MVN - Most Valuable Network

Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Mark Parrish being shopped; why is it not such a bad idea

Normally the offseason is a time where there appears little to talk about once a team has the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup over their heads. While you hope that its your team that has that opportunity if they do not it usually means the news is rather limited to say the least. Yet, that’s not really true as the Wild are in one of the most contentious and wide-speculative offseasons in franchise his history. There is all kinds of news regarding the draft, player transactions and perhaps the most intriguing news of them all, the trade and free-agency rumors. Minnesota typically has been a team that has chosen to make most of its deals around this time of year, and for the most part avoids big transactions during the season. The biggest trades in team history have occurred on draft day where it has used picks to either move up in the draft or for a marquee player like Pavol Demitra back in 2006. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Michael Russo, the Wild are not very likely to make any major splashes on draft day but Wild General Manager and President Doug Risebrough typically stays pretty tight lipped about making such deals.

Russo has reported the team is getting closer to a deal to keep star winger Brian Rolston with the club; which is welcome news to most Wild fans (myself included). The two names that appear to be coming up the most in trade rumors is the diminutive playmaker Pierre-Marc Bouchard and struggling goal-mouth sniper Mark Parrish.

Bouchard is coming off a career-best season but questions have rose over his effectiveness against more physical teams as well as whether his style of game best works for the organization. Yet the main grind with the Sherbrooke, Quebec-native is his status as an Restricted Free Agent. Bouchard has typically opted for 1-year deals and with him just one year away from becoming an Unrestricted Free Agent, the team would like to be able to lock him down to a multi-year contract. If 5′9″ former Chicoutimi Sagueneens star chooses to keep his UFA options open by asking for a 1-year deal the Wild will likely look to trade him instead of being forced to make an agonizing decision at the trade deadline. There has been some interest in the Wild’s 2nd leading scorer from this last season, so he could be a valuable commodity in a trade. Amongst fans; the feelings appeared to be fairly mixed over whether it would be a good deal for the team to trade him. Some fear the team will miss his playmaking ability and have questioned whether his linemate Brian Rolston would be as effective without him there to set him up. Either way, according to Russo, Risebrough has stated he will not really begin discussions until after July 1st.

The State of Hockey News’ take on dealing Bouchard:

I believe the Wild would be prudent to deal the winger if it is clear he only is looking for another 1-year deal. Beyond that, I still think it would be a good trade for the Wild if it can get a quality top 4 defenseman or 1st / 2nd line calibre forward that can step in right away. I would not be in favor of dealing for draft picks as our drafting record does not instill a lot of confidence (even in a deep draft) in getting quality players in return. With just four picks in this year’s draft it might seem strange I am not more open to picks; but unless its in the 1st round were our record has been above average our record is nothing to brag about. Bouchard can work well on a skilled line and has decent vision; but too often he does not shoot the puck and instead tries to force passes that often end up being squandered scoring opportunities. The other benefit would be to clear Bouchard’s rather high potential salary off of the books so the team can have more resources to offer towards Marian Gaborik who is also set to become an Unrestricted Free Agent after the conclusion of next season.

Meanwhile the Wild appear to have more of a problem on what it can do with Mark Parrish; Parrish still has 3 seasons left on his five-year deal at $8.35 million. Parrish has had just 35 goals and 69 points in two seasons for the Wild; and for the most part has underperformed. Making matters worse, during an injury ravaged season the former Bloomington Jefferson star also appeared to be in Wild Head Coach Jacques Lemaire’s doghouse (affectionately known by some fans as ‘Chateau bow-wow’) and was a rather consistent late-season scratch for the team. Russo reported that the ‘Parrish Issue’ is something Doug Risebrough wishes to address with the winger rather soon saying, ” There were circumstances for Mark’s year being the way it was last year,” Risebrough said. “But if players want to be in a certain place and they’re at a certain age, they have to find ways to make adjustments in their game to be a productive player. In Mark’s case, that’s something we have to think about together.”  No player in Wild history has probably been called out as often as Mark Parrish has, and some fans believe he has been treated too harshly.

Parrish’s contract may be prohibitive of a trade but there are other ways to get him off the Wild roster if they feel that is necessary.  They can buy out his contract but the team would be on the hook for 2/3rds of his salary for the next 6 years.  This would not be a desirable situation either making the following scenario far more likely.  The team could place Mark Parrish on waivers and then call him up where he’d likely be taken by another team and the team would be accountable for just half of his salary.
The State of Hockey News’ take on dealing Parrish:

I personally believe it would be best for both Mark Parrish and the Minnesota Wild to part ways.  Since arriving prior to the 2005-06 season he has not been the goal mouth sniper the team or its fans had hoped he would be.  While those expectations may not be fair, the reason the team acquired him was to put the puck in the net and he hasn’t been nearly as productive as he was with the New York Islanders.

The team has primarily used Parrish as a grinding checker and this has not allowed him to camp near the crease and has exposed just how one-dimension he is.  On any team coached by Jacques Lemaire; there is no such thing as a one-dimensional paper and if you are you end up in the doghouse.  Parrish is clearly in the Lemaire doghouse; and the former St. Cloud State star is clearly frustrated.  Local media will more than likely be quick to criticize the team for trading the hometown hero, but its what is best for Parrish’s career which is being wasted on the Wild’s 3rd line.  Unless the team deals Pierre-Marc Bouchard opening up a spot on the 2nd line the team would be best served by moving Parrish.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 14th, 2008 at 5:03 pm and is filed under 2007-08 Trades & Free Agency, Wild Editorials, Wild News & Notes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.