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Vanek ‘no longer a given’ to sign in Minnesota

Montreal Canadiens v New York Rangers - Game Six

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 29: Thomas Vanek #20 of the Montreal Canadiens and Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers battle for position during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final in the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 29, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Now that the offseason is upon us, it’s time to start speculating on where key free agents could wind up. Perhaps the biggest name to be had this summer is Montreal Canadiens forward Thomas Vanek.

While it’s been expected he’ll wind up signing with the Minnesota Wild, that may not be so certain now.

Michael Russo of The Star Tribune says the Wild may be a bit leery of Vanek because of what it might cost to bring him in and because of his disappointing postseason in Montreal.

From Russo:

There is a “price point” the Wild is willing to reach for certain players. Thomas Vanek is no longer a given. Four or five months ago, I think it was a given. But the bright future that many of the kids provide the Wild coupled with Vanek’s tough postseason with Montreal has changed things.

Vanek is going to get paid no matter what this summer. His playoff performance aside (five goals, 10 points in 17 games) he’s been a consistent point producer throughout his career and is a two-time 40+ goal scorer. This season he had 27 goals and 68 points while playing for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, and Canadiens.

Doing that kind of work gets you noticed but so does not getting it done when your team needs you most in the postseason. With the salary cap likely to jump up to over $70 million, he’s going to get paid but finding the right situation will be tricky.

If a team can work him in the way the Los Angeles Kings did with Marian Gaborik that’d make for an ideal fit. That might not be the case in Minnesota.

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