SwedeLundin77

Come on, be realistic. Minnesota is a team where someone as good as Parise even drops in production. For 2.6 million, it's a solid signing. It also allows us a chance to trade for a top D now.

Vanek signed 1 year, 2.6 million. Holland made a second good move today!

just under 7.5 million. So 3.5 for DK and 3.5 for Mrazek. Holland is going to have to make some moves.

On one hand, I get the apologists... I used to be one of them. It's true that some players just don't want to come here, but who's fault is that really? It's the GM's responsibility to put the best team on the ice and draft/develop the future. He showed it with Lidstrom/Rafalski and he's showing it again now with Datsyuk/Zetterberg. He doesn't know how to prepare for when our all-stars are getting ready to head out. He'd rather wait until they are at the end or already leaving and then try to hustle to grab the best that's out there. Great. We got a 2nd line center, and I like Nielsen. I think he'll do fine here so long as his wingers can produce as well. That doesn't change the fact that we're sitting here without a first line center. Zetterberg can't play that role anymore and Larkin may have to be thrown into it before he's truly ready for it. Do you want to know why we can't attract solid wingers to this team? They look and don't see any strong Centers to feed them the biscuit, so, of course, they're going to go to other teams. But again, that is Holland's fault. Maybe not this off-season, but over the past 6 years he has failed to ready this team appropriately to move forward in a strong fashion.

Vanek at 3.5-4 million on a 1 year, Brouwer at 4.5 for 4 years, McGinn at 3.5 for 4 years... or if those players truly didn't have any interest in the Wings, let Athansiou play real minutes on the third line. Helm's deal screws the young guys, unless he plays 2C, and that would be him sorely over-valued.

Not re-sign Darren Helm and Drew Miller, wasting cap space that potentially could go toward a better player who can maybe crack 15 goals in a season.

Preview of the 2016/17 season: Nielsen to Zetterberg to Nyquist. Back to Zetterberg, over to Nielsen. Fakes the shot, passes back to Nyquist. He waits... passes it to Zetterberg.

So here's what I can come up with, and it makes me want to throw up. No bite, same team, still pushing the kids that are ready to play out of the picture, namely AA. Zetterberg - Larkin - Abdelkader (Have Z and Larkin alternate the center position to ease Larking in) Tatar - Nielsen - Nyquist (Wish we had some wingers with good size ready for top 6) Helm - Sheahan - Mantha (Can't stand that we signed Helm and worried Holland pegs him as 2C) Miller - Glendening - Athanasiou (AA belongs up on the third line, would rather Frk play here) Disgusting, and not in a good way.

Come on Holland, pass on Boedker, pick up Vanek on a 1 year deal/low cap hit!!!!!

He's old??? 31 is now considered old? Just stop. Joe Thornton - 36 years old, 4th in points this past season Joe Pavelski - 31 years old, 6th in points Alex Ovechkin - 30 years old Patrice Bergeron - 30 years old Jaromir Jagr - 44 years old Ryan Getzlaf - 31 years old Loui Eriksson - 30 years old Jason Spezza - 33 years old David Krejci - 30 years old Corey Perry - 31 years old Jeff Carter - 31 years old Daniel Sedin - 35 years old The facts are not on your side, friend. Unlike the players mentioned above, Staal has had to play with a bunch of kids for a while, oh and Semin. I would be willing to bet he bounces back on a new team with solid wingers. He wasn't with NYR long enough to click with anyone.

This all makes me feel really sour about Illitch going with Holland letting Yzerman walk. You never ever ever let the Captain walk!

Dreams of Nielsen feeding Radulov slick passes, but Rads misses the passes because he's too busy beating the s*** out of the Refs for putting him in the penalty box 4 games prior.

I'd like to take a chance on Vanek for cheap if he's willing. I'm also hoping we can grab Shipachvoy and/or Pirri. Versteeg might be interesting, but he's had injury issues.

As far as forwards we might still looking at: Vanek Hudler (God no) Boedker Ott Versteeg Martin Brown Shipachvoy Pirri

Weiss flunked out because he couldn't stay healthy, which didn't allot him the time necessary to learn our system, gain any concistency, or gaining any cohesion with linemates. Nielsen, while I don't think is truly the answer, has only missed 7 games over the past 5 seasons. Other than Okposo, he'll be playing with some better wingers here (Zetterberg, Nyquist, Tatar, Larkin, maybe Mantha if he can transition).

You're over-emphasising my post. I don't expect every FA to want to come here, but I also feel that Holland is very overrated. He talked a big game about changing the makeup of this team and making us harder to play against, yet so far we are the same exact team as last year, minus Datsyuk. He simply does not follow through. Unless he makes a significant trade or trades, he failed this off-season. He doesn't seem to want to take any risk, ANY risk whatsoever. If we are to trade for a top D-man, he's going to have to give to get, it's just the way it is. Other teams do it.

Okay, I'm going to have to stop you at "slower and softer." The team is basically the same, lacking Datsyuk, who was slowing down and hasn't been above soft for a couple of seasons. I agree on Nielsen after he's 35 being a burden on the team at that cap hit.

Which makes it even worse when AA is ready to take over his role and can score more than him for a cheap contract right now. Stupid move. I would have rather offered that money to McGinn and add a different dimension who can actually score.

3 years, 3.3 million. Another solid signing that Holland was asleep for. Could have added another dimension, but same old same old.

Please God, McGinn.

Gotta wonder if Holland is done in UFA.... pathetic.

Would have done that deal all day long.. Good job Holland.

Well he's going to have too many forwards, so I hope to God he has a plan for a D trade. It's probably a bigger need than getting a top forward.

Debatable. You don't turn 30 and instantly decline, he may just need a new start in a new market. Stranger things have happened. He'd also probably sign for a shorter term whereas Nielsen is going to be signed for at least 5 years around 6 million.... I'd take Staal all day when considering that.

Who said anything about a paycut? He's going to get a lower salary around the league based on his past 2 seasons. That's what I'm talking about. He's already come out and mentioned that he understands that as well as the term may be limited wherever he goes. He'd also be our #1 C, not many teams can offer him that.