By Bryan Reynolds -
Bringing in a young defenseman, who may have some puck moving abilities, could make the organization a better place to be. Steven Kampfer is a prospect, in need of development. Greg Zanon is an aging defenseman with an expiring contract and on his way out of St. Paul.
Hard to lose this one.
Who Goes
What does Zanon's departure do to the Minnesota Wild? In short? Not much. The gritty, Chuck Norris like d-man the fans once fell in love with was non-existent this season. Sure, he was still blocking shots, but that seemed to be where it all ended. He wouldn't protect teammates, he refused to talk to media (save for when he performed well), and often skated away from scrums.
Not to trash the guy, but it certainly seemed he did not want to be here. Perhaps a new start with a new team, one fighting for something other than pride, will do him some good.
Who Arrives
Kampfer adds to a stable full of young defensemen. Word is that he is a puck mover, which gives a bit of insight to what Fletcher was trying to accomplish today. He needs some work, and he isn't going to come straight to the Wild and be a star, but it sounds as though with some time, he could be pretty good.
He missed the playoffs last season with an injury, and so missed out on the Cup run, but he was a part of the season that got them there, so he has some experience winning. Without going too in depth, and ruing our "Let's Meet" segment on him for tomorrow, Kampfer looks to be a welcome addition to the organization, and a solid return for a UFA d-man.
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