Is the Sabres’ Thomas Vanek headed to the Minnesota Wild in the offseason?

The Minnesota Wild are once again a franchise on the rise, after the moves they made in the offseason. Actually, the Wild have a chance to go deep in the Stanley Cup playoffs, based on these recent moves.

Wild GM Chuck Fletcher went out and picked up Jason Pominville at the trade deadline and the newly acquired forward is now playing on the top line with Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. Recent news stories around the Internet are starting to suggest that the Minnesota Wild could be a destination for Vanek during the offseason.

Michael Russo of the Star and Tribune is suggesting that Wild forward Dany Heatley might be heading for the scrap heap of history as well, as an amnesty buyout. The Minnesota Wild are beginning to look like a who’s who from the WCHA, which would even make the Wild more exciting to the home town fans.

Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal – So the Buffalo Sabres off-loaded captain Jason Pominville, one of their three core players, to the Minnesota Wild one year before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

What about goalie Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek, the Sabres’ best natural scorer? They’re out the door, too, probably this summer.

Miller, who frankly hasn’t been the same goalie since his stellar work at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, which coincided with his Vezina Trophy-winning season, wants to join a team closer to where his actress wife Noureen DeWolf is working — namely Los Angeles.

Vanek has made no secret that he’s not up for a rebuild.

Trading him will be easier because there are more teams in the hunt for his services. Minnesota might jump in for him, too.

He lives in Minnesota, where he attended college, in the summer.

I know it’s early, but I wonder if there was a way for the Wild to pick up the Sabres forward Drew Stafford as well? I might be getting ahead of myself. I just can’t seem to hide my giddiness.