A Wild Stalemate
by Chris Thompson

Tuesday September 2, 2003

The Minnesota Wild has had a relatively peaceful first three years in the NHL from a labor standpoint. That could all change this month if rapid progress isn't made with young star winger Marian Gaborik. Gaborik's three year rookie contract expired in the off-season and he and Wild GM Doug Risebrough aren't even in the same ballpark on a new deal.

Gaborik is a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, so unless another team makes him an offer, all he can do is sit back and wait for his agent and the Wild to work things out. While Gaborik is a bright young star in the league, any team trying to sign him away from the Wild would have to pay big bucks up front in order to discourage the Wild from matching, and would also need to surrender their next five first round draft picks to the Wild as compensation. A steep price in any year, and one almost certain to not be met as the league prepares for a costly labor fight.

So while Wild fans probably don't have to worry about him leaving the club, they DO have to worry about him showing up. Minnesota has shown a propensity to shy away from big buck contracts and they seem to be hoping for the same with Gaborik. Instead of a large guaranteed deal like his agent wants to get, Minnesota is offering a low-base, incentive-laden deal.

For now, Gaborik is preparing to play some games in his native home of Trencin. The current CBA allows him to play up to nine games there before the start of the NHL regular season. Will he be in Minnesota by then? An offensively challenged Wild club and its fans are hoping so. But only time will tell.