The unofficial start of the holiday shopping season means bargain hunting. Retail artists comb the web and the newspaper fliers searching for those one-of-a-kind hidden bargains that might be the perfect fit.

For Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin, the greatest hidden bargain might have been found way, way before anyone was checking names off their holiday gift list.

In the run-up to what most consider an underwhelming foray into free agency last summer, Guerin signed veteran forward Marcus Johansson to a team-friendly one-year contract worth $800,000 last June.

At the time, Johansson was coming off his 15th NHL season, having recorded 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points in 72 games, and his new deal didn’t appear to be a needle-mover. Less than six months later, the same GM w

See Full Page