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Ive always thought these types of categorizations are not very useful anyway. Florida currently has a 70 point player on the 3rd line wing. Pittsburgh won a Cup with Kessel on the 3rd line wing. Meanwhile Mike Hoffman has played his whole career as a top six wing despite really only being able to score on the powerplay, and getting absolutely caved in every other facet of the game. For the most part where you play in the lineup doesn't say a whole lot about your skill level or contributions to the team. I always laugh when people trip over themselves to explain why guys like Draisaitl and Malkin are not 2Cs despite the fact that they center the 2nd line. It's fully possible that your 2nd and 3rd line guys might actually be better than your first line guys, or vice versa. NHL coaches aren't dumb, they don't put their five best players on the top line and the top defensive pair. Elmer Sodorblom might well play on the 3rd line, but I almost guarantee he'll score 20-30 goals a season from that position. His shot's too good (I'd argue it's currently about the 3rd-4th best in the organization), his puck protection is good good, his skating is too good (at that size). He's also shown he can produce a lot in limited minutes at 5 on 5. This is very much NOT Justin Abdelkader, this is a guy who was top ten in goal scoring (as a 20 year old) in one of the hardest leagues in the world. Wherever the coach puts him in the lineup he's going to produce.

Pickard is hurt, Brattstrom and Fulcher are awful, and the Griffs are in the hunt for the last playoff spot. Makes sense to bring in a ringer I guess. Hellberg was also likely looking for opportunities outside the KHL with the whole Russia fiasco. Hopefully he plays well and can get extended. We need a replacement for Brattstrom next year and any stand ins we can get until Cossa arrives. Nedeljkovic Hellberg/JVP Hellberg/JVP Pickard

I'm taking Friedman with a grain of salt here. Everybody was saying the same exact stuff about New York a couple of years ago, then they traded for Trouba, signed Panarin, and got a little draft luck and now their rebuild is over before it started. Detroit already got the draft luck. In three years we got two top defensemen, a budding elite offensive winger, and a future starting goalie to go with a higher end "core" of guys like Larkin, Vrana, and Bert. We land one top free agent, make one impact trade, and nobody will be taking about a rebuild anymore.

Lambert it is. Emailing the poll to the Wings media address now. Thanks guys.

Nah, Hellberg and Andreasson would both need to pass through waivers if signed now. They'll probably be officially signed and announced on July 13th when UFA opens.

I'm not sure "dumb" is the way to describe it. David Poile has had a ton of success getting good players under great contracts in Nashville doing exactly what you're talking about. I think from my point of view you'd just want to see some reason for optimism from Zadina before you pulled the trigger. So far there hasn't been any. Maybe if he starts scoring a bit under a new coach or something.

All of my feelings about Zadina aside, wouldn't that just be a sign (by both parties) that they'd given up on him ever being much better. Like, I don't know that I want a 6OA pick with (supposedly) loads of talent taking a contract which basically screams "I'm not willing to bet on myself". F*ck that. Not to mention the fact that giving a guy who does nothing 3 million per year completely screws up your salary structure. If you have Zadina doing nothing for 3 million then what do you pay for guys like Gagner next time you sign one? Frankly, whether or not the team keeps him (there are arguments both ways) they need to stop emphasizing "getting Zadina going". Guys like Ras, Namestnikov, Gagner, Veleno, etc. would kill for half the opportunity Zadina was given this year in an effort to "get him going". The only difference is that they earned it and he didn't. You think Gagner (going into UFA status) wouldn't have appreciated loads of powerplay time and a spot riding shotgun with Larkin, Bert, Raymond, or Vrana? And is there any doubt he'd have performed better than Zadina in those roles? Zadina's been gifted enough. We're going on three straight seasons of him not doing jack sh*t. Let him earn his next contract or trade him.

All of our prospects in the shl made it past the first round.

Owen Power should play for the Rangers so he could be a Power Ranger. Dad joke.