PavelValerievichDatsyuk

Especially if they trade Fleury away and use the cap space to add someone else significant with the 5.75 mill. Murray is cheap for them for 1 more year and then will still be a RFA.

We're not allowed to talk to Stamkos yet, since he's under contract with another NHL team. We - and other team - can talk to Radulov, so we have to make the pitch while he's inquiring and still available.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/06/06/datsyuk-decision-expected-sometime-month/85533068/ Datsyuk meeting with Holland next week hopes to have a decision soon after. Holland says the assistant position down to "a couple of names" and expects a decision this week. I assume those names are Richards and Dave Cameron who we asked permission to talk to. Also, they made an offer to Helm and haven't heard back yet.

This article says he's asking Boston for "six years at $6,000,000 per season" https://causewaycrowd.com/2016/06/03/boston-bruins-loui-eriksson-contract-talks-progressing-well/ As the article alludes, I don't think he'll get 6 six years with the concussion troubles he struggled with 2 years ago.

Agree with the bolded part. I was talking in the context of having space for a UFA forward. Even if we add one of your 3 guys (Bert would be my choice) and included Mantha in the lineup, We still have room for a player in the top 9 as long as Jurco does 4th duties (not ideal, but I think likely once Mantha's on the team)

That all depends on whether we bring back Helm and/or Miller. Without them, there's room up front to add a player or 2 even if we count Mantha as in from day 1 (but the 4th line will likely be bad). Lark-Z-Abby Tat-Shea- Mantha-AA-Ny Jurco-Glen- Pulk

That kind of obscures the situation. He was undrafted, but we signed him as a 19 year old prospect who had never played in the NHL. Avery as 19 years old was not a proven locker-room cancer. He played less then half of 2 seasons then we shipped him out. Maybe like your view of 18 year old Radulov, they thought he would mature. Radulov has incidents throughout his career at this point. I wouldn't be worried about his effect on the locker room, though. I'm more worried about this kind of stuff: P.S. Roenick is a schmuck so you can ignore his comments and the part where he pretends to not to know the name of the KHL. I'm all for Ericksson (and Stamkos, of course) up front this year. Radulov, I'm leery of, but for 1 year, it would be fine and we could see what he brings and have the possibility of trading him at the deadline.

That's good that we're only in for a 1 year deal. I've been checking out videos of him and he really wasn't so good on his last return to Nashville - I feel like he has a high likelihood of disappointing. The speculation that Avs are a front runner is also based on the fact that Radulov played for the team that Roy coached in the QMHL. If he liked playing for Roy that could play a factor, but those 2 strong personalities could also dislike each other so who knows... He does have a slight personal connections to the WIngs since he's been playing for Fedorov's CSKA. Then, of course, he knows Datsyuk. He could have heard good things about the orgnization, but you never know how much that sways a player...

If you're not cheating, you're not trying. in this situation couture is the whiner. You play the game, but you also play the refs. What they allow, you do whether the other team calls it cheating or not.

I didn't mean "it works" in the sense that it would dramatically improve the team. I've always thought that stripping the captaincy from a player would just create a very awkward situation in the dressing room - leaving one player dejected and maybe creating sympathetic resentment against management or a coach. I should have said more that their example shows that changing captains doesn't ruin the dynamic of a team and they can move on. Maybe it's just specific to the San Jose situation, though, since they stripped it from Marleau and Thornton and therefore it didn't seem as big a deal. In other team's situations, I could see a player demanding a trade or other internal problems.

It is a weird incident and without context it's hard to fully decipher what's really going on. To me, he looks back before, so I feel there's no way he wouldn't have seen the guy. And when trying to view it an accident, that's not the apology of someone who cares that they just hurt you. I've talked to many others that see it the way you do, though. I don't think him getting away with it is should sway judgement, though. I mean, Ray Emery wasn't punished when he punched his team's trainer in the KHL for putting a hat on his head. Not saying we shouldn't sign him because of character, but I went searching for some other evidence of what his issues might be... Radulov gesturing his own Torpedo toward the Torpedo's coach: Also, being a bit of a jerk to a rink attendant. I think this can be excused as heat-of-the-moment, though. Plus who really knows what they are saying... Anyway, I've decided I want Eriksson. Radulov only on a 1 or 2 year, lower money deal. The real focus should be on making a D trade so I'm also fine if we go with the youngsters upfront.

Pavelski. Their example does suggest that stripping the captaincy works. I agree with others that it is a little unseemly, though. LA is in a tough spot since Brown has a 5.875 caphit for 6 more years and has been around 28 pts for the last 4 years! They pretty much have to get him to change or that is big problem. I didn't know those stats before I looked it up, but with that in mind it makes total sense. I could see Gaborik's 4.875 for the next 5 years also being a problem since he's continued to deal with injury and only had 22 pts.

I think I'm cheering for Kessel at this point. I like that he's been doing well this playoffs after years of being dumped on by the Toronto media. Also, I've always liked Malkin, so go Pens, i guess.

Maybe, but if you watch the video again, it's hard to see this as an accident:

Oh yeah, forgot about that one....and there was video too. I withdraw my statement, haha. Hmm, didn't know that Eriksson was going to be a UFA. Hopefully our Swedish mafia can be a draw for him coming here. For me, Loui would be a better pickup than Radulov or Okposo. I think people want grit, thinking of those 2, but I think we need scoring more and with Loui it's still adding size since he's 6'2".

I've read i numerous places that the most likely destination for him is the Aves. Roy coached him in QMHL and I'm sure he knows Varlamov from international play. The more I think about it, though, the more I'm in for signing him as long as it's not long term. The playoff curfew incident was definitely unprofessional and I'm not excusing him. But it's a little more understandable is If you think about it from his perspective: he couldn't have been that personally invested in the team's success - he only played 9 games for them in that season. If you're really part of a team you wouldn't go drinking on playoff night. Also, for the reports of him being bad for the locker room - I put that in the context that he wasn't even in the league for 2 full years (06-07 started in AHL, played 62 g) and he was 20 or 21. First of all, the North American hockey media rarely positively portrays Russian players so I always question how much is bias and what's actually going on, Secondly, if there were issues, I'm sure he's wiser at the age of 29 now.

I think when you've had 2 40 goal seasons at the OHL level, it means you've developed to the top of the league. I think he should definitely be in the AHL next year and take the next step. These articles say his shortcomings are that he needs to work on foot speed and bulk up. Get him with our pro trainers.

2014-15: 42 g, 74 pts 2015-16: 45 g, 70 pts in the OHL. Plus he PKs, blocks shots, plays with some grit. What's not to like!! I wonder what the story is for why SJ wasn't able to sign him before the deadline.

Okay, fair enough. Thanks, kickazz, for the reminder. And, couldn't quite remember Filpula's timeline, but you're right cause he had that one great year on Z's wing and then a disappointing final year and I guess that's partly cause Helm didn't play that year and Babcock moved him back to center his own line (I think he was our 2C which didn't work and so Weiss...). Anyway, Abby at center still seems an odd roster choice. Sort of related: The more I think about it, the more I think Helm is gone because of the question of how he fits into the team in the future. He really should be 3C somewhere. I think he's been good as a winger, but I think he was a better player in the middle. If he's gone, that will mean that my 2 favourite Wing could be gone (Pavel Valerievich is obviously my other fav).

Hey, I like Abdekader and I think he's a good ingredient for one of the top lines. I just don't see where you're getting the Abby as centerman stuff from. Our 4th line center was pretty much Kris Draper up until 2011. Then Emmerton and Andersson after that, but mostly Glendening's been there since 2013. Our 3rd line center has been Filppula 07-09/10, Helm 09/10-12, Sheahan/Larkin/AA/Weiss? 13-16 I honestly don't remember Abdelkader ever playing center as a Wing. Maybe he filled in for some games while Draper was injured? Did they try him out there 11-12?

Kovy's contract was made when the league was at a high for financial success and before the implication of a hard Salary cap (it was a soft cap). KHL President is now lowering the cap by 50 mill rubles (764,377 USD) each year 2015-2017. There's a reason Radulov is leaving. Add to that the fact that Datsyuk will be 38 while Kovy was in his prime, and I think you'd be wise not take Kovy as a comparable. Datsyuk's already a national hero and a big star in Russia. If he wanted Russian endorsements I'm sure he already has them. I don't see why playing in the KHL would make much of a difference. Anyway, it does take him away from US sports endorsements which are much larger because it's a much bigger market. A new bit of info I found in a Detroit Free Press article, is that Pav also missed out on a 2 million dollars of this past year's salary by not fulfilling his contract. (in the notes at the bottom) http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/05/25/pavel-datsyuk-khl-red-wings/84913168/ So if you think he's going to the KHL for more money, then his contract for next year has to be more than 7.5 million. I don't see any evidence that suggests we mistrust his own explanation of the situation in the Albom article.

Datsyuk was slated to make 5.5 million next year. I highly doubt he'll make more next year in the KHL It's hard to find info about KHL contracts, but here's an article from 2013 that shows the highest salaries as: Kovy: 10.3 mill US Radulov: 7.5 mill Zinovyev: 4.7 mill http://www.sports.ru/hockey/154502348.html As you can see, after the first 2 it drops off significantly. And that's before the ruble collapse: http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/tag/blog.html?b=news.nationalpost.com/sports/nhl/canadian-players-in-the-khl-seeing-paycheques-cut-after-the-russian-ruble-collapse-2 and the cuts to the KHL salary cap where the KHL president aims to limit salaries to 14.5 million per team. So Datsyuk's red wings salary would be more than a 3rd of a team's payroll: http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/cuts-to-khl-salary-cap-could-mean-nhls-rival-league-is-a-rival-no-longer/ apparently they're at 17 mill per team now and they'll cut the cap each year until 17-18. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/russian-hockey-league-khl-aims-to-slash-salary-cap-as-country-battles-economic-crisis/

Oh, come on!!!!! Read the Mitch Albom article: his surgery was pretty intense and the doctor said he was surprised that Pav didn't retire that day. Then he had another secret surgery mid season we didn't know about. Struggling with injury/rehabing/deteriorating ankles doesn't equal phoning it in to save yourself for the World Championship. And even with that he was 1 point from being our leading point man, despite playing only 66 games.

Don't know why you think Abby is a proven centerman. I think the last time he played center was AHL so that would make AA as proven as him. I think centermen always have more defensive responsibility than wingers. Wingers go along the boards and get caught up with players. Centermen are in free ice and so they're the logical/reliable ones to skate back and help the D. Because of this, it is the place where the fastest skaters play because they have to go north to south. To me, having AA and Larkin at center, is how we make use of their speed. I think we'll still see Z as the top center, which I think is fine, but hopefully Larkin gets better at faceoffs and takes over as the year goes on. I'd like Helm as the 3rd line center - He would certainly help the faceoff % - but I realize that blocks either AA or Sheahan so I know it doesn't fully make sense. To sign another centerman (unless it's Stamkos - i've heard he wants to play center) at this point just gets in the way of the future. I even think signing Richards to play center (though he played well at the end of the year and playoffs) this past year was overly cautious. We're not winning the cup next year (barring some big moves...maybe Stamkos, some surprise big trade on D and a lot of internal development) so we're continue this youth movement and get things going in the right direction for them taking over the team.

If you google it, there's a couple of articles that debunk this video. Apparently the Russian jerseys shown each have different sized numbers and the Datsyuk jersey isn't the design they wore this year.