Wild Trade Powe For Rupp

In a swap of fourth line players today, the Wild sent F Darroll Powe to the New York Rangers in exchange for F Mike Rupp. F Nick Palmieri was also sent to the Rangers in the deal too.

Rupp, 33, has been around the league a bit, playing for 5 different teams (NJ, PHO, CBJ, PIT, NYR) before being acquired by Minnesota today.

Rupp is a big guy, standing at 6'6" and 243 lbs, and gives them a physical presence this team sorely needs. As Russo mentioned today, he has been in 78 career fights. He also is a Stanley Cup winner, with the Devils in 02-03.

The Wild are taking on slightly more salary with Rupp than Powe. Rupp is owed $1.5M this year and next year, whereas Powe was due to make $1.066M this year and next year. Obviously not a huge cap hit, but when you are as close to the ceiling as the Wild are, every dollar counts.

Since there are many videos of Rupp fighting, here is a Rupp goal video

A message is being sent to this team. Play well, or you can hit the road. Devin Setoguchi may not be far behind Powe on his way out the door. But look for this to maybe jump start this lifeless team starting tonight in Phoenix.

The Zidlicky Soap Opera Ends

Minutes prior to Saturday night's game against Dallas, defenseman Marek Zidlicky was pulled from the lineup. Not to long afterward, the entire world found out Zidlicky was finally shipped out to New Jersey. In exchange for 'Z', the Wild received D Kurtis Foster, F Stephane Veilleux (Both former Wild players), F Nick Palmieri, a 2012 2nd round pick, and a conditional 2013 3rd round pick (The pick hinges on whether or not the Devils make it to the Eastern Finals and Zidlicky plays in 75% of those playoff games).

This move needed to happen. The Wild needed to dump Zidlicky. He had been a cancer to the team, since asking to be traded on January 31st, and his play during that time sure didn't help him or the team whatsoever. Zidlicky had been a great offensive defenseman (5 times in his career he topped the 40 point mark in a season), but he lacked effort and often clashed with coach Mike Yeo. And Yeo showed no mercy towards his highest paid defenseman, when he wound up scratching him more frequently as of late.

Meanwhile, the team gets a couple of well respected players on and off the ice(Foster and Veilleux) and a decent prospect (Palmieri). As Russo points out, Foster (4 G, 10 A, 14 P in 37 G) and Palmieri (4-3-7 in 29 G) will for sure be in the lineup sunday against the Sharks at Xcel Energy Center, and Veilleux will be headed to Houston, but look for him up with the Wild soon. Clearly the move will help bolster the atmosphere in a very dead locker room. Oh and don't forget, the team got two (2012 2nd round, and a conditional 2013 3rd round) draft picks, which will help beef up an already stellar farm system.

The drama surrounding Marek Zidlicky has come to an end. He got his wish and was shipped out of town, and the Wild got a very decent haul for his services for not only this year, but the following season as well (He is under contract for $4 million in 2012-13). If you are Chuck Fletcher right now, you have to be giving yourself a pat on the back. You took advantage of a weak trade market for D-Men three days before the trade deadline, and traded an almost useless player on a fading team to a contending team for a ridiculous return (Even if Foster and Veilleux, both UFA's on July 1st, don't return in 2012-13, the Wild still have Palmieri and the draft picks).

Now lets put all this behind us and hope Fletcher can swing a similar deal for Greg Zanon and his expiring contract at season's end too...