According to TSN, Blackhawks forward Martin Havlat has reached a verbal agreement to join the Minnesota Wild. No word on terms yet.
Havlat was Chicago's leading scorer last season with 77 points (29 goals, 48 assists) in 81 games.
EN Says: The Wild needed to do something after missing out on Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa and Michael Cammalleri. Havlat was the best offensive forces still available and they got him. He'll fit in well with the organization's new offensive philosphy. He's a very talented player who is a viable first-line forward.
The big concern with him is his health. He's struggled to stay in the lineup due to various ailments throughout his career. The Wild just lost one guy with a shaky injury history in Gaborik and picked up another one in Havlat.
We're curious to see what the money for this deal is like, but on the surface, it makes sense for both parties.
UPDATE: TSN has the deal at six years for $5 million per season. We like that cap hit a lot. That's a fairly affordable price tag for a player who has hovered near a point-per-game average over the past five seasons.
(Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Posted
Jul 01 2009, 10:52 PM
by
Seth Rorabaugh