The Wild could make a “splash” this week with a trade, a hockey source told Sports Headliners. “I think they (the Wild) are really open to trading anybody except Mikko Koivu,” the source said.
General manager Chuck Fletcher and his staff are in pursuit of goal scorers in the draft and via other teams. The NHL Entry Draft starts Friday and continues on Saturday in St. Paul. NHL free agency begins July 1.
There is already excitement in the organization over wild prospect and goal scorer Mikael Granlund. The Finnish player might join the Wild next season, but more likely for 2012-13. “He’s considered the best potential goal scorer the Wild have had since Marian Gaborik,” the source said.
Fletcher is starting his third season as general manager and the franchise hasn’t participated in the playoffs for three straight years. No doubt Fletcher and team owner Craig Leipold consider next season a priority year for the organization and one that needs to excite the fan base.
Fletcher signed former Houston Aeros coach Mike Yeo to coach the Wild last week after much speculation that Craig MacTavish would become the franchise’s third head coach. MacTavish might have reduced his standing with Fletcher by interviewing for the Winnipeg position while the Wild was seeking a coach.
It’s also believed that MacTavish wanted a salary of better than $1 million per year. That compensation would place MacTavish in the top one-third of highest paid coaches in the NHL.
Yeo’s salary is likely in the $400,000 to $500,000 range per season and similar compensation to what fired coach Todd Richards earned. It’s likely that Yeo’s less expensive salary was a factor in not hiring MacTavish, but not the only reason.