The prospect of adding Thomas Vanek to the Wild is appealing on many levels. Vanek adds a veteran presence to a young team that, at times, lacks awareness. This team has trouble playing 60 minutes a game. Vanek is a proven grinder, he plays hard every minute on the ice and is great at possession play. Bottom line Vanek would fit in very well on our second line with Koivu centering and Coyle on the other wing.
Hold on a second! Koivu on the second line? My short answer is absolutely. Grandlund, Pominville, and Parise play too well together to split up. Koivu, Coyle, and Vanek bring depth to the roster and create a mismatch for any second line they will face. Also you have to consider Mike Yeo. Yeo is a notorious line juggler. If Koivu stars on the second line, chances are he will still play a good chunk of minutes with Parise and Pominville.
What will it take to get Vanek before play resumes in March?
The Islanders got slapped in the face. The "bet it all", So to speak. The Islanders gave up a lot to get Vanek, including a (conditional) first round pick in the upcoming draft. The Islanders will most certainly be looking to require some of what they lost. The negotiator in me says offer up a 2nd round pick and hope they take a player like Heatley to clear up some cap space. Unfortunately mightier men than I are negotiating and dumping a player like Heatley is easier said than done. One way or another, if we want Vanek come time for Lord Stanley's Cup, we need to give up something big. This is not something I see Chuck Fletcher doing.
The Wild will test the waters, but in the end I don't think we will see Vanek in a Wild Jersey until the 2014-2015 season.
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