Fletcher Sees Trades as Avenue to Improve

Subject: Fletcher Sees Trades as Avenue to Improve Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:14 am

From the Strib...

Fletcher sees trades as avenue to improve

A weak free-agent market means the Wild GM will have to wheel and deal to fill needs, and that might mean moving a top defenseman.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune
Last update: June 17, 2010 - 10:26 PM

Chuck Fletcher has scoured the free-agent forward list and says this is not the summer for the Wild to buy its way out of problems.

His preference is the trade route, and the Wild general manager is getting good use out of his unlimited-minute cell phone plan heading into next Friday's and Saturday's NHL entry draft in Los Angeles.

Fletcher has been having a half-dozen trade discussions a day, and he has contemplating everything from trading a defenseman such as Brent Burns for forward help to dealing backup goalie Josh Harding to even moving his first-round draft pick if the price is right.

"If there's an opportunity via the trade route to improve our team, I'm pretty sure we will find those opportunities," Fletcher said.

The Wild is looking for a top-six forward, most notably a quality center to play behind captain Mikko Koivu. Fletcher said the biggest area of depth to deal from is the blue line.

Defenseman Marek Zidlicky has a no-trade clause, and the Wild is not looking to deal gritty and, as importantly, affordable Greg Zanon.

That leaves the Wild's trio of $3-plus million defensemen -- Burns, Nick Schultz and Cam Barker, and prospect Tyler Cuma. And since the Wild will try hard to extend Koivu's contract this summer, the one asset that might be able to secure that long-coveted center is Burns.

"But it's certainly not my first choice. We'll just have to see. There's a lot of ideas teams throw at you all the time, but I'm not just focused on that," Fletcher said of the potential star defenseman. "We have players in our organization that are of interest to other teams. It's always a question of finding the right fit, and if we could get one or two pieces in to our forward group, we have a chance to have three pretty good lines.

"But I like Brent Burns. I like our defense. ... But we would consider moving anybody if it's the right trade."

Fletcher has been shopping goalie Josh Harding. But there are a dozen goalies available this summer, and only Philadelphia and Tampa Bay definitely need goalies and maybe San Jose, depending on whether Evgeni Nabokov is re-signed. Fletcher had offered Harding to St. Louis, but the Blues traded for Montreal's Jaroslav Halak on Thursday.

"If something makes sense, obviously we'll look at it for Josh's benefit and ours, but for whatever reason, if the opportunity doesn't present itself, we wouldn't be disappointed having Josh Harding as part of a pretty good potential 1-2 tandem with Nik [Backstrom]," Fletcher said.

Fletcher also added he wouldn't be averse to trading the ninth overall pick.

"I could definitely see a situation where we would trade that pick. I can't see us doing it for a 32-year-old, but if there's a 22-, 23-year-old player that we can conceivably have for eight to 10 years of quality production, I think you have to look at it," Fletcher said. "We're not shopping it, but we would absolutely look at any move that would make our team better."

There are trades that could be made this moment. But Fletcher doesn't want to jump at just anything to appease frustrated fans.

With limited space and a team not exactly swimming in assets, Fletcher won't "force something." Once he makes a move for a player of significant dollars, it could take the Wild out of something else that pops up next week or later this summer.

"We have to make solid decisions," Fletcher said.

And, the Wild has interest in several centers, from Chicago's Patrick Sharp to Philadelphia's Jeff Carter to Florida's Stephen Weiss. Florida winger Nathan Horton also might be of interest.

The problem Fletcher admits he's running into is the Wild is coming off two consecutive non-playoff years, and nobody had a career year last season.

"So a lot of players in my opinion are undervalued right now," Fletcher said.

If he's not getting full value, Fletcher said he refuses to sell low, meaning if the Wild can't find long-term solutions now via trade, Fletcher very well could look for shorter-term solutions in free agency.

"Maybe the long-term solution happens 12 months from now. You just don't know," he said. "If it's there, we'll certainly be ready to make a move. But we can't force if it's not the right thing to do."

Posts : 373 Join date : 2009-09-22

In other words:

"I want to dump all of the Lemaire-style players, but Todd Richards fucked up their value."

Posts : 1218 Join date : 2009-09-22

Lol you really didlike him sqare

Harding our 2nd burns to phi for

Carter van reimsdyk

Sounds about even

Subject: Re: Fletcher Sees Trades as Avenue to Improve Fri Jun 18, 2010 11:58 pm

SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD HE A PA PA PA PA POWER TRADE IDEA!

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