ST. PAUL, Minn. _ It took more than half the season, nearly 50 games, but first-year general manager Paul Fenton has finally started to make significant revisions to the Wild.
After acquiring winger Pontus Aberg on Wednesday in a deal with the Ducks, the team traded longtime winger Nino Niederreiter to the Hurricanes Thursday in exchange for center Victor Rask.
Not only do these adjustments come after a patient evaluation process by Fenton, but they also surfaced amid the revelations from that assessment.
And what Fenton has observed is a group stuck in a game of chutes and ladders.
"Right on the bubble," he said. "We've seen fluctuations in the way that we play. We had the stretch in the beginning where we were lights out, and I thought, 'Wow this team is a lot better than we anticipated.' And then we hit a couple of bumps in the road and had a rollercoaster ride a little bit.
"We're looking for consistency. For me, when you make changes like this, it shows players that nothing is forever. It gives them an alert that if they want to be here, they're going to have to play and play the way that we want them to play and be successful."
The Wild reinforced Fenton's interpretation in their first chance to respond to his maneuvering, getting blanked 3-0 by the sputtering Ducks in front of 18,907 at Xcel Energy Center to snap Anaheim's franchise-record 12-game losing streak.
Just two days earlier, the Wild were solid when they rebounded from a pair of deflating losses to two non-playoff teams in the Red Wings and Flyers by pulling out a 3-2 shootout win over the Kings.
Backup goalie Alex Stalock was rewarded for being a catalyst that game with another start, but he was chased from the action after surrendering three goals on eight shots _ including two in 11 seconds.
Only 3 minutes, 57 seconds into the first period, center Adam Henrique sent a shot by Stalock's blocker. On the very next shift, winger Rickard Rakell buried a loose puck after Stalock poke checked it away from center Devin Shore. And at 7:58, winger Brian Gibbons deflected in a point shot.
Devan Dubnyk appeared in relief, finishing with 15 saves. John Gibson had 37 stops for the Ducks.
Neither team converted on the power play, with both going 0-for-4.
The first of two additions, Aberg skated 15:18 in his debut, putting two shots on net. He was targeted by Fenton, who huddled with team brass this week in Florida for scouting meetings, because he's a right shot with scoring potential.
More scoring help could undoubtedly be on Fenton's wish list, as this was the fourth time this season the Wild has been shut out.
But what his overall strategy will be leading up to the Feb.25 trade deadline is unclear.
"I'm going to continue to watch every night and see how we do," Fenton said. "I'm looking at our team and how we play. One day I'm thinking that we have the opportunity to go forward, and one day I'm thinking that it's not that great of a team. So I'm letting the players convince us where they are."
Still, Fenton has watched enough to make his own conclusions.
And he believes the identity of this team is based on maturity and a well-rounded style without any holes _ even if it shows up on the ice only sporadically.
"We play sort of a swarming style that you're just controlling everything, and you're really stubborn to give up chances," he said. "Then other nights you're not. I've seen both, and I continue to assess it. That's the way I have to look at it."
