mmamolo

I know a lot of ppl may not agree with me on this but I really wouldn't mind seeing the Wings snag Sundin (hopefully for like $2M) and even sign Shanahan at 500k. Once they move a defensemen whatever they need to to shore up the cap I think that would round out their lineup really well. That being said there are other good options available. Im just not buying into the Mike Grier, Jason Williams and Blair Betts hype. Im not entirely sure why though.

Maybe Im wrong but IM not entirely sold on Prospal. As usual it would depend on the money and length of the contract. I said it before, at $1.5M I'd take him in a heart beat.

I think Kronwall still has a lot of upside we have yet to see. THis is a big year for hi min my opinion. THis is when he needs to put it all together. He needs to display the sound defensively side of his game he showed in 2008 and match it with his offensive ability of last year. Don't forget this guy had a lot of injury troubles early in his career. He is not where he would have been at this age due to his injuries. He is still growing into the defensemen he will become. I truly believe he will play his entire career in Detroit and be a top pair guy. As for Konstantinov, look at these stats: Konstantinov Stats What an absolute beast

Well ya, at the end of the day it's all about Cups. It's like the Quebec-Philly trade with Lindros. At the end of the day Forsberg and co. brought cups to the Avs and Lindros didn't. BUt at the time everyone was going crazy over Lindros. It's always easy to look back. Just cause it's funny to see, here is the deal that sent Lindros to the Flyers. Philly Offer: Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Steve Duchesne, a 1993 1st round pick (Jocelyn Thibault), a 1994 1st round pick (later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, later traded to the Washington Capitals - Nolan Baumgartner) and $15,000,000 cash. ANd for even more fun here is what the Rangers had offered but got rejected by an arbitrator: Rangers Offer: Doug Weight, Tony Amonte, Alexei Kovalev, John Vanbiesbrouck, three first round picks (1993, 1994 & 1995) and $12,000,000.

If you could sign him at $1.5M/yr then I think you gotta jump on it. He should score you 20 goals and post 50 odd points. Despite him not being exactly the type of player the wings might want at that bargain it'd be tough to pass up. I would sign him for our 3rd line with some 2nd line time and look for a grinder to fill out the 4th.

I cant believe some ppl would give him $2M. In my mind that is insane. He's had a couple terrible years and is going to have a tough time finding a spot on any NHL team. That doesnt mean that he doesnt have the talent to play in these league but for whatever reason he hasn't shown that he can for the last couple of years. If Detroit really wanted to get him personally I would only be satisfied with it being for $1M on a one year deal. If he proves his worth he gets a raise next year. That's it, no favors to unproven players

When a team buys a player out it is for 2/3 of his remaining contract. That money is paid out over 2 times the duration remaining on his contract. In this case Prospal was making $3.5M with 3 years remaining. THat works out to: 3.5*3=10.5 10.5*(2/3)=7.0 7.0/6=1.167 Therefor he will receive $1.167M/yr for the next 6 years

No matter how many times I see those Milbury trades I cant help but laugh. But that's kind of the point of this entire thread; everything is easy in hindsight. THose Milbury trades are just extreme examples of what that blog was tryign to point out. In the long run of course one team is going to come out ahead of the other but when trades are a lot closer to being fair (such as the Detroit deals when compared to the Isles deals) hindsight is 20/20. You can't compare intangibles that those additions brought and who may or may not have been selected had the wings kept the picks. Not to mention the fact that had the wings not brough in those players they probably wouldnt have finished the season in the same spot in the standings and no one knows who they would have or could have chosen. ALthough it's kind of fun to imagine how different things could have been it's kind of pointless.

Prospal was set to make $3.5M from Tampa last season. His buyout will pay him $1.167M/yr over the next 6 years since he had 3 years left on his deal. Here is the breakdown from Capgeek.com: SEASON ACTUAL SALARY CAP HIT BUYOUT SAVINGS BUYOUT CAP HIT 2009-2010 $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $1,166,667 $2,333,333 $1,166,667 2010-2011 $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $1,166,667 $2,333,333 $1,166,667 2011-2012 $3,500,000 $3,500,000 $1,166,667 $2,333,333 $1,166,667 2012-2013 $0 $0 $1,166,667 $-1,166,667 $1,166,667 2013-2014 $0 $0 $1,166,667 $-1,166,667 $1,166,667 2014-2015 $0 $0 $1,166,667 $-1,166,667 $1,166,667 I would imagine Prospal would be looking for a deal to pay him about $2M/yr for this upcoming season. In my mind I don't really think if I were in Ken Holland's shoes I would do that. I would have to realyl think about it at least.

TO SAN JOSE: Jason Blake ($4M/yr for 3 years) Christobal Huet ($5.625M/yr for 3 years) 2010 1st TO CHICAGO: Patrick Marleau ($6.3M/yr for 1 year) Tomas Kaberle ($4.25M/yr for 2 years) Evgeni Nabakov ($5.375M/yr for 1 year) TO TORONTO: Chris Versteeg ($3.066M/yr for 3 years) Brian Campbell ($7.143M/yr for 7 years) Jonathan Cheechoo ($3M/yr for 2 years) CAP HIT CHANGES: TORONTO GIVES UP $8.25M and TAKES ON $13.209M for a TOTAL OF +$4.959M CHICAGO GIVES UP $15.834M and TAKES ON $15.925M for a TOTAL OF +$.091M SAN JOSE GIVES UP $15.05M and TAKES ON $9.625M for a TOTAL OF -$5.425M This trade seems so far fetched to me. Not only do we typically not see this many high caliber players involved in one trade but it just seems to fix up too many problems with one move. Chicago unloads two insanely bad contracts while San Jose replaces players but all but completely fixes up their cap troubles. It's also curious to wonder who that 1st pick (going to SJ) belonged to. I would imagine it belonged to Toronto since Toronto affectively acquires Versteeg, Campbell and Cheechoo and gives up Kaberle and Blake. So the pick must be from Toronto as Chicago gives up Versteeg, Campbell and Huet but acquires Marleau, Kaberla and Nabakov. I just can;t see anything like this happening or even being discussed. But I could be wrong.

My 2 cents: Shanahan: As a one year band-aid solution for $500k I think it could be worth a shot. I wouldn't go so far as to say he is the absoltuely best option out there but I think it's one that could fit. Plus he was always a fan favourite and I think it would even further Detroit's reputation of taking care of its own. I think it woudl help the attractiveness of the Wings to future UFAs. A right hand shot that can play 3rd/4th line minutes for the league minimum and get some ppl time if Babcock sees fit, seems like a decent fit to me. This team is already getting significantly younger with Howard, Ericcson, Leino and Helm guarenteed to be in the line up. I wouldn't be opposed to signing Shanahan. Sundin: A big bodied right handed shooter. Another guy that could fit on our 3rd line. Although he has lost a step, and I was never a huge fan of his, I think he could fit fairly well on a line with Helm and Leino or some other combination. He has a big shot, can play the PP and started to come on late in the season and playoffs for the Canucks. Obviously, money becomes a factor with Sundin. No way would we, or could we, offer Sundin the money he got last year. Really, I don't see him being worth more than a couple mill. If the Wings could get him for $2M on a year deal I'd do it. But realistically he won't sign for that so end of discussion really.

I live in the Toronto area so I see a lot of Leaf games (unfortunately). Although Stralman has some upside he is very, very soft. Do I think he could excel if given the time to groom his game in Grand Rapids? Yeah I think he could end up being able to contribute to an NHL team but is he worth giving anything up for at this stage of his development? Absolutely not. Toss in the fact he may not have any AHL options left and there is no point. Red Wings aside, I think this was a terrible trade for the Leafs. Maybe I'm biased again Wayne Primeau but at $1.4M/yr I think he is overpaid and overrated. Sure he brings a bit of toughness to your team but I've always seen him as a poor man's tough guy style player, just like Keith was. Don't get me wrong, Im not saying they don't have heart and can take a pounding but I've always thought they both were poor skaters and overrated. I think the Leafs could have gotten a better return for Stralman. I guess it really all depends on what they do with that 2nd rd pick. If they flip it in another deal it could become more worth while.

ALthough Kessel put up big numbers last year and has the potential to do so again it just doesn't make sense for the Wings to go after him with their cap situation. Even if the Wings were to move someone like Filppula + to get him and still fall under the cap it doesn't make sense. Filppula will finally get a full season in the top six (most likely playing with Franzen and Cleary or some similar combination) and is only in the 2nd year of his 5 year deal. You don't go and sign someone to a deal like Filppula's only to give up on his as he is entering year two. Those contracts are structured so that he becomes a bargain in years 4 and 5 and potentially even in year 3. The wings did the same with Kronwall and although Zetterberg's old contract differed in duration the same principle applies. As for McGrath and Oulahan playing on the 4th line, to me that just seems so far fetched that it's not even a remote possibility. But that's just my opinion. I think Helm, Leino, Ericsson and Howard are enough rookies for one season.

Im glad to see this resigning as I think Kindl could really turn out to be a solid defenseman. At a minimum it all but ensures he'll get his shot at the big club when he's deemed ready. Plus you figure in three years time all of Rafalski, Kronwall and Stuart will be UFA Kindl could be looked upon as a cheaper replacement for any of those guys. But that's looking way too far down the line for now...

THink about it, you could have Franzen and Lidstrom for the cost of Kovalchuk's new 'deal'. That's insane. Until it's confirmed I don't really beleive it to be honest

That is absolutely absurd. I'm not one of those ppl who get all up in arms about how much pro athletes make (and if I were even this contract for Kovalchuk doesnt comepare to a Alex Rodriguez) but living in a cap world with the uncertainty of the upcoming years (potentially going down) I do not understand how a GM could fork over that kidn of cash to ANY one player and expect to fill out his roster to be a contender. As much as I love a lot of players in the NHL I don't think any player is worth 20% or your cap (Lidstrom, Datsyuk or anyone else for that matter included).

In this situation there is zero doubt that Osgood would start the playoffs. It's the same sort of scenario that Osgood-Hasek were in. Hasek started but was on a leash. When he faltered Osgood came in and took over. Same deal would apply here. It's a lot to ask of a rookie goaltender to come in and play well in the playoffs for a contender like the Wings, regardless of how well you've done in the regular season. He needs to be eased into that scenario.

There's more to it than that I think. It all depends on the minor league options of the player. I believe entry level guys can be brought up and down without risking losing them on waivers. Then guys with two way deals can be brought up and down the same way I think.

I really believe that Leino is going to put up some numbers this year. I know that a lot of ppl are expecting a lot from him but I really do see 40 points from this kid. I think he can put up 20g and 20a. If Abdelkader starts the season on the wings I would imagine the lines fitting best like this: Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Holmstrom Franzen - Filppula - Leino Abdelkader - Helm - Cleary Maltby - Draper - Williams/Meech Obviously without knowing Lilja's situation we dont know what D moves will be made. I'd even have Jeremy Williams and Derek Meech playing the 12 and 13 forward positions interchangedly.

Even though I'd rather see ABdelkader play top line minutes in GR I'm not sure which would benefit him more, the top line minutes in GR or solid minutes on the 3rd line on the Wings. I think Abdelkader can provide a similar, gritty, defensively responsible type of game that Betts can. Granted, Grier can crash and bang like few others in the game can but long term I htink it serves us better to us Abdelkader. Personally I'd like to see someone who does have grit and intensitiy but who has some hands be signed for the 3rd line spot over Mike Grier. I personally believe that Hudler at 3M per for 5 years is similar to Filppula for the same deal. Years 1 and 2 it's not the sweetest deal in the world but come years 3, 4 and 5 we'd be getting legit top six forwards at 3M a season. I beleive they will both turn into very strong top 6 guys. But hey, that's jut my opinion.

I don't really understand how ppl can say Holland misplayed this off season. There was no way any general manager wouldnt have resigned Zetterberg this year and Holland did it for a ~6M cap hit. Then he came right out and said next on the list was either Franzen or Hossa. Whichever presented his team with the better hockey deal he would take. Turned out to be Franzen. We all knew last summer that the chances of keeping Hossa more than the one season were slim. Holland put his money on his best players and has let the others go. That's the way the cap world works and no GM can work around it. Holland has done everythign he could to sign Hudler who was the most valuable free agent, with a realistic chance of being resigned, heading into this summer. We all knew Samuelsson and Hossa we all but gone once Farnzen resigned. So far the only thing anyone should realistically hold against Holland is the Hudler situation. Despite me not holding anything against HUdler for his decision I personally feel Hudler is more to blame than Holland. On to Jason Williams. Personally I'd really rather not see this signing happen. Other than the fact he is a right shot and can play the point on the powerplay I don't see the point in signing him. Obviously it would depend on how much the contract is for ($ and term) but I think there are better options out there.

Oh and I really think we'll see a decent amount of Jeremy Williams on the 4th line this year as well.

I don't have anything against either Grier or Betts but I don't understand the obsession with those two guys on this board. They could fit in decently and I do like the idea of havign Abdelkader starting the season in GR but I just don't get it. Besides, it looks more and more like Hudler will either be back on the Wings active roster or that he'll be signed and moved for other assets. As much as I'd rather see Abdelkader in GR in October I would much rather see a Cleary - Helm - Abdelkader 3rd line than a Cleary - Helm - Grier 3rd line. I would take one of Grier or Betts but not both. But hey, that's just me. Personally I dont get why the Wings wouldnt resign Downey to a 2 way deal. Seems weird to me.

Thanks for the welcome Donaldjr2448. I believe that Abdelkader's salary hit is 710k with 140k in bonuses. If I remember correctly you are allowed to go over the cap by ~7% due strictly to bonuses. So I guess technically only the 710k counts directly towards the cap. Problem is you also have to factor in years previous bonuses. It's all a little foggy. Either way, 140k isn't going to make or break our cap situation one way or another.

I think there are a few interesting points that need to be made: 1. Hudler was given a top 6 opportunity at the beginning of last season and struggled. He only really began producing when he was placed on the third line with Filppula and Samuelsson. Hudler had to prove his worth throughout the course of last season in order for Babcock to give him another go on the top six. Not to mention, now Marian Hossa is gone. 2. Filppula was deserving of a shot as the 2nd line centre (top 6 spot) but was also pushed back down the depth chart with the signing of Hossa and the spliting up of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Hudler's argument about ice time, which is somewhat valid, should be considered moot at this point since at this stage he would clearly have his opportunity to get top 6 minutes. The spot would be his to lose again. In some ways, although the Wings hands are cuffed in terms of signing other UFAs, they gained some strength in the negotiations with Hudler. If it's true that Hudler doesn't want to play for any other team in the NHL Holland can say look, we want you here, this is the best offer we can make (5 yrs $15M), and if arbitration awards more we'll have no choice but to trade you. If he truly wants to stay he'd accept. If he doesn't mind leaving then Detroit can acquire some assets in return. Or at the end of the day, as others have posted, the wings can sign him to the arbitrators decision and then assign him to the KHL and retain his rights upon his return. Although I don't know how HUdler thinks going and playing in Russia is going to get him in the Wings top 6. The Wings are too deep up front and the time will never come where Hudler becomes our only remaining option as a top 6 forward. If he wants it that badly he has to stay here and compete for it.