The NHL Trade deadline was Monday afternoon and there was a lot of speculation as to what the Minnesota Wild would do.
Would the Wild add another wing that can score? Would they find a center to replace Mikko Koivu who is out with a broken finger? Who they try to get something for one of the unrestricted free agents on the roster?
When it was all said and done the Wild made only a minor trade sending Goaltender Anton Khudobin to Boston in exchange for Defenseman Jeff Penner & Forward Mikko Lehtonen.
I had a chance to read message boards & blogs in the last 24 hours & Wild fans are not happy with the lack of action at the trade deadline.
To that I say Let's calm down, it's way too early to panic.
Yeah it would have been nice if the Wild could have added a top six forward at the deadline but fans need to remember that to get something you have to give up something.
Any top six forward would have cost them an impact player from the roster & either a prospect of draft pick.
The Wild are a scrappy team with only a few impact players on their roster. There was no way they were going to trade a player like Brent Burns while they are in the middle of a playoff race.
And let's not forget that when GM Chuck Fletcher took over the cupboard wasn't filled with talent at the lower level. Fletcher doesn't have the luxury of trading prospects & draft picks when the minor league system is being restocked. Especially when most of the names rumored to be available at the deadline are upcoming free agents.
Other fans have said the Wild should have traded one of their upcoming free agents so they don't lose them for nothing.
One thing fans need to realize is that you never lose a free agent without getting anything in return. If you can't get a player or draft pick in return for a player you can always get cap space that you can use down the road to reshape your roster.
Plus look how the Wild have played so far in 2011. The Wild have gone 16-9-1 since January 1st and have put themselves back in the middle of the playoff race. A lot of that is due to the players in the room. I think the players on the roster have earned the right to finish what they have started. There is good chemistry in the locker room & there is no need to tinker with it as long as things are working.
I think fans need to remember that most people expected the Wild to miss the playoffs. While they aren't guaranteed to make the playoffs the fact they are in the playoff race should thrill people. As Philadelphia & Montreal showed us last year all you have to do is get in and then anything can happen.
I know some fans think that Minnesota would be better off losing the rest of their games to get a better draft pick. I have never agreed with that strategy.
The draft is a crapshoot. You never know how any player is going to turn out when they are picked. A perfect example is Cam Barker. Chicago picked him 3rd overall in 2004 after Alex Ovechkin & Evgeni Malkin. Looking back on that draft I'm not sure Barker would go in the 3rd round let alone 3rd overall.
All you have to do is look at Minnesota's previous draft history. The last 1st round pick to have an impact is Brent Burns who was picked in 2003.
The fans need to let Fletcher do what he was hired to do & rebuild the roster. An unexpected playoff run shouldn't change the plan.
My advice to Wild fans is to sit back, enjoy the next 19 games, & let's just see what happens.
I'll be back on Monday with the latest Power Poll & my thoughts on how each team did at the deadline.
Until then thanks for reading & enjoy the hockey.
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