Warning: Long Post Ahead
Kyle Brodziak and a 6th round pick for 4th and 6th Round Selection
Verdict: Win
Analysis: This was the very definition of winning a trade. They took a medium and low asset and moved it for a guy GMCF was comfortable with. Brodziak has been a steady producer for Minnesota and has filled in the top-9 nicely. This is Fletcher moving a future asset (4th/6th) for a short term asset (Brodziak). In this case, it worked out great for Fletcher as the short term asset turned into long term asset that has contributed to the team.
Craig Weller, Alexander Fallstrom and a 2nd Round Pick for Chuck Kobasew
Verdict: Loss
Analysis: Following the Brodziak trade is probably Fletcher's worse (or 2nd worse) trade of all time. Chuck Kobasew made little impact on the team and to make matters worse, he walked at the end of his contract. Fletcher again tried to address short term problems with long term assets. In this case a medium asset (and regardless if Fallstrom makes it or not (and I've heard a lot of positive reviews for Fallstrom)) and a high asset along with a low asset for a top - 9 winger that did nothing for the Wild and was essentially a short term solution.
Benoit Pouiliot for Guillaume Latendresse
Verdict: Draw
Analysis: Pouliot was a major bust for Minnesota. And while we got some value for him Lats really didn't do anything for Minnesota and walked at the end of his contract. This was the quintessential bust for bust to try and see if something work. Neither Minnesota or Montreal got anything back of value.
Kim Johnsson and Nick Leddy for Cam Barker
Verdict: Loss
Analysis: While most chalk this up to Fletcher's worse trade, I don't see it as that. Again it's long term assets with high value for short term problem. I see that Fletcher thought he could turn Barker into Leddy without waiting too long for Leddy to develop. It's just too bad Barker sucks and could never adapt to the new NHL. We had to buy out Barker.
Eric Belanger for a 2nd Round Pick
Verdict: Win
Analysis: Huge win for Minnesota. Belanger didn't want to come back and Minnesota got high value for him. This is the opposite of what Fletcher has done. He got great value for an UFA and something a good team can identify.
5th round Pick for Brad Staubitz
Verdict: Loss
Analysis: Terrible trade. Yes, we traded a low value asset but Staubitz did what exactly here? Fletcher again saw a problem (toughness) and used a long term asset to address a short term need. Staubitz walked at the end of his contract and San Jose actually got a gem of a prospect in Freddie Hamilton. We had to go out and grab Konopka.
Anton Khudobin for Jeff Penner and Mikko Lehtonen
Verdict: Draw
Analysis: Khudobin was never going to make it. With Hackett on his way, Backstrom and Harding firmly entrenched (and healthy), Khudobin was looking more and more like a guy on the move. Not to mention, he had a contract coming up. Boston got a solid backup but Minnesota had really no choice. They didn't get really any value for Khudobin as Penner and Lehtonen never made it. But they didn't lose either because well they at least got something for Khudobin and they needed to move him.
Maxim Noreau for David McIntyre
Verdict: Draw
Analysis: Do I really need to?
Brent Burns and a 2nd Round Pick for Charlie Coyle, Devin Setoguchi and a 1st round pick
Verdict: Draw
Analysis: San Jose got either a budding power forward or a top 3 defenseman. Minnesota got a budding power forward, a notoriously streaky top 6 winger and a 1st round pick. Minnesota got great value from San Jose for a great defenseman and again was opposite of what they normally do, though they had little options with Burns up for a contract the next year and time running out on extending him before the season began. They didn't necessarily win this trade as they created a major hole on defense and Setoguchi continued to regress.
3rd Round Pick for Darroll Powe
Verdict: Loss
Analysis: Medium value used to address a short term need (again toughness) and didn't utilize the guy right. We thought that Powe and Clutterbuck could become the next bash brothers but Powe never really caught on and eventually was traded for Rupp. Powe made little impact to the organization.
Martin Havlat for Dany Heatley
Verdict: Draw
Analysis: Havlat sucked. He was whiny. He was a primadonna and injury prone. The guy injured himself on a shift change. Heatley is a great guy. But he's slow. And his goal scoring isn't there anymore. Plus he has an enormous cap hit when we got him, limiting some options. This was a win-win trade. Minnesota got a great locker room guy and Sharks got a guy with some speed and some offense but very injury prone. Minnesota though took on some short term repercussions from this trade (which they could afford to).
James Sheppard for 3rd Round Pick
Verdict: Win
Analysis: As much as Minnesota fans complain about Sheppard, Minnesota failed him. The fans failed him. The team failed him. Everyone failed him. Now, that's not to say Sheppard didn't have a hand in this. He did. It was just a messy situation all around. The fact we got a 3rd means we won.
Casey Wellman for Erik Christensen + 7th
Verdict: Win
Analysis: Wellman was free, so getting anything back for him was a win. Even a low asset like a 7th round pick.
Marek Zidlicky for Kurtis Foster, Nick Palmieri, Stephanie Veilleux, 2012 2nd round Pick, 2013 Conditional Pick
Verdict: Win
Analysis: This is my favorite trade. Zids was a cancer and was a sore loser. Minnesota got excellent value for him, including 1 high value and 1 medium value asset back. This goes against Fletcher's usual MO but he had to do something with Zids and the fact that we got back some great value makes it better.
Nick Schultz for Tom Gilbert
Verdict: Draw
Analysis: See Havlat/Heatley. We took on a slightly higher cap hit for a different type of defenseman. I know the hip thing to do is hate on Schultz but he was a steady top 4 defenseman for us in this system. He had his value. Gilbert has the same value but at a higher price. It was a good, risky move but we didn't really win or lose with this trade.
Greg Zanon for Steven Kampfer
Verdict: Win
Analysis: See the Belanger trade. Solid value for Zanon, even though I'm not big on Kampfer. He's at least a prospect and has some upside.
Darroll Powe and Nick Palmieri for Mike Rupp
Verdict: Loss
Analysis: Minnesota was in a bind to open up another contract slot, so they had to move someone. Palmieri wanted to leave as well. Rupp might be a good player but his cap hit is a bit higher than Powe's and really the bottom 6? He offers a bit of sandpaper but I don't see him really staying with Minnesota or doing anything. The fact he had a higher cap hit than Powe makes it a loss, even though Rupp made some minimal impact to the organization this year.
Matt Kassian for a 2014 6th Round Pick
Verdict: Win
Analysis: Kassian was on the waiver wire, so getting anything back for him was great.
Chay Genoway for 7th round pick
Verdict: win
Analysis: Same with Genoway.
Matt Hackett, Johan Larsson, 1st Round Pick and 2nd Round Pick for Jason Pomvinille + 4th round pick
Verdict: Loss
Analysis: You know this by now.
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Looking over this, Fletcher has made very minor trades, resulting in a positive impact to the organization, turning in low value assets for future low value assets that have the potential to become high value assets. However, when Fletcher has made major trades, he sacrifices some long term flexibility and assets for short term gains, even if the net value is positive; IE Brodziak and Heatley. Looking at this trades, many of the wins were due to negative impacts to the organization (Burns contract, Zids and Havlat wanting to leave the organization) or when this team decides to dump UFA. However, when Fletcher 'panics' (sorry but there is no other good way of putting it) due to whatever reason (season starting to tank, playoffs on the line), this is when he loses value on his trades.
Going back to my comment about Zucker for Bernier. Looking at some of Fletcher's trades, you can see a pattern emerge and as such I wouldn't be surprise (hence laughing) if Fletcher decides to trade Zucker for Bernier. Why?
1) The market for goaltenders is very inflated as there is no goaltender out there that is a long term starter. Bernier is pretty young as well.
2) With the market inflated, prices will be inflated. Simple economics of supply and demand. The rumors from Philadelphia and New York have ranged from Martin and a 1st to Schenn to Read to whatever. The price is pretty high at this point
3) Minnesota have very little assets to work with, except for an abundance of top 6 wingers.
4) With Poms and Seto already here, Fletcher might see it as a net gain to get rid of Zucker for Bernier, IF that means pushing the team deep into the playoffs.
