Minnesota Wild GM Paul Fenton on their offseason
Minnesota Wild: Minnesota Wild GM Paul Fenton on the draft: “We are going to get a very good player, doesn’t matter the position…I’m always exploring (on moving up).”
Michael Russo of The Athletic: Teams continue to call Wild GM Paul Fenton about winger Jason Zucker.
Aside from the Pittsburgh Penguins, it’s believed the Wild have spoken with the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames about Zucker.
“I would just say that there are lots of phone calls being made everywhere, and even though Jason Zucker gets mentioned, so does every other player we have that doesn’t have a no-move contract,” Fenton said. “I mean, that’s the God’s honest truth. As we’re sitting here, I’ve had two phone calls in the last five minutes from general managers that are probably doing the same thing — asking what your plans are, what you’re doing going forward.”
The Wild only have one right-handed right winger – Luke Kunin.
Free agent right-handed right wingers include Jordan Eberle and Joe Pavelski.
An ‘upper-echelon center’ could be on their wish list and they hoped to be in Brock Nelson before he re-signed with the NY Islanders.
Fenton still hopes to be able to sign defenseman Jared Spurgeon to a contract extension this offseason.
The Wild don’t have any plans to buy out Victor Rask‘s or J.T. Brown’s contract.
It’s sounding like Pontus Aberg won’t get a qualifying offer and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.