[Signing] Wild sign Vanek (3yrs, $6.5mil AAV, NTC)

[kl83]

Good deal for Minny

[Mike F]

Lots of outdoor recreation options in Minnesota, which is evidently what Wild management was concentrating on during the playoffs.

He's not the answer for a team looking to get over the top in the playoffs

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

So how much money did Vanek cost himself by not taking the Islanders contract?

About $30M. But actually not all that much in terms of AAV.

[Stay Golden]

Wild just got better. What a skilled player that likes to get to the front of the net.

[Henry Fool]

Originally Posted by Mike F

Lots of outdoor recreation options in Minnesota, which is evidently what Wild management was concentrating on during the playoffs.

He's not the answer for a team looking to get over the top in the playoffs

Getting into the playoffs is enough of a struggle in the Western Conference. You need skilled guys to get there without grinding yourself to death over the long season.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Wow. The central is easily the toughest division now. Poor, poor Winnipeg (and Nashville), they're gonna get creamed.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Just me, but I think Vanek is pretty much garbage for long stretches. Good for Minny if they can get him to play more consistently, but not a guy I'd want near Calgary.

[Machiavelli]

I agree, KFF. I think this is a bad signing. He checks out far too easily.

[RyZ]

Im not sure that Vanek makes anybody better at this point. If Minn thinks he is going to come in and drive the play and be a star for them they are gonna think differently by the new year.

[Henry Fool]

Originally Posted by RyZ

Im not sure that Vanek makes anybody better at this point. If Minn thinks he is going to come in and drive the play and be a star for them they are gonna think differently by the new year.

They don't expect him to drive the offense. What they did was use Heatley's cap space for someone better.

Vanek-Granlund-Pominville, Parise-Koivu-whoever is a solid top-6. I'd say Parise and Granlund are the ones driving the pace of the offense.

[GreenLantern2814]

Good luck with that, Minny... Term is good. Vanek was embarrassingly bad in Montreal. He looked like he had no interest in playing that late in the year.