ogreslayer

Wanted to add some thoughts on the opinions that Nashville would never trade Weber unless he asked out. The reality in Nashville is that they're an internal cap team, dead last in their division, will certainly miss the playoffs this season, & with how the West is stacked will probably struggle to make the playoffs in the next few years at least. So their revenue is already going to take a hit this year with the weaker Canadian dollar & a lack of playoff games. If that continues for a couple/few seasons, there's going to be some pressure there to improve the team while controlling costs. A good way to do that is get a great package of young players for the guy who is taking up 13% of your current payroll. That's a couple tenths of a point away from the percentage that Crosby & Malkin are in Pittsburgh or Perry & Getzlaf in Anaheim and higher than the likes of Kane, Toews, Pavel,Stamkos, Karlsson, Chara...the list goes on. Ovechkin far & away is on the top of that list fyi at ~14.8%. If the Pred's continue to struggle on the ice & on the balance sheet, the quickest way for them to start a turnaround is to trade off their most expensive & most valuable chip imo.

2 picks (and 1 banking on the fact that you can talk Jimmy into accepting a trade to the Isle? Riiiiight), two solid contributors but not top tier players by any stretch of the imagination, & 3 kids that are extreme long shots (Kindl included) to be on the Wings' roster next season & could be claimed on waivers instead if they were really interested? Poile would be run out of town if he accepted an offer like that. The conversation would probably go more like The Wings' 2014 & 2015 1st round picks, their 2015 2nd or 3rd rounder, Nyquist, Mantha, DeKeyser/Smith. Then possibly a Jurco, Pulkkinen, Sproul, Ouellet, or Marchenko to get the deal done or depending on how confident they are that Rinne & rebound from his health issues, add Mrazek to that list.

So the expected cap increase may be lower next season, not the cap itself. Kinda misleading thread title, isn't it?

Yes, they can use a regular buy out on him if they wanted to. Just means they'll still take a cap hit, unlike a compliance buy out. More likely he (and Lashoff too) get passed by the kids in GR next season & wind up on waivers.

More likely: Stevie re-signs in Tampa & if Kenny steps aside in the next couple/few years, Ryan Martin takes over.

And via the same source, Helm shut down for a few days because of headaches.

Sammy=NTC & injured Bert=Modified NTC Cleary=NTC Not as easy to move those 3 & it's not like Eaves was cracking the lineup anyway.

I'm hoping that the prospect to be named is one of the kids out of waiver exemptions next season & probably wouldn't make the roster anyway i.e. a Ferraro or Almquist. Can't believe it would be someone the caliber of a Jarnkrok.

That stance probably changed once Helm went down last night.

True, Kirk Maltby was a 50 goal scorer in juniors after all.

Would this be a roundabout way to get money for naming rights? EDIT: OK, I wasn't going to but I have to... The King Arthur on Ice Arena anyone? Anyone? What, no Yes fans around here?

If by some chance Kesler does wind up on the Wings, I want him Kronwalled in his first practice with the team.

Depending on which site you're going with, the Preds chances of making the playoffs is anywhere from 3-10%. So while they may have a shot, it's not a very realistic one as they sit there in last place in the Central.

But that also leaves the following commodities available as far as I'm concerned that could be dangled as trade bait: Multiple draft picks, say this & next years 1st rounders Current NHL talent: Helm, Smith, DeKeyser, & Andersson Prospects rated higher than Jurco and/or Sheahan like Mrazek & Jarnkrok Drop Marchenko due to the injury but that still leaves some solid D prospects like Sproul, Ouellet, & Backman and to a lesser extent Jensen & Almquist Forward prospects like Callahan, Ferraro, Pulkkinen, & Athanasiou. Just leave Hampus Melen off the table though. Maybe a combo from this doesn't get a Weber but it can get something a hell of a lot better than a Steve Ott.

Rumor was that Kenny & David Poile did talk about the price for Weber right before the Philly offer sheet but it was too high on an intra-division move. I think it's time to revisit that conversation with all but the kids currently on the roster (Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan, Jurco) & Mantha being off the table. Screw this small move stuff. With Z & Sammy now on LTIR for the rest of the season, there's room to make a big splash.

So anyone else think that Jurco has locked down his spot on the big club next season already? Personally, I would rather see some of the prospects out of waiver eligibility next season be exposed (i.e. Callahan, Ferraro, Almquist) than have him start the season in GR.

He wasn't eligible to play in GR at the start of the season due to the agreements in place between the NHL & CHL. Players drafted from a CHL team aren't eligible to play their first professional minor league game until the year in which they turn 20 or have completed 4 years in the major juniors. So unless Mantha was going to make the big club, he was guaranteed to spend this season in the Q. He'll be in GR as soon as his season in the Q is over & I think he's also a lock to be on next season's Griff's roster though I'm sure the Val-d'Or will try to convince Kenny to let them keep him for another season. EDIT: Mantha turns 20 on Sept 16 this year

Last I heard is that he's not ready to go conditioning-wise & may or may not yet get a game or two in GR before he's back.

Personally, I would allow it. Rocking the 2002 Cheli Team USA jersey at work myself.

And he of course would make sure that all the water bottles were taken care of properly.

#1-If he needs surgery, meaning he's injured, he can't be bought out #2-Even if he was bought out & sat out a year, I'm pretty sure the league would step in & not allow him to sign with the Wings again as it would go against the spirit of the CBA. There were warnings from the head office last off season to teams considering pulling off '1st team trades player-2nd teams buys him out-1st team then signs at lower cap hit' moves & how they wouldn't be allowed for that very reason. Bottom line, if a player is bought out, his next NHL contract has to be with another organization period.

Cleary fell down walking up to the bar

Both Sheahan & Glendening are making their way down to GR to continue playing during the break. Given the amount of games that Glendening's played already at the NHL level though, he has to wait another week until he can join the Griffs. http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2014/02/riley_sheahan_luke_glendening.html

Would "deadhorse" waiting already for the glue factory that is the draft lottery be better? The boys have 24 games after the break to play their way in & I for one like their chances.

I remember Hudler always leading off in shootouts, missing, but giving Pavs an opportunity to see what the goalie was doing before he shot. As others have already said, Tats is a better, more tenacious version of Huds. Call him Hungry Huds compared to Happy Huds maybe?