Wild sign 4 players, and Kurtis Foster...MVN article

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The State of Hockey News | MVN - Most Valuable Network » Blog Archive » Wild sign foursome of Foy, Voros, Reitz and Ward; the team also agrees to a 1-year deal with Kurtis Foster

Wild sign foursome of Foy, Voros, Reitz and Ward; the team also agrees to a 1-year deal with Kurtis Foster

By Derek Felska | July 17th, 2007

The Minnesota Wild filled some of the remaining holes in its system when it re-signed Matt Foy, Aaron Voros, Erik Reitz, and Joel Ward to 1-year contracts. It is doubtful any of these players will have more than perhaps a fill-in role for the Wild and most likely serve the team at its American Hockey League affiliate in Houston. For perhaps all of these individuals, this training camp could be their last one (and perhaps with any NHL team) with the Wild unless they demonstrate that they are indispensable. For Reitz and Foy; they have had many chances to demonstrate they should stay but it just hasn’t happened while Voros will be getting his first shot, and Ward will be coming into his 2nd chance where almost made the team a season ago.

Aaron Voros was originally drafted by New Jersey (229th Overall) in 2001. The 6′3″ 178lbs right winger had 22 points in 58 games last season. Voros was brought in near the deadline to help add some toughness and grit to the Aeros last season with just limited success. Hopefully the Vancouver, British Columbia-native can deliver this time around.

Early last season, if the Wild had a ‘human interest story’ it was that of right wing Joel Ward. Joel Ward won over the Wild coaching staff and management with his tremendous work ethic at practice and in the games and came real close to making the team out of training camp. Ward’s hard work was rewarded by a few limited stints with the team where he had just one assist in 11 games with the Wild. There is little question that a player who battled his way into the pro ranks by taking the unusual Canadian College route will not take this chance for granted, and if history is any indicator he could again make it very tough for the Wild coaching staff to dispatch him to Houston.

Matt Foy initially made the team last season where the team hoped he’d be the hard hitting forechecker it has always lacked. Foy’s lack of acceleration often left him a step too late to really be effective, and he had no points to register in 9 games with the Wild last season. Yet, there might be hope for the Oakville, Ontario-native as he returned to Houston and led the team in scoring with 50 points (24 goals) in 62 games. There has always been a hope he’d re-establish the tremendous scoring touch he had in junior playing for Brian Kilrea’s Ottawa 67’s where he had 132 points during his overage season.

The Wild had hoped they had got a late round steal when it drafted Erik Reitz in the 6th round (170th Overall) in 2000. After having a strong junior career at Barrie in the Ontario Hockey League, he struggled mightily since turning pro. He had his best season with the Aeros last year when he had 5 goals, 23 assists and 139 penalty minutes and was a +4 but his chances with the organization seem to be fading. You could say since the team has struggled to find physical blueliners that his inability to fill that role has been all the more unfortunate.

Minnesota re-signs Kurtis Foster to one year deal

The team announced today that they have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with defenseman Kurtis Foster and thus not taking his contract to arbitration as things seemed to be leading towards. Foster battled through injuries and even bad luck (especially when he suffered a broken larynx while sitting on the bench) to have just a mediocre season last year with just 3 goals and 23 points in 57 games. While injuries limited his effectiveness, teams were also more savvy in preventing Foster from being able to let loose with his cannon of a slap shot. The signing of Foster helps solidify the Wild’s last few remaining roster spots as only Nick Schultz and Derek Boogaard remain unsigned.