From Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
The Wild gave Gaborik specifics on everything it tried to do, especially this summer and at the deadline. Gaborik knows the Wild went after Marian Hossa because he was involved in the recruitment. The Wild wanted guys like Kristian Huselius and Brendan Morrison, but they chose to go elsewhere. After that it was an under-supplied market.
Risebrough told Gaborik that the Wild went hard after a center at the deadline, especially Olli Jokinen, and I’ve since found out, Mats Sundin. The Wild thought it was going to land Peter Forsberg, and when he chose Colorado, it thought it had Jokinen. But at the last second, Florida decided not to trade him, and like at the Draft in June, the Wild wasn’t going to give up Mikko Koivu or James Sheppard to get him.
Read the entire entry from Russo’s Rants here.
Obviously the Wild is trying to convince Gaborik to stay with the team and has gone to all lengths to get him to eventually sign on the dotted line. But if the convincing is not and enough and if he decides he wants to become a free agent, then the Wild will have quite the predicament to deal with all season long.
