2012 NHL Trade Deadline: Minnesota Wild More Active Than Expected

The NHL trade deadline deals the Minnesota Wild made to ship off Nick Schultz and Greg Zanon left more questions than answers for Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher.

NHL Trade Deadline: Minnesota Wild Send Greg Zanon To Boston Bruins

The 2012 NHL trade deadline looked like it was going to be a pretty slow one for the Minnesota Wild, but it turned out to be quite the opposite. After trading Nick Schultz away earlier in the day, the Wild sent Greg Zanon to the Boston Bruins for Steve Kampfer right at the 2 p.m. deadline.

Zanon scored just six points and and compiled 14 penalty minutes for the Wild this season, but his value was worth quite a bit more than what showed in the box score. SB Nation Minnesota's Bryan Reynolds broke down what Zanon might be worth in a feature on Monday morning.

Greg Zanon - A gritty, shot blocking, tough, stay-at-home defenseman is something every single playoff team wants at the deadline. He is almost 100% not going to be re-signed this summer, so the Wild could certainly use to get something for him before letting him walk. The Wild have a strong stable of young defenseman, and plenty of guys who are better all around players than Zanon. Once a fan favorite, Zanon has slipped into near scapegoat status. Getting out now may be best for both sides.

What he is worth: After what Chuck Fletcher got for Marek Zidlicky, the return for Zanon could be pretty high. A second round pick seems to be the going rate, and if that is offered, Fletcher should jump.

Instead of a second round pick, the Wild received the 23-year-old Kampfer from the Bruins. Reynolds wrote at Hockey Wilderness that it should turn out to be a good trade.

The Mike Yeo system does not fit with players like Greg Zanon, so getting something for him is a good thing. The Wild trade a one dimensional player for a young player who looks to be still under development, but good turn out to be a solid d-man.

If nothing else, it shouldn't hurt considering it was likely that Zanon was gone next year anyway.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

NHL Trade Deadline: Wild Shake Up Locker Room By Trading Nick Schultz

The NHL trade deadline hasn't been a quiet one for the Minnesota Wild as they longtime defenseman Nick Schultz to the Edmonton Oilers for Bloomington, Minn., native Tom Gilbert. It seems to be a tough trade for fans of the Wild to swallow and might be even more difficult for the locker room in the Xcel Energy Center.

The Oilers announced the trade while the Wild were still practicing, according to the Star Tribune, leaving quite a few players shocked that Schultz had been sent away including Cal Clutterbuck.

"It's shocking," Clutterbuck said, having trouble getting out words. "He's what this organization is all about. Has been for 10 years."

For what it's worth, Schultz seems to be taking the trade in stride despite the fact that he's been in the Wild system since being drafted in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft and played a total of 743 games with the club.

"I hadn't heard anything until Russo brought it up to me last night actually," Schultz said. "It's always a possibility. I've been here a long time. I've been through a lot of times where my name's come up and nothing's happened. Today it happened, so just kind of deal with it.

"It's been fun. This is a great place to play, great fans, great people. I've had great memories here, great guys on the team. It's tough to go. This is all I know."

On the other end of the spectrum, the 29-year-old Gilbert seems downright giddy that he'll be able to return to Minnesota and play with the Wild.

"It's a great thrill for me, and I'm sure my parents are more ecstatic. They probably won't have to watch me on TV as much. I'm sure they're going to get season tickets now. They're pretty happy, too. ... I hope I'm a great fit."

At least he sounds like he'll be more happy to be in Minnesota than Marek Zidlicky, the defenseman the Wild traded away last week. If he's an upgrade will be determined soon enough.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. For more on the NHL in general, head to the SB Nation NHL hub at sbnation.com/NHL.

Minnesota Wild Trade Rumors: Nick Schultz Sent To Oilers For Tom Gilbert

Earlier in the day it looked like defenceman Nick Schultz could be on the trading block for the Minnesota Wild, and those suspicions have been confirmed. The Wild have shipped away their leading games player in franchise history to the Edmonton Oilers for defenceman Tom Gilbert, as reported by the Oilers on Monday.

Gilbert so far this season had 17 points for Edmonton with a minus-4 plus/minus. He's a pretty good shot blocker and can chip in a bit on the offense, stark contrast to Schultz who had only managed to pick up three points all season so far, a single goal and two assists.

With the Wild in trading mode, Josh Harding might be the next guy on the chopping block, as it were. The deadline will hit on Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. For more on the NHL in general, head to the SB Nation NHL hub at sbnation.com/NHL.

NHL Trade Rumors: Deadline Deals The Minnesota Wild Could Make

The Minnesota Wild have assets that playoff teams want, leading to plenty of NHL trade rumors, but the question is how much are they worth?

NHL Trade Rumors 2012: Nick Schultz, Josh Harding Rumored To Be Trade Targets

Only one real move has come from the Minnesota Wild in what has been an altogether bland race to the trade deadline in the NHL. Marek Zidlicky going to the New Jersey Devils wasn't an incredibly high profile move, but there may in fact still be more to come as the Minnesota Wild face the difficult decision to buy or sell as the trade deadline inches closer on Monday.

The Star Tribune's game recap of the Wild's 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks had a particularly juicy rumor snuck into the middle of it, featuring long time Wild staple Nick Schultz as well as goalkeeper Josh Harding.

According to sources, Schultz, the Wild's all-time games played leader with 743, has generated interest in recent days. Also, both the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs have kicked tires about goalie Josh Harding and there is interest in defenseman Greg Zanon.

Harding is currently 9-9-3 with a decent .919 save % for the Wild. Schultz would be a very interesting and perhaps controversial candidate for a trade, the defenseman leads the team in all time games played with 743. Either way, it looks like the Wild will keep themselves in the headlines right up until the last second of the trade deadline day.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. For more on the NHL in general as the deadline looms, head to the SB Nation NHL hub at sbnation.com/NHL.

Minnesota Wild Place Brad Staubitz on Re-Entry Waivers

According to Bob McKenzie at TSN, the Wild have placed forward Brad Staubitz on re-entry waivers. This move is reserved for players being called back up (after being sent down) when they have a one way contract. Staubitz’s carrer as a Wild is likely over, so the move signals another possible move by Chuck Fletcher.

With the trade last night bringing three NHL players back to the Wild, there is not room on the roster for Staubitz, unless Fletcher feels he is a better fit than some of the fill in guys that have been brought up previously.

The timing is interesting, since deadline buyers are often looking for grit and toughness, and Staubitz brings those qualities. Clearing Staubitz through the waiver process makes him more attractive, since the new team would have less risk when making the trade.

It should be noted, that any team could have him for 1/2 his salary cap hit by simply claiming him right now. So, maybe Fletcher is just putting him out there to see if he can find the veteran a home.

The trade deadline is so much fun. Isn’t it?

Marek Zidlicky Trade: Did The Minnesota Wild Get A Steal In Nick Palmieri?

The Minnesota Wild traded away disgruntled defenseman Marek Zidlicky to the New Jersey Devils for three players and a pair of draft picks. SB Nation Minnesota's Bryan Reynolds says Chuck Fletcher may have netted himself a steal.

Minnesota Wild Trade Marek Zidlicky To New Jersey Devils, Bring Back Kurtis Foster And Stephane Veilleux

The rumors had been swirling about Minnesota Wild defenseman Marek Zidlicky for a couple weeks now. It was really just a question of when he would be dealt. That question has been answered on Friday, according to the New Jersey Devils official Twitter:

Zidlicky had been with the Wild since 2008 and has accumulated 123 points during that span. Before Minnesota, Zidlicky spent a few very successful seasons with the Nashville Predators.

The Wild are bringing back Foster, who previously played in Minnesota in 2008-2009, and left wing Veilleux, who spent six seasons in Minnesota before going to the Lightning as a free agent in the summer of 2009.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Wild Talking with Blackhawks?

The trade deadline always brings plenty of rumors and innuendo about teams talking to each other. The Blue Jackets’ Rick Nash has been associated with nearly every team in the league, never mind his no trade clause. Jeff Carter, before being traded to the LA Kings, had been a favorite rumor to start for Wild fans… well, Wild fans that don’t pay very close attention anyway.

It isn’t often that we get pre-deadline information from solid sources that tell us which teams actually are talking to each other. That’s why when the Star Tribune’s Mike Russo mentioned that the Wild and Blackhawks were in discussions, and that the Hawks were looking for a puck moving defenseman and a gritty d-man, we start to pay attention.

With Marek Zidlicky (a puck mover) and Greg Zanon (gritty) both on the block for the Wild, a trade with a team looking for those two additions would be a good match. The question becomes, what could the Wild ask for in return?

Hockey Wilderness asked that question yesterday, and from the discussion, it sounds like the return expected should be picks or prospects. Russo says Zanon could be worth a second round pick, the discussion at HW suggests a mid-round pick would appease the fans. The fans are so put off by Zidlicky, one fan suggests a “condition seventh rounder would be enough.”

You can bet Chuck Fletcher isn’t trading Zidlicky for a seventh round pick. Exhale everyone.

However, the Hawks do have a good stable of young prospects that will soon struggle to crack the lineup with the star studded team they have. Could young guns like Andrew Shaw and Jimmy Haynes really be available? Would Nick Leddy be welcomed back into the Wild family?

Anything is possible at the deadline. If Fletcher could get a top flight prospect or a couple high picks for these two players, fans might just nominate Fletcher for GM of the century.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

NHL Trade Rumors: Would Minnesota Wild Move Goalie Prospect Matt Hackett?

Even though the Minnesota Wild were recently able to snap a too-long losing skid, they aren't looking like they'll be Stanley Cup contenders as they're currently constructed. St. Paul's favorite hockey team could be players off the ice, however, as the NHL trade rumors continue to build as the trade deadline comes closer.

Marek Zidlicky has been included in the majority of the Wild trade rumors to this point, but SB Nation's Hockey Wilderness took a look at some of the other candidates that could be moved if the Wild decide to make an attempt at bolstering their roster. The site looked at the veterans the Wild might be willing to move, but with Zidlicky as the top player listed, it seemed to make more sense to pay attention to possible prospects that might be on their way out.

The most interesting player listed is probably 21-year-old goalie Matt Hackett, currently biding his time with the Houston Aeros. Hockey Wilderness summed Hackett's availability up as such:

Why is he available: The Minnesota Wild have a history of developing goaltenders. There hasn't been a single season without at least one solid goalie: Manny Fernandez, Dwayne Roloson, Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding with Hackett, Darcy Kuemper and Johan Gustafsson all currently developing. Hackett is considered the most NHL-ready out of all of them but Kuemper and Gustafsson each have their own impressive resumes.

What he might be worth: Probably not much alone due to the popular trend of acquiring hot but cheap goaltenders (sounds weird, I know). However, if I had to value him, I would say a 2nd or 3rd round pick. He's talented but again, he's a goaltender and goalies are the hardest to value.

The trade deadline isn't far away, and it doesn't seem like it will be all that exciting, but if a decent prospect is sold and the Wild miss the playoffs? Well, that might get some people excited.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

NHL Trade Rumors: Minnesota Wild Closer To Trading 'Disgrunted' Marek Zidlicky

The Minnesota Wild made Marek Zidlicky a healthy scratch in Thursday night's shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets. It seems that'll be the case going forward, too, at least until the NHL trade rumors currently swirling around the defenseman are turned into an actual transaction.

It seems there might be more to the story than initially planned on, however, as coach Mike Yeo alluded to some other issues with Zidlicky on Thursday night while talking the Star Tribune.

Yeo believes Zidlicky is not "all in" right now. Focus-wise, Yeo said, "I'm making an assumption that his head would not be in the right place to play this game."

"He would have to prove, just like every one of our players, that he's all in to what we want to do, and if you do that, and if you go out and show that night in and night, then absolutely," Yeo said. "Anybody who's here, we will treat them as part of the team. We will use every resource to be at our best every night."

If Yeo doesn't plan on playing Zidlicky, it seems a trade is all but imminent. It probably doesn't help his value, however, knowing that it's the coach -- and not the front office -- holding him out of the lineup.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Minnesota Wild Trade Rumors 2012: Marek Zidlicky Healthy Scratch Thursday

The Minnesota Wild are in an odd position as the NHL trade deadline nears. Most are asking whether or not they're going to go out and target somebody aggressively to save a season that started with so much promise, while the actual news is more about whether or not they're going to trade one of their better players, not because they're in need of moving him for someone else, but because he actively wants to leave the team.

Marek Zidlicky requested a trade at the end of January, and has waived his no-trade clause when it comes to a potential trade with the New Jersey Devils. He's unhappy with his role on the team and it's pretty clear that one way or another, some sort of deal involving him will get done. He and his agent are essentially forcing the team into action, especially given the publicity about the waiving of the no-trade clause.

It has been reported that other teams are interested in Zidlicky, including the Florida Panthers, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. Ultimately, he would have to sign off on any of those teams, as his clause still applies. The Wild have apparently got the memo that Zidlicky doesn't factor into their future plans, and according to the Star Tribune, have made him a scratch for Thursday's game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Zidlicky has been playing well of late, so it's more like they don't want the chemistry messed up with more time on the ice as the rumors grow, and they also don't want to risk devaluing him with injuries. It will be interesting to see if any kind of deal is imminent, given the move. The trade deadline is Feb. 27.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Wild Trade Rumors 2012: Chuck Fletcher Hasn't Asked Marek Zidlicky to Waive No-Trade Clause

News broke this morning that Minnesota Wild defenseman Marek Zidlicky waived his no-trade clause in order to go to the New Jersey Devils. Zidlicky's agent Larry Kelly confirmed the TSN report earlier but Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher, however, is denying that he asked the five-time 40 point defenseman to waive it.

From Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

"I haven't asked Zid to waive his no-trade for any specific trade," Fletcher said by phone this morning. "I haven't called him and said anything's close.

"I can tell you for sure I'm planning on talking to other teams. We haven't traded Zid, we haven't made the decision to trade Zid at this point. I have not formally asked him to do anything because at this point I honestly don't have anything to take to him, I don't have anything for him to say yes or no too."

Fletcher said that's not to mean he won't trade Zidlicky today, tomorrow or by the Feb. 27 trade deadline. But he's not going to get boxed in to one team or necessarily boxed in to trading him by the deadline.

Zidlicky has one year remaining on his 3 year, $12 million contract after the end of the 2012 regular season. Minnesota is currently in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Devils would be the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference if the regular season ended today.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can also go to the SB Nation NHL hub at sbnation.com/NHL.

Wild Trade Rumors 2012: Marek Zidlicky Waives No-Trade Clause For Possible Move To Devils

There hasn't actually been a move yet by the Minnesota Wild, but it looks like there is something brewing on the horizon for blueliner Marek Zidlicky. The 35 year old Czech has waived his no-trade clause with the Wild, with Darren Dreger and TSN both stating that it looks like there is a possible move to the New Jersey Devils in the future.

Of course, as Darren states in his tweet, there is no deal yet and still work to be done but this could be the first of a glut of moves for the Wild if it actually happens. Zidlicky was originally picked up by the Wild via a trade back in 2009 and the offensive defenseman joining the Devils would likely be to help them pile more points in as they push for a playoff position in 2011. Jersey currently sit sixth in the Eastern Conference, while the Wild are languishing down at 12th in the West.

No word is out on what a possible trade would give to the Wild.

Via TSN.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can also go to the SB Nation NHL hub at sbnation.com/NHL.

Wild Trade Rumors 2012: Minnesota Likely To Be Buyers As Trade Deadline Approaches

The Minnesota Wild look poised to be buyers in the NHL before the trade deadline hits on February 27th.