kipwinger

I assume this is in reference to Niskanen, who's third best season (26 pts.) has only been bested by Kronwall and Quincey. We'd have killed for even that amount of production from out back end this year. Kinda hard to suggest he's not worth acquiring when his mediocre seasons haven't been topped by two thirds of our existing defense corps. I'm also not sure why everyone is so against signing a guy who's just entering his prime. It may come as a surprise, but our strategy of having guys who are too old to lead a team to the Cup augmented by guys too young to lead a team to the cup, is probably not going to work. We have no high-end forwards between Franzen and Nyquist, or high-end defensemen between Kronwall and Dekeyser. You can't win if you don't have any first rate players between the ages of 24 and 33. You just can't. And by the time all the young guys are ready to take over, the old guys will be WAY past it and it will be a wash anyway.

Personally I'd move Nyquist before Tatar, but I clearly agree with your general point. I just like Tatar's attitude better. Guys with that kind of attitude always seem to raise their game to the next level when you need it. Plus, I'm a firm believer that the Wings could use a little more attitude and a little less stoicism in the locker room. I know, and I can't stand Smith so I'm equally biased. But we'll leave that one for another time. I've probably beaten that horse to death anyway.

Unless it's the Wings I don't like teams flirting with dynasty status. As such, the Kings are winning just a little too much for my liking. It's a hard pill to swallow because I like the way they play hockey. So I'm going to pull for the Rags (can't believe I'm saying that) because I like St. Louis, Lundqvist, Nash and a few others, and at least they won't be a dynasty. Question though, if the Kings win what does that do to Babcock's status as "bestest coach eva"? I mean, it's getting to the point where a half dozen guys have done as much winning in the NHL as he has.

I'd be more reluctant to move Jurco than I would to move Nyquist or Tatar. He's big, not afraid to play the body, and is only going to get tougher to play against. Nyquist and Tatar are redundant. I'd prefer to lose one or the other of them rather than a guy like Jurco. Plus, upgrading the package to include one of the more NHL proven guys would likely make it easier for Vancouver to swallow Andersson as the third piece of the trade. Truth be told though, I'd rather it was Helm, Abby, or Smith than any of the guys mentioned above, but you can't always get what you want eh?

You almost got your wish. What a series though. First rate hockey. Glad to see the Kings win. Looking forward to the East/West SCF.

I've got to agree. Wishful thinking on McKee. Plus, while I've been clamoring for the Wings to get bigger and harder to play against, it was implied that the acquisitions actually be able to play the game of hockey. Sorry Mike McKee.

First, Lids/Rafi/Kronwall are not the best top three we've ever had. Not by a damn sight. In 1997 we had Lids, Fetisov, Murphy, and Konstantinov on the team. The three you mentioned are the best of the salary cap era...maybe. Secondly, you can confuse the story all you want with "possession this and possession that", but I wasn't comparing Brendan Smith's hit stats to some other teams defenseman...I was comparing him to someone on his own team (Kindl) and he's flat out soft. Same team, same system, same forwards. The fact that he's been in a couple of career fights doesn't deter from the fact that he finishes his checks less than everyone aside from Jakub "6'4 Europuss" Kindl.

Why does the author make a point of saying he's right handed if he doesn't score or play on the pp? Who cares what he shoots if that's the case. Also... 5'11 and 190? No thanks. I don't care how great his possession stats are, that would essentially give us the smallest, softest, weakest defense on earth. We already get steamrolled by strong forechecking teams as it is. I'll still take Niskanen, since he's about 20 lbs. heavier and scores every so often. Unless we swap Stralman for Smith somehow. He couldn't possible be softer than Brendan "I've got as many hits as Jakub Kindl despite playing more minutes in more games" Smith.

And for a taste of the absurd, Eklund reporting that Joe Thornton to Detroit is "heating up". How fulfilling would it be to call Eklund a "lying sack of s***" face-to-face?

Exactly. The log jam happens in two or three years as a result of the influx of too many NHL caliber prospects, not because of a free agent signing or two today. Even if Holland did nothing this year, three years from now we'd still have to trade quality talent away because there just won't be enough room. Trouble is, between now and then all our improvement would have to come from "prospects taking the next step". Which is a gamble. Probably better to trade a few of them off now. Gets you some proven NHL talent today, and relieves the logjam tomorrow. Win/win.

I get your point, and it's hard to disagree. But even if we'd kept Hossa and let Franzen walk, we'd still have the same problem. They're both skill players. One is clearly better than the other, no doubt, but but it's not like Marian Hossa is banging in rebound goals while Franzen exclusively plays outside.

Anybody else think the League Offices are salivating at the thought of a NYC/LA final? It's every professional league's wet dream.

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.