Fenton seeking more clarity ahead of Monday's trade deadline

ST. PAUL -- With less than one week remaining before the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday, Wild General Manager Paul Fenton is still in assess mode.
A 1-6-3 stretch since the All-Star break and bye week has left him frustrated in the results, but with the big picture still showing his club as a playoff contender, Fenton may not have a good idea of exactly what his deadline plans are until the very end.
In that regard, there's still some time to decide. The Wild finished up a four-game homestand on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks and has three games remaining before the deadline, with a road trip to New York and Detroit and a home game against St. Louis on Sunday.

What Minnesota does in those three games could have a major impact on how Fenton approaches the deadline.

Could he seek hockey trades in an effort to bolster his team's chances this season? Or could a long-term approach win the day?
"Each individual offer or trade would determine that," Fenton said. "There's going to come something that may come available that gives me a younger guy and there's something that may come available that gives me an older guy and I'll assess each one of them."
Fenton did indicate he's spent plenty of time on his phone in recent days and that he'll listen to anyone who wants to talk.
"We've carried most of the same roster most of the year with a little bit of flavor here but for the most part I'm trying to let them sort this out more than anything," Fenton said. "Am I making phone calls? I'm guaranteeing you I'm making phone calls, receiving phone calls, entertaining phone calls. That's just the seat that I'm sitting in right now."
Last month, Fenton said he would wait for his team to indicate to him which way he would proceed at the deadline. And with less than a week remaining before he charts the immediate course for the franchise, he said he's still waiting.
Ultimately, it's the on-ice performance over the next several days that will hopefully give Fenton a clearer picture of what moves to make next.
"I don't know. I'm trying to be honest with you guys. Right now you're watching the same team I'm watching, you're seeing the same team I'm seeing," Fenton said. "Our level hasn't been great, we haven't won games. If we win some games, it kind of changes the setting here, but I'm letting them dictate it. We can't play, so let's let them do it."
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