The Wild's Marek Zidlick has represented the Czech Republic in the Olympics. ( Jim Mone/AP)
The Marek Zidlicky saga with the Wild continues and all signs point to his days in Minnesota being numbered. The latest talk is that he was asked to waive his no-trade clause to be dealt to the New Jersey Devils, but Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher said those talks are “premature.”
Zidlicky, an aging offensive defenseman, has fallen out of favor fast with new Wild and ex-Aeros coach Mike Yeo. Yeo has the Wild playing a grinding game, and Zidlicky’s style has clashed with that, which has found him in the press box as a healthy scratch. The 35-year-old Zidlicky was a healthy scratch four straight games between Jan. 21 and Feb. 2. In 39 games this season, Zidlicky has no goals, 13 assists and a minus-7 rating.
“We want people that want to go to war for each other, that’s for sure,” Yeo said to the Star Tribune.”It’s us against them, and by them, I mean everybody. It’s our group. We have to believe in ourselves, and we have to play for each other, we have to stick together and we have to want to fight through this together. So we need everybody all in for that.”
Yeo would not specify if that included Zidlicky was ” all in” for that.
So, what are the Wild’s options if they don’t trade Zidlicky? Well, he could continue to rot in the press box and eat up cap space. Zidlicky makes $4 million a year (with one more year left to go on his contract), and they could sure use that cap flexibility to try to lure Minnesota boy and one of the prized crops of the upcoming summer free agency in Zach Parise.
The Wild could place Zidlicky on waivers and if no team claims him, he could be an Aero. If he refuses assignment to the AHL, his contract could be voided. Zidlicky wouldn’t be the first high-paid defenseman to be buried in the minors (see Wade Redden and Mike Commodore).
Zidlicky was selected 176th overall, in the sixth round of the 2001 draft by the New York Rangers. Zidlicky and the Rangers couldn’t agree to contract terms since Zidlicky wanted a one-way contract that would pay him the same amount of money regardless of whether he was playing in the NHL or the AHL. He was traded to the Nashville Predators were he established himself as one of the top point-getting defenseman in the league. His highest total came in the 2003-4 season when he posted 53 points on 14 goals and 39 assists.
