ogreslayer

In response to Babs' comment, I think this quote is quite appropriate. (Read in a bad Irish accent for the full effect) "I'll believe ya when me s*** turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbet"

I do believe that Sheahan was playing on Ferraro's wing quite a bit down in GR this season. IF it ultimately comes down to who gets a spot between Sheahan & Andersson, I just think that Riley has a few more tools in his toolbox than Andy.

Nope, he's still exempt. He has 2 years or 33 games at the NHL level left before he's eligible for waivers.

I would prefer that when Andy is healthy, either Cleary or Bert gets waived.

Good news everyone! Cleary a healthy scratch to make room for Franzen against the Panthers. Ansar Khan‏@AnsarKhanMLive Babcock confirms only lineup change is Franzen in for Cleary. So Bertuzzi and Kindl also scratched. Andersson ready on Tuesday.

I think John Tortorella has a better chance of winning a Nobel Peace Prize than Sammy has of getting picked up on waivers.

Correct as far as the period from the trade deadline to the end of the regular season. Players are only paid for the regular season, so once teams get to the playoffs the salary cap no longer applies either.

Alfie might be back tonight depending on how he feels after the morning skate: http://www.freep.com/article/20140123/SPORTS05/301230098/detroit-red-wings-montreal-canadiens-daniel-alfredsson

Roster limit may be gone but the salary cap is still in place through the end of the regular season. Depending on who is healthy, there might not be cap room for either or both.

Last update I saw was back on Monday. Alfie was just getting better enough to start working out again but hadn't resumed skating. Estimated at the time that he might be able to in a few days & would need a couple of practices before getting back in the lineup.

Based on their cap situation, not much. The 23 man roster limit is waived as on 12:01 am on trade deadline day but the salary cap is still in effect. If everyone's healthy, there's really not going to be cap room for the Jurco's & Sheahan's to remain with the big club. If the Wings get to the playoffs though, the salary cap is no longer enforced. I think that's where we might see some of the Griffs maybe get a look over a Cleary or Bert....I hope.

Weiss has a modified NTC.

And he wasn't happy for good reason. Surprised FSD didn't show a replay at all:

Once you start looking at who will more than likely be re-signed & won't make it to free agency, the list of UFA centers this off season is pretty thin. I think that giving Weiss time to get healthy for next season is a better option than signing a Olli Jokinen or Steve Ott. Give Weiss another year & if he doesn't rebound, give Helm if healthy, Sheahan, or Jarnkrok if he's ready to go a crack at it.

Yeah, I don't know why I was thinking he was signed before. Still, Weiss would end up being on the books until 2022 instead of 2018 if a buyout were to happen so I think that's a non-starter. If anyone gets bought out by the Wings this next off season, it will end up being Tootoo.

With roster limits going by the wayside after the trade deadline & the salary cap limit doing the same during the playoffs, Sammy might still technically be on the big club's roster but I have a feeling there are plenty of youngsters that have seen time in the NHL this season or are still in GR that would be given a shot over Sammy.

But also not for the life of the contract as you stated which would be 4 years, but for twice the remaining length so 8. Regardless, if they were to buy him out (which they won't) they would use their remaining compliance buyout.

For the record, that's incorrect. If the Wings were buy out Weiss this coming June as a compliance buy out, which they have one of they can use, they would owe him 2/3rds of his remaining salary & there would be no cap hit. If it were a regular buy out, they would still owe him 2/3rds of his remaining salary & will still carry a cap hit over twice the remaining years of his original contract. The cap hit varies year over year based on savings against that year's original salary & his original cap hit. If Weiss were to receive a regular buy out this June, here's how the Wings cap hit for him would break down: 2014-15: $2,108,333 2015-16: $608,333 2016-17: $608,333 2017-18: $2,608,333 2018-19: $1,708,333 2019-20: $1,708,333 2020-21: $1,708,333 2021-22: $1,708,333 See more here: http://capgeek.com/buyout-calculator/?player_id=812&buyout_y=2014&buyout_m=06&buyout_d=15

There's no way Sammy ends up retiring mid-season, and even if he did it provides no cap relief for the team given he's on a 35+ contract. I'm still holding out hope that Kenny somehow manages to find a team willing to take him in a trade & that Sammy would be willing to go in order to play, but I'm not holding my breath. And with the Cleary mentions, I'm calling it... He will be re-signed next season to a 2 or 3 year deal & he will get a raise with the cap going up. Granted I don't want it to happen, I just think it will.

Evidently Tatar was eyeing going back to #90 before Weiss grabbed it. Which would be worse?

I still think the one to explore & the one who might be more readily available if the price is right is Weber given Nashville's status as an internal cap team. I'm pretty sure that I saw some rumors of Kenny taking to Poile about a possible Weber trade prior to him signing the offer sheet from the Flyers but the price was too high since it would have still be intra-division at the time. I do think that the Wings have the organizational depth built up now that if Kenny had the go-ahead to blow them away with an offer, it could happen. Unless Rinne winds up being a shell of himself when he comes back or is just completely done because of his hip issues, I don't see Jimmy being a piece in that trade though. If Rinne does come back in form & a goalie were included in talks between the teams, I would think the Preds would want younger & cheaper i.e. Mrazek. I also think it would take at least one NHL quality forward (either Nyquist or Tatar), a high level D prospect, & picks to make it happen so ultimately, no I don't think it will.

IMO the more likely scenario is that he doesn't play his way into a spot on the big club & another team makes a claim on him when the Wings have to put him through waivers. And of course Cleary will be re-signed which means months of teeth gnashing & rending of hair that we would still have Ferraro if not for Cleary.

Hope he can develop some skill at forward & make the big club in that role instead of as a d-man based on the comments heard about Babcock not wanting d-men to fight, leaving the team down a man on the blue line. Plus how great would it be to have him screening goalies on a nightly basis?

Personally, I think it's more likely that Tootoo ends up getting bought out. I believe there are 3 forwards in GR that are no longer waiver exempt next year right, Callahan, Sheahan, & Ferraro? Making for an interesting race to see who winds up with the big team next year if any with Callahan 7th in scoring for the Griffs and Sheahan & Ferraro tied for 9th.

If circumstances play out i.e. the Wings are out of the playoff race & Alfie absolutely knows this will be his last season, I wouldn't say it's unlikely that he would be willing to go to another team for a few months for a chance at The Cup. It's not like he would have to move his family again if that were to happen. If it did, I don't see the Wings getting a 1st rounder & high level prospect for him. Might be more realistic to think a 2nd or 3rd and a mid-level prospect at best.