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I kinda liked the compete level and team we iced last playoffs. Didnt see a lot of weak.

When Bert is playing I think it really changes the team. People really under rate his creativity and playmaking. I'm not sure what Sammy will bring if he is healthy this year. Doesn't sound like he is doing that well from what I've been reading.

Looks like the Wings moved east in the nick of time. Preds are forcing Hawks fans to buy a ticket to a non-Hawks game if they want to see the Hawks play in Nashville. Seems to me this is going to backfire on them. Looks like revenue sharing and Wings and Hawks fans being the only reason that team has lasted this long isn't enough for them. It also seems to me that this is going to have a very negative effect on the local businesses as well. Is it me or is this a "What the hell are they thinking" move?

Yep, and then use magic to free up three roster spots. Perhaps we could send Samuelsson to Azkaban?

One other option the Wings have if they're really desperate is to send Nyquist & DeKeyser down to GR. Between going with 6 d-men though & not having DeKeyser in the line-up, I think we would see the first ever time that a single coach in the NHL went on strike.

If only Bertuzzi could be transported via time machine to 10 years ago. Exactly the type of player we need on this team.

He's an old man and has been injured before. It was a poor move at the time, not just hindsight being 20/20. Signing Cleary would be a similar mistake. We need to purge these old-timers and let the kids play.

Hmmmmm...interesting Thanks for the info!

You most definitely re-sign Nyquist.... Now, without Brunner and Cleary you still have 16 forwards and are at least $1.5M over the cap... The clear choice is dump Samuelsson somehow (that would solve the cap issue but not the roster one.) You would still have 15 forwards, you would still need to trade someone. With the thinking that Helm will be healthy and ready to go, this is what I do: Choice #1: Get rid of Sammy (either LTIR or waive or buyout....something) then trade Emmerton for a pick... Choice #2: (if Sammy cannot be moved) You trade Eaves for a pick or future's (He and Miller are the same player.) Then (here is where it's gets creative for me!) Trade Emmerton, Quincey and Monster to the Island for Visnovsky and a pick. You call up Coreau to back up Howard. You dump your two forwards, an overpaid defenseman (who is not worth his contract) and a useless backup to dump $7.0M roughly in salary, then you acquire that legit 2nd pairing defenseman and bring up a solid, YOUNGER, backup who will have to split time with Mrazek and probably Patterson down there anyhow...thus adding roughly $5.7M in salary, giving you $1.3M in cap space... ...of course, even if you could dump Sammy on LTIR, I still like the trade. Hell, I'd make that trade even if Sammy and Bert were LTIR! Quincey is not worth his salary, he is a UFA next summer, he won't take a paycut and no way will Holland pay him more than $4M! Trade him now and get something in return for him! Monster did nothing to prove he was a good backup last season and Emmerton is expendable with Helm healthy. edit: ugh....after re-reading my post, I forgot about the -$1.5M in cap space I started with, so even with the trade, I am still $200,000 in the hole....come on Kenny, get that brain working! I am spent.

Holland's said a few times that Nyquist *will* be re-signed. Don't worry about that. I'd rather not take Cleary again because there's no roster space and it'd negatively impact the development of Tatar/Nyquist by pushing them back in the depth chart. Unload Eaves (bummer but there's no room) and Tootoo right off the bat. Emmerton will have to stick around until they know for sure that Helm's back is fine. For the record-- I think it sucks that they'd have to say goodbye to Eaves because Sammy can't be unloaded. I'd rather have Eaves for his versatility, aptitude at playing on the checking line and comparatively young age. Bert is worth keeping around for another year because the Wings need the size and he's helpful in the shoot-out if nothing else

To be fair, it does look like Kenny's plan all along was in essence to pay Sammy 1 2/3rds seasons of salary to play for 1 year & then do a compliance buyout. If not for Sammy's "injury" blocking the buyout, he would be gone already.

Less about getting anything back than clearing up space for better options on the roster. That's again why I think that the Wings will end up having to retain some salary to potentially move someone like Tootoo. Doubt teams could sign a Morrow or Cleary cheaper than trading a 7th rounder for Tootoo when the Wings are still paying a chunk of his salary. One other option they have is to send Nyquist back down to GR but if they do, he'll have to be there for the season. From what I remember, he has all of two games left in the NHL before his waiver exemption expires. I seriously doubt though that Kenny would do that. And as far as sending vets to the minors, I do recall that's more than likely where Draper & Maltby would have ended up if they hadn't called it quits & moved into the front office. They where both offered a "come to camp to try to play your way on the roster" contract by Kenny with the thought they would end up being player/mentors in GR if they didn't make it. Both obviously chose retirement instead. The problem in doing that with Sammy or Bert now, well other than the fact that they're already under contract, is that the Wings would only get cap relief of $100k per if they're sent to the minors.

They're not "holding the organization hostage". It's not their fault we signed to many forwards and are exceeding the cap. They want to play and contribute and they have every right to attempt to do so. The way you state it you seem to think going on LTIR is a choice. You have to be declared by a physician to be unable to play for a minimum of 24 days or 10 games because you are "injured, ill or disabled and unable to perform your duties as a hockey player". For the record Bertuzzi and Sammy both claim to be feeling great and are very excited for this season.

Holland did well this offseason, but he's also handcuffed himself with the NTC's he was handing out like candy in previous years.

And that's where team decline begins. The Wings went final four, then cup, then cup finals. Then guys had to get paid. The Bruins just lost Horton and spent a ton of money on Rask. But that's the cycle all winning teams go through. How Chiarelli navigates this will detrmine ultimately how good a GM he is.

In a game shrouded in superstition, I imagine there are some players who are not too happy about this. I mean you're not even allowed to say shutout until the game is over so I imagine planning a cup parade before the season even starts is gonna drive some people nuts. Leafs go 0-82 this season lol.

How much you wanna bet the plan has been sitting around in a file cabinet for 40+ yrs collecting dust