The Wild are hoping that Eric Staal, their biggest free agent acquisition on Friday, can buck the recent trend of offensive players struggling upon arriving in Minnesota, writes Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune. Russo notes that GM Chuck Fletcher hasn’t been shy in adding big name players since he took over in 2009 but there have been more misses than hits out of that group.
While Fletcher hopes that Staal will be able to give the offense a boost, he acknowledges that young players such as Mikael Granlund and Charlie Coyle will need to take another step forward in order to help take the Wild to the next level.
Fletcher also noted that the trade market is also quite active, telling Russo that “I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to more managers more often than I have the past few weeks.”
More from the Central Division:
- Still with the Wild, pending RFA Jordan Schroeder is expected to file for arbitration by Tuesday’s deadline, Russo tweets. Schroeder had two goals and two assists in 24 games with Minnesota last season.
- Winnipeg prospect Jack Roslovic intends to return to college for his sophomore season, reports Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. Roslovic’s junior rights were traded to OHL London a couple of weeks ago at the draft, fueling speculation that he would forego his college eligibility to join the Knights instead. Roslovic was a first round pick of the Jets (25th overall) in 2015.
- Last season, the Blues considered trading for David Perron before he wound up being dealt to Anaheim, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Perron’s success with the Ducks only added to the Blues’ interest in bringing back their former first rounder and they were quickly able to come to terms on Friday on a two year deal. While there was concern when St. Louis traded Perron away three years ago that he couldn’t fit in Ken Hitchcock’s system, the veteran bench boss played a key role in getting a deal done as he encouraged GM Doug Armstrong to bring him back to the fold.