kipwinger

I agree with this, but I don't think it goes far enough. I want the puck mover. That's the top priority. But since the San Jose and Nashville series a few years ago teams have figured out that if you keep Detroit to the outside, and block shots, you'll beat them. In the playoffs we play EXCLUSIVELY from the perimeter. We need to get bigger and grittier. I don't mean fighters, or hulking fourth liners. I mean we need top six talent with enough size and toughness to play in front of the net. It's not surprising that guys like Carter, Bickell, Bourque are scoring in the playoffs. They go to areas that playoff goals get scored from. I'm not saying skill doesn't matter. It does (Gaborik is proving that every game). I'm saying we've got enough skill already and need to compliment it. One or two big bodied wingers who can score in the crease (sorry Abby) would probably increase our success.

Bingo.

Right. Because that's totally what I said. For the second time. We can improve the team AND make it harder to play against, but only if Holland is aggressive in the offseason and doesn't sit back and sign guys like Boyle, Vrbata, Callahan, Zidlicky, etc. just because it's easier to chase UFAs than it is to trade. Also, keep in mind that Holland "doesn't get into bidding wars". So of the guys you mentioned he'd likely get the worst in each category. Yeehaw!

None of that really makes us tougher to play against though. Add any (or all) of those guys and Boston still wipes us out in the first round. Add all those guys, plus Sproul, Mantha, Pulkkinen, and Marchenko and Boston STILL wipes us out in the first round. Ken Holland has a real opportunity to use all this cap space, tradeable assets, and roster space to significantly improve the team WHILE ALSO making it harder to play against. But not if he takes the easy way out and signs more aging vets, club footed third pair d-men, and undersize and/or European forwards. For example: Vrbata is a better player, but a guy like RJ Umberger is a bigger need. We've got six guys that can do what Vrbata does, we've got nobody that can do what Umberger does. That's what I'm getting at.

I still think he'd be a decent player, just not on a Babcock team. On a pure offense team, where he could concentrate on moving the puck up ice and skating, he'd be a moderately successful offensive d-man. But give that we've got a hundred such defensive prospects, and given that I'm pretty sure he's scared to death of Babs, I'm all for moving him out and getting what we can for him. Good for our team, and good for his career...win/win.

Nah, Umberger makes more money and has requested a trade...and he's got a no trade clause. He's got them over a barrel. Umberger for Franzen even up would work, but I want that second if I'm moving the first in a separate deal for Kesler. I still think that value for value those trades work. I also don't mind either of your suggested signings (Morris and Nabokov) provided they were short term and Kindl was going out the other way to offset some of the added salary.

I agree with this. We've got the cap and roster flexibility to be aggressive this year and I think we should be. My priorities are as follow (I'm trying to be realistic in terms of value and only acquiring guys who are believed to be available): 1. Trade Smith, Helm, and our 1st for Ryan Kesler. 2. Trade Franzen and Andersson for RJ Umberger and a 2nd. 3. Sign Niskanen (5 years, 5.5 million) 4. Sign Fedor Malykhin to a two way contract. 5. Kindl can go too, for a late pick, and replaced with a vet d-man if you felt like finding one (I didn't bother on this). CAPGEEK.COM ARMCHAIR GM ROSTER CapGeek Armchair GM Roster FORWARDS Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Pavel Datsyuk ($7.500m) / Ryan Kesler ($5.000m) R.J. Umberger ($4.600m) / Stephen Weiss ($4.900m) / Gustav Nyquist ($0.950m) Tomas Tatar ($2.000m) / Riley Sheahan ($1.000m) / Tomas Jurco ($0.709m) Drew Miller ($1.350m) / Luke Glendening ($0.628m) / Justin Abdelkader ($1.800m) DEFENSEMEN Niklas Kronwall ($4.750m) / Jonathan Ericsson ($4.250m) Matt Niskanen ($5.500m) / Danny DeKeyser ($2.500m) Jakub Kindl ($2.400m) / Alexei Marchenko ($0.667m) Brian Lashoff ($0.725m) / GOALTENDERS Jimmy Howard ($5.292m) Petr Mrazek ($0.595m) CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter) (estimations for 2014-15) SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $64,174,167; BONUSES: $535,833 CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $6,925,833

I agree with your overall point, but Silferberg wasn't a "Mantha-level prospect". He was drafted 39th overall and his professional scoring totals weren't even as good as Calle Jarnkrok in both the SEL and AHL. But hyperbole aside, I agree. Nobody is going to take Mantha for a young, proven, NHL goal scorer.

Trade rumor that Columbus wants to move R.J. Umberger. I know we'd all love a superstar on Pav and Z's wing, but since I don't see that happening how does everyone feel about Umberger? He'd basically be like Abby or Bert up there, except he can still score. Three years left on his contract at 4.5 mil. He's 32.

I'm calling for a disaster. The team isn't built for Trotz' style of game and I don't think Leonsis will stomach huge roster turnover and/or significantly less scoring. This will be a real test for Barry. He's going to need to coach a (more) offensive game to get wins initially. We'll see how he fair. Oh...and Ovechkin will eat him alive. Alex is an institution in D.C. and nobody, but nobody, will make him do something he doesn't want to do. I expect the honeymoon to be short, a lot of internal problems (e.g. Hunter and Ovie) and eventually Trotz will be let go because Ovie sells merchandise and tickets. That's my prediction.

I'd feel a lot better playing fast and loose with our 1st round pick if we still had a second. I'd also be willing to part with that 1st if it was all but sure that we'd be signing that Russian kid this offseason. As it stands, we don't have a second nor any promising freebies so I'd hang onto that pick at 15th barring some sort of deal that blows our collective hair back.

Seems to me like there are many things that you could criticize Ken Holland for, but drafting isn't one of them. He does just fine with the draft.

I agree with most of your points, but I'll say this...if you wouldn't trade Mantha for Johansen you probably need to watch more of Ryan Johansen. That dude is a monster.

I watched a good amount of the Memorial Cup games, and to be really honest I think this kid needs a year in the AHL. His size, skill, and speed are obvious for the world to see, but when he finally had to face some tough checking he was flummoxed. I genuinely think he'll be really good, but he needs to acclimatize himself to higher quality competition in the AHL. If not he'll get frustrated and get knocked off his game. If it's that easy for Guelph and Edmonton to do it, imagine how he'd suffer against NHL competition. I'd give him a full year in the AHL with the understanding that he'd be the first or second injury call up.

Mantha with an assist in the final 30 seconds to tie the game in the third. Overtime for the Oil Kings and Le Foreurs de Val D'or.

He may not "know anything about hockey" in the sense that he probably couldn't coach a team to the Stanley Cup finals, but I'm sure Mike Babcock couldn't operate a multi-billion dollar industry either. Gary Bettman isn't employed to be a fanboy. He's employed to run a business, and by ever single metric he's doing that very well.

I understand why you feel that way. From a fan's point of view, the only thing that matters is keeping the games going and hockey on the tv. As that is our priority, any breakdown therein seems like a colossal failure. However, Gary's priority is to ensure the long term health of the league. To ensure that, he was willing to go through two lockouts. They sucked. But it's hard to argue with success. The league is WAY stronger in every sense under Bettman. Revenue keeps going up, player's salaries keep going up, attendance keeps going up, endorsement deals go up, media partnerships are more lucrative, etc. etc. etc. Bettman's not a bad negotiator, he's a great negotiator. As fans, we just don't happen to share his priorities because his perspective is noticeably different than ours. I'd certainly let the guy negotiate on my behalf the next time I'm due to purchase a house, get a raise, or buy a car.

Him. Which is why he gets paid the big bucks.

Abby has a tendency to have pretty monumental brain farts from time to time. Not "Brenden Smith trying to Pass" levels of brainfartitis, but bad nonetheless.

I agree. Dude's doing a good job. The league is great, the game has never been more exciting, and he's the guy responsible for it. I'd give him another raise if I were in charge.

I know, I'm being a smart ass. While I'm definitely not on the "Babcock's the Bestest Coach Eva!" bandwagon (not saying you are), I will happily admit he's a MUCH better coach that Torts. At the very least I can't imagine Babs calling someone a "jitter bug" and saying he "stinks". So there's that.

Finally! My boy Bettman is executive of the year. That, along with game of the year (Winter Classic), and league of the year (NHL) makes being a hockey fan breezy. Plus, ratings are up and attendance is strong. Nowhere to go but up for the worlds' greatest game, all thanks to the worlds' greatest executive. God bless you Gary Bettman, and god bless the National Hockey League! http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2014/05/red_wings-maple_leafs_winter_c_4.html

Nah, that spot was already filled by David Legwand, the teams' leader in points.

Torts has just as many Stanley Cups and one more Jack Adams award than Babs

I was condemning you for calling the other guy out for speculating while (by your own admission) you were in the process of "pulling numbers out of the air". That's all. I agree we all speculate in this thread, but you're one of two people who call others out for doing it as if you yourself hadn't done the same thing.