sent fear throughout the league as much as the Todd Fedoruk fight late in the same season.  After Boogaard answered an earlier challenge by Shane O'Brien where the youngster quickly realized he had bitten off more than he could chew, Fedoruk decided to restore his team's honor and found out the hard way why you want to avoid dropping the gloves with #24.  Boogaard responded to Fedoruk's challenge by shattering his orbital bone, and requiring him to endure a painful surgery that gave him two metal plates in his face.

The message was sent, this was an enforcer who could literally endanger a player's career with a single bone shattering punch.  Luckily for Fedoruk he was able to revise his role enforcer into a grinding winger but not too many players can make such a conversion.  Since the Fedoruk massacre, few fighters have been willing to drop the gloves with Boogaard.  Even amongst the league's other top heavyweights, like Georges Laraques most wanted to simply grapple rather than attempt to trade punches.  With the amount of fights decreasing with each season, the influence Boogaard could have in a game was diminished.  While the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-native worked very hard to improve his skating since the team drafted him in the 7th round, 202nd Overall in 2001 his inability to provide much more than toughness steadily made him a salary cap issue.  This last season, Boogaard fought just four times and at a salary of $1.25 million, that means the Wild paid him $312,500 per fight.  It is not entirely his fault, but many teams have rid themselves of the enforcer role which means most nights Boogaard has no one to fight and no non-enforcer wishes to drop the gloves with an experienced pugilist like the Boogeyman.  One dubious statistic haunted Boogaard, as he continues to hold the longest active goal-less streak at 222 games and counting.  With the post-lockout NHL attempting to rid itself of clutching and grabbing which became prevalant in the 'dead puck era' the role of the enforcer has steadily been reduced and players who provide toughness must also be able to be an effective skater and help provide at least a token level of offense.

For these reasons listed above, this is why the Wild are moving in a different direction by trading a 5th round pick in this year's draft to the San Jose Sharks for rugged right winger Brad Staubitz.  Staubitz, at 6'1" 210lbs is not nearly the physically imposing presence as Boogaard but at a salary near the league minimum he is far more of a bargain.  In addition, Staubitz can play a regular shift and even chip in a minimum level of offense as evidenced by his very modest totals of 3 goals and 6 points in 47 games.  The Edmonton, Alberta-native can drop the gloves but is not a proven heavyweight like Boogaard but the Wild obviously liked the cheaper salary and versatility Staubitz provides.

Yet there are some uncertainties from this change of direction.  While Boogaard's fight totals had dropped steadily, what cannot be fully counted is the fact teams seldom took liberties' with Wild players with him in the lineup.  The Edmonton Oilers' Zach Stortini took full advantage of Boogaard's absence late in the season, but will Staubitz be enough to prevent him from taking advantage of the Wild's smaller players?  Who knows how many possible injuries, cheap hits were prevented by teams wary of facing retribution from the league's most feared fighter as voted by the players according to a poll done by the Hockey News.  The Oilers, who were ravaged by Boogaard who injured multiple players in the 2008-09 season with big hits will probably be quite happy to see Boogaard depart.  Boogaard faced criticism from some Wild fans who felt he was a complete waste of a roster spot but what they often ignored was the amount of penalties he was also able to draw from teams who tried to retaliate to the hits he freely dished out.  Teams felt compelled to watch where he was on the ice because they knew he did not hesitate to throw his 250+lbs frame around.  These are the intangible elements to the game that are very difficult to fully appreciate or tabulate.

While Staubitz may be cheaper, if teams take liberties and hurt Minnesota players because they do not fear his wrath then the savings in salary may be quickly offset by having to call up minor leaguers to fill spots eating up precious cap space.  Without question, Boogaard's status as a fan favorite will make it a tough pill to swallow for many Wild fans who proudly wear #24 Boogaard sweaters to each game.  I have no doubt some fans will be quite angry with the organization over what will seem like a "penny pinching" move.  Like it or not, there are lots of fans who love hockey fights above all else, with perhaps the lone exception of goals.  Yet not all fans will be angry, and some will even say good riddance to a player they loved to criticize for his lack of hockey skill and felt his 'fists' did offset his limitations and inability to be used on a regular shift.  Staubitz may fit the direction the Wild are going in better than Boogaard but do you want to risk losing the league's top fighter?  It all depends on what you value more.  As I said Staubitz will fight and you can judge for yourself his skills as a pugilist in the links below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-AQVRND3Hc

Staubitz vs. Jordin Tootoo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU_raII1Jsk

Staubitz vs. Jared Boll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GavALE-fb1

Staubitz vs. Zach Stortini

"I've long since retired, my son's moved away, I called him up just the other day, I said I'd like to see you if you don't mind, he said I'd love to, if I can find the time, you see the new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu, but its sure been nice talkin' to you, dad, its sure been nice talkin' to you."  These are the lyrics of the classic folk song, "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin.  The song does a terrific job of showing the life cycle of families, and how fast things really can come full circle.  Perhaps its only fitting that today is Father's Day that we talk about another full circle moment.   It has been the long patient wait of a young man's entire life.  It is something that has been dreamed about, something that has consumed their waking thoughts countless times.  This is a moment that quite literally will change their lives.  Considering its a little past mid-June some may think I am talking about graduation.  That certainly has life changing rammifications as graduates begin the next chapter of their lives.  A new school (i.e. college, tech school), the military or a job could take them all across the country meeting new people along the way.

Yet for the best young 18-year old hockey players they await a different sort of 'graduation', the NHL Entry Draft.  The culmination of all those extra practices, trips to the rink early in the morning or late at night, the summer days spent at hockey camp or just the thousands of miles racked up traveling to hockey tournaments seemingly every weekend in between.  Those sacrifices for both player and especially their parents who felt the 'pain' by giving up countless amount of hours to get their sons to and from practice as well as shelling out thousands of dollars in hockey gear, cringing everytime they watched their son shatter a composite stick.  With no offense to the hockey mom's out there who often endure just as much as fathers do (more often than not more than the dad's) in the course of a son's hockey career but for some fathers it is a chance to see their hockey lives come full circle.  For a rare few, those of former NHL'ers it is the chance to see their own son's drafted into the league.  This year will likely have a few NHL alums see their kids get selected like former Minnesota North Stars defenseman Mark Tinordi and his NHL hopeful son Jerred (Tinordi) or Jeff Beukeboom and his hopeful child Brock (Beukeboom).  Or to add a Minnesota tangent to this, two young NHL hopefuls Nick Bjugstad (and his uncle, former NHL'er Scott Bjugstad) and Tyler Pitlick (and his uncle, former NHL'er Lance Pitlick) they too can see that NHL tradition stay in the family, albeit the extended form.  Yet for most parents they'll simply be happy to hear their son's name and excited at the prospect their child is one step closer to a professional hockey career.  Being drafted certainly does not guarantee a contract, let alone a life in pro hockey.  Skills, strength and talent must continue to be honed for that to happen.  However, how many people can say they were drafted by a professional sporting league of any kind, let alone the NHL.

For some, the allure of being drafted is something they would even try to fake as was the case in 2001, when a former Junior Varsity player at Apple Valley claimed to have been drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes.  The story even made it onto KARE 11 News, with an interview with the lucky (and very surprised) draftee only to find out later it never happened at the station issued an apology the next night.  Most parents of potential NHL draftees won't have to worry about their kid being fooled by some huckster. Some confident youngsters may decide to fly down Los Angeles to hear their name spoken over the PA system at Staples Center while others will opt to have their own draft parties and wait either near a TV watching the coverage on NHL Network or in front of their home computer screen as was the case with Christian Hanson in 2005 as documented in a draft insider special shown on the network.  In the aforementioned Hanson story, he felt the disappointment of not being selected.  You may know of Christian Hanson's father, Dave Hanson (St. Paul, MN-native) who was one of the 'Hanson Brothers' from the cult classic film Slap Shot.  Yet the story did not end in complete disappointment as over the next four years Hanson continued to develop his skills and add muscle to his 6'4" frame to being signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs.  So yes, for some hockey players there is a possibility to make the NHL even if you are undrafted.  The Minnesota Wild signed 3 college free agents this spring in California-native Casey Wellman, Fridley's Jarod Palmer, Elk River's Nate Prosser are other examples of this.   Prosser even got his 'cup of coffee' in the the NHL by playing in the last 3 games of this season despite going undrafted.  Virtually any given year the Stanley Cup features players that were never drafted, as was the case this year with the Chicago Blackhawks and Kris Versteeg.  So the dream does not necessarily have to die, it all depends on what a kid does with their next few years in college hockey. 

While it is no secret that Minnesota has a long-standing tradition of developing talent for the NHL, this year's draft class will be no different.  There is a good chance that at least two players who played in this spring's state tournament will be drafted in the 1st round.  These lucky young men will join such state tournament 1st round luminaries such as Erik Johnson, Blake Wheeler, Nick Leddy, Ryan McDonagh, and T.J. Oshie just to name a few.  For other players, they may not have been originally from Minnesota, they came to the State of Hockey to perfect their game at the hockey factory that is Shattuck-St.Mary's in Fairbault.  That expands the list 1st rounders with Minnesota connections to such famous names as Sidney Crosby, 2010 Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Toews, Angelo Esposito and Zac Parise.  While Wild fans will hope their their team has a tremendous draft, the presence of so many young players either from the state or developed in the state gives us plenty to be proud of on draft day on June 25th-26th.

So here is your list of kids with Minnesota connections most likely to have a chance to be selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. All of these are the final rankings by the NHL's Central Scouting Service.

#8 - Emerson Etem ~ Medicine Hat Tigers (former Shattuck-St. Mary's player)

#9 - Derek Forbort ~ U.S. National Development Program (Duluth, MN)

#13 - Nick Bjugstad ~ Blaine HS (Blaine, MN)

#18 - Tyler Pitlick ~ Minnesota State-Mankato (Lino Lakes, MN)

#25 - Brock Nelson ~ Warroad HS (Warroad, MN)

#37 - Mark Alt ~ Cretin Derham Hall HS (St. Paul, MN)

#47 - Justin Holl ~ Minnetonka HS (Minnetonka, MN)

#49 - Max Gardiner ~ Minnetonka HS (Minnetonka, MN)

#54 - Joe Basaraba ~ Shattuck-St. Mary's

#56 - Justin Faulk ~ U.S. National Development Program (South St. Paul, MN)

#81 - Jason Clark ~ Shattuck-St. Mary's

#104 - Max Gaede ~ Woodbury HS (Woodbury, MN)

#109 - Caleb Herbert ~ Bloomington Jefferson HS (Bloomington, MN)

#118 - Joe Faust ~ Bloomington Jefferson HS (Bloomington, MN)

#145 - Brett Stern ~ Centennial HS (Lino Lakes, MN)

#165 - James Mullin ~ Shattuck-St. Mary's

#166 - Christian Isackson ~ St. Thomas Academy (St. Paul, MN)

#182 - Chris Casto ~ Hill Murray HS (Maplewood, MN)

#187 - Tyson Fulton ~ Breck HS (New Hope, MN)

#198 - Garrett Hendrickson ~ Virginia/Mt. Iron-Buhl HS (Virginia, MN)

#200 - James Polk ~ Shattuck-St. Mary's

#205 - Andrew Prochno ~ Minnetonka HS (Minnetonka, MN)

#6G - Zane Gothberg ~ Thief River Falls HS (Thief River Falls, MN)

The stories are starting to heat up across the NHL as it moves along towards the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1st.  Yesterday, the NHL world was shocked to hear that the Montreal Canadiens traded its playoff hero, and apparent #1 goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues for young talented prospects in talented Danish-born forward Lars Eller and big rugged forward Ian Schultz.  There has been widespread speculation that the draft may see a huge swath of trades, but will the Wild be apart of them?  Or will it sit back and stay out of the player and pick swapping melee?  If you ask Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher, the answer is likely the Wild will get involved.  Fletcher recently told the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Michael Russo the team sees trades as the answer to its salary cap conundrum that leaves it woefully short on flexibility to add the key components it needs.  Looking at the list of free agents, this is not a great year to add help, especially at forward where the are precious few skilled forwards meaning their price will likely be prohibitively high.  Fletcher recognizes this, and feels trades are the one avenue the team will have to utilize.  The Wild need to acquire another Top 6 forward and perhaps the team's most attractive commodity is defenseman Brent Burns.  After discussing this issue with many Wild fans, the overall consensus is this would be a bad thing, but Fletcher conferred that the team would consider moving anybody if its the right trade.  As the old hockey saying goes, "if Wayne Gretzky could be traded, anyone can be," which is compelling since the team is going to try to sign its star franchise forward and team captain Mikko Koivu to a long-term contract extension.  While there are other contracts whom the Wild and its fans would rather see come off the books, if few are interested in what that player brings to the table, deals cannot be made.  This is why Burns seems like a likely candidate to be moved since his level of skill would be something other teams may be willing to part with a Top 6 forward for.  Fletcher stated, "we have players in our organization that that are of interest to other teams.  It is always a question of the right fit and if we could get one or two pieces in our forward group, we have a chance to have three pretty good lines."  One other player the Wild have been shopping for quite a while now is backup goaltender, and restricted free agent Josh Harding (who was tendered a qualifying offer) but it looks to be a tough sell with 12 notable free agent goaltenders on the market.  Names like Marty Turco, Michael Leighton, Martin Biron, Chris Mason and Tomas Vokoun who was amongst the top 5 in save percentage last season are just a small portion of this list that would make Harding's availability not as big of a deal.  I would not be surprised at all if the team kept Harding on another one-year deal and hoped he'd fetch more at 2010-11 trade deadline.

Fletcher even suggested he'd be open to trading the team's 9th Overall selection for the right 22-23 year old young player the team could then enjoy 8-10 years of production.  Yet he said it has to be the right deal for the team.  Players mentioned that the Wild are interested in is Philadelphia's Jeff Carter, and Florida's Stephen Weiss and Nathan Horton as well as Chicago's Patrick Sharp.  While I think its good to be open minded about such trades I hope he also sticks to his guns about not dealing the pick for a mediocre return.  A top 10 pick should be considered a huge opportunity to improve the team by drafting an impact player.  I am not expecting that player to make that impact next season but he should be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.  The Wild also tendered qualifying offers to restricted free agents Anton Khudobin, Elk River-native Nate Prosser, bruising left winger Matt Kassian and prized scoring winger Guillaume Latendresse but one player sort of stands out in contract given to James Sheppard.  Sheppard, the team's 9th Overall pick in 2006 had a horrendous season last year scoring just 2 goals and 6 points in 64 games has now been re-signed in a one-year $803,000 deal.  My question is why?  There are players the Wild could easily acquire for the league minimum who would fit better than Sheppard into Minnesota's system and likely be more productive as well.  This is clearly Sheppard's last shot with the Wild and could very well be his last NHL shot as well and it will be interesting to see if the team keeps him up with the team for the whole season or relegates him to the minors.  Either way Sheppard has done little to earn his spot with the club and apparently the Wild feels he deserves one last chance.  I hope I'm wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if he fails once again to live to his billing as big potential power forward.

The Wild also chose not to renew the offers to defenseman Jamie Fraser and former 4th round pick (122nd Overall) in 2006 Morten Madsen.  So another Wild prospect bites the dust and Minnesota will again have its work cut out for themselves at the draft.

Mike Ramsey steps down as Wild assistant coach, Yeo named Aeros bench boss

While I mentioned the Halak trade as something that surprised many in the hockey world, in the State of Hockey the big shocker was the news that long-time Wild assistant coach an local hockey hero Mike Ramsey decided to resign.  Ramsey told Wild.com's Kevin Falness that he wanted to spend more time with his family especially since he has 3 kids in high school but even this did not ease the feeling of shock.  Perhaps no one seems to be as surprised as Wild Head Coach Todd Richards who said he was "taken completely off guard by it" noted that Ramsey himself felt it was time for a change and that he never really felt quite as comfortable as being apart of the staff.  Richards tried his best to explain it this way, "He didn't feel completely comfortable or settled, it was almost like a 10-year marriage to Jacques Lemaire, he was used to a certain way of doing things, and somebody comes in and its different, and he never felt truly settled or comfortable."  It is interesting that Todd Richards can be caught so unaware like this since you think you'd develop your closest bond with your fellow coaches.  As a coach myself you become very close with your fellow coaching peers, and often deep friendships are created and you often can tell when someone is going to move on to something else.  It seems strange that something like this could catch him so off guard and makes you wonder what else Richards is apparently unaware of.  With Ramsey's departure, is the last vestige of the inaugural Wild organization goes with it.  Being a key component of an organization that has compiled a 331-291-116 record over 9 seasons is no small feat and most Wild fans appreciated his candor and greatly respected his part of the state's hockey history as a former member of the Gophers and the 1980 Olympic team as well as an NHL veteran of over 1,000 games.  'Rammer' as he was known by the players always seemed rather cerebral and was important in helping shape the games of Minnesota's blueliners like Nick Schultz and Brent Burns.

No matter what it means Chuck Fletcher and Todd Richards will have to get together and find a new assistant coach.  One coach that immediately comes to mind is Richards' former mentor Claude Noel who was recently dismissed from the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Noel, a coach who has a very strong minor league resume seemed to try to step away from being considered a potential candidate by saying that he is more focused on becoming a head coach and saying that he may have to return to the AHL to do just that.  One other name that has been brought up by both Wild fans and Michael Russo was former Wild player and former assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Wes Walz.  Walz, a player who is tremendously popular amongst Wild fans has also been given a fair amount of credit for helping the development of Steven Stamkos emerge as one of the league's elite scorers last season.  Without question, during the formative years of the organization, no player typified what the Wild represented more than Wes Walz.  A hard working, unselfish NHL journeyman who took full advantage of his 2nd chance at the NHL he seemed to thrive under the tuteledge of Jacques Lemaire.  Walz retired and then moved on as an assistant coach under Barry Melrose.  When Melrose was fired less than 20 games into the 2008-09 season, Walz was retained and quickly earned the respect of new bench boss Rick Tocchet.  Under the impatient and volatile ownership of Len Barrie and Oren Koules first Walz and then Tocchet was sent packing after the Lightning underachieved.  Walz was later offered the head coaching job of Lightning's AHL affiliate in Norfolk but he bawked on the opportunity saying he wanted to be closer to his family which had now moved to Florida at the time.  So would Walz be willing to be an assistant coach again, that remains to be seen.  The Wild no doubt realizes it would get a bit of a PR boost by signing Walz as an assistant coach.  This will certainly be a story to monitor in the weeks to come and we'll do our best to keep you up to date.

I must admit, I too was a bit surprised Ramsey didn't decide to leave last year.  With Jacques and Mario Tremblay moving on I figured Ramsey would likely step down.  He was a great coach and good link to Minnesota's past.  I know how it feels to have the head coaching situation change.  It is certainly a time of anxiety going from the routine of what you know very well to the uncertain and unknown.  Sometimes it can be great, but other times it can truly erode your want to coach.  You have to be able to completely buy in to the philosophy of your head coach to be an effective assistant, and apparently Mike Ramsey did not feel that way and decided to take his chance to move out.  You have to respect that he knows what works for him.

In that same realm the Wild had another major coaching announcement when it tabbed Mike Yeo to be the new Head Coach of the Houston Aeros.  Yeo's most recent gig was as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins since the 2006-07 season.  The Wild was not happy with the fact the Aeros missed the playoffs, thus depriving the team's prospects a valuable opportunity to develop in high pressure games.  Yeo used to play for the Aeros when they were apart of the International Hockey League, playing from 1993-94 to 1998-99 where he was a gritty left winger who could provide offense.  Minnesota no doubt hopes his experience with the Penguins will help turn Houston into a consistently winning organization that can be a good proving ground for the Wild's prospects.

With the exception of the tragedy of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the main topic on your local and national news is that of the economy.  In any community you can see evidence of the recession whether it's home foreclosures or businesses closing up shop.  Local school districts have had to make crucial cuts in their budgets, which usually include the layoffs of teachers and support staff.  Regardless of which demographic of the socio-economic spectrum you find yourself in, you have found yourself making cuts in your budget.  For most of us however, we reconsider taking trips, going out for dinner, and consider purchasing the store brands at our supermarkets.

So while you and I are tightening our proverbial belts, the phrase "economic downturn" doesn't seem to exist in the world of professional sports.  New arenas and stadiums are popping up in Dallas, Newark, Pittsburgh, and yes, Minneapolis.  In my homestate of Minnesota, taxpayers have had to pony up for three (two if you don't count the new football stadium at the University of Minnesota) new sports facilities in just over ten years.  Supporters of such building projects claim that they create jobs, especially in the hard hit construction industry.  While they do create jobs, the construction ones are short term.  And the worse part, is that the very people who build these shrines to sports or those that end up working in them (ushers, concessions, etc) are the very people who can't afford to take their families out for a game.

The Minnesota Wild are not exempt from this nasty trend.  They have repeatedly raised ticket prices.  In fact when most teams either froze or lowered ticket prices after the lockout ended, the Wild were one of a handful of teams that had the gall to actually raise ticket prices.  Not only did they raise their ticket prices, but they counted the year of the lockout as a year in a multi-year price freeze for season ticket holders.  Friends of mine, who started out owning their own season ticket packages back in 2000, are now either having to split the cost with multiple other parties or have had to give them up completely.  When former team owner Bob Naegle, Jr. announced that he was selling the team, many hoped the continual price increases would slow down.  However, current owner Craig Leipold has done little to stem that trend.  Prices continue to rise, yet many argue that there's little reward to be seen on the ice.

The Wild recently demonstrated just how out of touch they are with their fanbase.  With the 2010 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, many of us were curious to see what the organization would put together for their fans to celebrate.  Many NHL teams host an official function for the draft, because it's unrealistic for most of us to travel to the host city.  Sometimes it's a small event at a local sports bar or a larger event hosted at their respective arenas.  The latter variety are usually done by teams with the first overall pick, especially when there are highly touted prospects to be selected.  While the Wild have the ninth overall pick, this would have been the perfect draft for the Wild to host an official party at Xcel Energy Center.  Why, you ask?  The Wild will be hosting the 2011 Entry Draft, and it would have been a perfect way to drum up some additional excitement for that event.  Fans would have gladly paid $10, which proceeds going to charity.  The Wild cannot even claim a scheduling conflict, as there is nothing scheduled for Xcel Energy Center for June 25th.

Demonstrating just how out of touch the Wild are, they are hosting a draft party at an upscale restaurant called Aperitif in suburban Woodbury.  I didn't even need to look them up to know what kind of place it is, because it's name and location said it all.  For the sake of amusement and to see if I was going to attend, I figured I better check out the menu for myself.  A bowl of soup costs $6 and the cheapest entree is $17.  Prices like that remind me of the Miller High Life commercials with the delivery guy who says "Ten dollars for a hamburger.  Y'all must be crazy."  One friend of mine wondered what the waitstaff were going to do when he showed up wearing a hockey jersey instead of a polo and khakis or shirt and tie.  The placement of a hockey draft party at a place such of this reminds me of the scene in The Blues Brothers where Jake and Elwood go to Chez Paul.

It's not like this is the only place in Woodbury where such a party could be held.  There are sports bars in Woodbury.  What's even worse though, is that Wild radio personality, Tom Reid owns a hockey bar just down the street from Xcel Energy Center.  While it might be smaller than Aperitif, it certainly has a better atmosphere for such an event.  If location size is an issue, I'm sure they could have found a larger sports bar.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather drink cheap beer and eat a burger and fries at a draft event.  Last I looked the words "wine-bar" and "hockey" don't exactly go hand in hand.  I don't want to eat a Sicilian veal meatball sandwich that cost me more than it should.  Personally, I'd love to interview the person (or persons) who chose this location.

So, if you're looking for a Twin Cities locale to watch the draft and have real hockey talk with fans, we'll be at Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub located at 258 West 7th in St. Paul.  Unlike the official party, we won't have any celebrities or prizes (although we were tempted to purchase the NHL toaster that the guys on NHL Live demonstrated on air yesterday).  We won't have the supposed phone interviews Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher.  Of course the true benefit of joining our unofficial get together is that we won't have to deal with the presence of the highly unnecessary mascot, Nordy (or his orange mullet).

It's up to you.  We all decide where we spend our money.  And I choose not to spend mine at a yuppie wine-bar to watch the draft.