Byline: Michael Russo; Staff Writer
Oh, the rumor mill should be churning at record pace this week.
Between sitting down at the blackjack table, throwing dice at the craps table and maybe taking in a little Cirque du Soleil and Danny Gans, general managers are expected to put the pedal to the metal on trade talks during three days' worth of meetings beginning today in Las Vegas.
Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough, who flew to Sin City from Phoenix on Sunday, expects a number of leaguewide trades this week because the meetings lead right into Friday's Olympic break roster freeze, which lasts until Feb. 28.
'In essence, you're creating two trade deadlines by one trade freeze and then the actual trade deadline [on March 9],' Risebrough said.
Just imagine: This could be the week a trade is consummated during a game of Texas Hold'em. For the record, Risebrough says he won't throw a dime into a slot machine. But Risebrough has been on the phone often lately.
Risebrough has been getting lines such as, 'Let me know if I can help you out,' and 'What the heck you doing with all those free agents?'
'Everybody's asking the same questions,' Risebrough said.
Risebrough's been Mr. Popular because he has nine players who could become unrestricted free agents - goalies Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson, defensemen Willie Mitchell, Filip Kuba, Andrei Zyuzin and Daniel Tjarnqvist and forwards Randy Robitaille, Marc Chouinard and Alexandre Daigle.
The theory is that when contracts to potential free agents have not been extended, teams would prefer to trade those players, to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing over the summer.
'I've said this to a number of general managers: `Just don't assume because these guys are unrestricted that they will not be here,' ' Risebrough said. 'I want some stability for the push at the end, but also to keep the team competitive.'
Risebrough is not worried about waiting to negotiate contracts with his free agents. He said because the Wild solely owns these players' rights until June 15, there's a big enough window after the season. And considering there will be a larger player pool with a smaller team pool because teams close to the salary cap are financially restricted, Risebrough said he'll have plenty of options either to re-sign his players or sign others.
With 11 players either drafted by the Wild or brought in through expansion, Risebrough is proud of that stability. But he said the time has come to 'improve the atmosphere with player transactions,' whether that be via trade by March 9 or free agency the next two summers.
'I still believe stability is a big thing and I believe we have good, young players coming, but I also look at [Brian] Rolston and say, `What an impact he's had on our team,' ' Risebrough said. 'I have to look at players that might leave our organization on their own choice or our choice, and I may have to replace them. Before, we looked internally more. But because we've built the base, I feel it's time we have to look a little more externally.'
Risebrough said there's a chance he will make a move before Friday's freeze. With teams such as Tampa Bay, Vancouver and Colorado in dire need of defensemen, he has been getting several calls about the availability of his blue-liners.
As for the goalies, with the Wild six points out of a playoff spot, it's hard to imagine Risebrough trading Fernandez.
He has told Fernandez's agent that he wants to wait until after the season to negotiate a contract. Roloson's trade value has diminished. A month ago it was thought a team looking for a No. 1 for the playoff drive (Vancouver, Colorado or Edmonton) would have interest. But his 5.25 goals-against average in three starts since Jan. 3 likely means that if teams have interest, it would be contenders in need of a security blanket - a veteran backup.
'Right now, I'm with this team, so I have to do whatever it takes to try and win,' Roloson said. 'If it takes sitting on the bench and cheerleading, that's what it is. In this business, you hear 100 rumors and the 110th one might be true. I'm just waiting and trying to look positive.'
There's also one other interesting scenario. Since there's no guarantee the Wild will be able to re-sign Fernandez after the season, Risebrough said he's considering acquiring a bona fide No. 1 goalie to add to the roster to act as an insurance policy.
'But I've got to realistic,' he said. 'The acquisition of a goaltender would be fairly costly by the deadline. It doesn't mean you don't do it, though.'
Because of the roster freeze, essentially two weeks remain before the trade deadline. The landscape is unclear because so many teams are still alive in tight playoff races.
'Like us, you really can't crystallize what people are doing because they're in the hunt,' Risebrough said. 'Those that have already made deals [St. Louis] are basically those out of the hunt.
'Quite frankly, I don't think that's going to change before [Friday or March 9].'
