krsmith17

Sure, a good GM could probably work around the cap to sign Karlsson. A better GM would understand that signing Karlsson in the Red Wings current situation to a ridiculous contract is a bad move...

We have the best looking GM in the league. Not even close. What a handsome bastard...

I don't think you did... Anyway, I'm over this. I would absolutely love to have Karlsson on this team, but not near what he's going to command in free agency. I don't think it's going to happen anyway, so it seems like a lot of wasted time discussing...

S a l a r y C a p . . .

What the f***?... My Svechnikov + 2nd round pick proposal would have been more than enough to get it done... and more than worth it... F***!

I'd be a little worried to say the least... Karlsson will sign a massive contract this summer, and I think whoever signs him to said contract will regret it in a few years. I hope that's not us. I don't think it will be... You keep talking about these 5 years of good hockey from Karlsson. But so what if we do get 5 good years out of Karlsson? We're 5 years away from being contender, with or without Karlsson. The only difference bringing Karlsson in will be where we pick in the next few years, top 5-10 or 15-25... Karlsson will bring another free agent? And another?? And another??? It's a good thing there's no salary cap anymore...

Just to add, and reiterate what I've already said... If Yzerman can somehow pull off some voodoo magic s*** and convince Karlsson to sign for 5 years, $8M AAV, I guess I'd be fine with that... But I still don't think it gets us any closer to a Cup, and probably moves us further away from one in the future (5+ years from now)...

My timeline isn't off, you're just not understanding what I'm saying... When I say a year or two from now, I'm talking about when this team should start to turn the corner and make the playoffs. I don't expect to be a true contender in that time. In my opinion, we're about 5 years away, and by that time, Karlsson will be a shell of his former self... Yes, a defenseman's prime is generally later than a forwards. So maybe you can stretch it from 23-28 to 25-30. Not a huge difference there. That doesn't change the fact that the league is getting younger. Listen, I'm well aware of how awesome Erik Karlsson is, and I'd be beyond pumped to see him in the Winged Wheel in September. However, I don't agree that we should sign a 28 year old defenseman with injury concerns for 7 years, $12M AAV... We'd get a few good years out of him, none of which we're a Cup contender, and then when we're finally good enough to contend, he's not good enough to carry us anymore... Makes no sense to me...

Which would have also been amazing. I think it would have been between the two. Maybe they would have gone with the big defenseman though, especially with all the Lidstrom comparisons at the time...

We're not "wasting them away"... Larkin (22), Mantha (24), Athanasiou (24), Bertuzzi (24), Rasmussen (20), Zadina (19), 2019 1st round pick (18), Hronek (21), Cholowski (21), Bowey (24) is a very young core. Continue to add to that, and when Larkin, Zadina, Hronek, Cholowski, and whoever we pick 6th overall in this year's draft are all in their prime in a year or two from now, that's when you add a big name free agent or two. I'm not arguing that defensemen prime is later than forwards. I agree with that. "The 35 year old defensemen happen to be the best in the league currently." Proceeds to name one good 35 year old defenseman... Fact is there are only 14 defensemen in the league that are 35+. Only 7 are 36+. Aside from 2 or 3, the rest suck. 10 years ago, that number was doubled. The league is getting younger. That goes for average age entering the league, average age prime years, and average age retiring. I'm not saying there are no good 35+ defenseman, I'm saying that number is dwindling. Add in some key injuries and the chance of Karlsson being worth close to $12M between the ages of 32-35 I would say is slim. Then factor in this team likely not being a legit contender while Karlsson is still on top of his game, it makes no sense to sign him. Karlsson is a future Hall of Famer. That doesn't mean we must sign him. You know who else were future Hall of Famers? Cam Neely and Pavel Bure. Both retired in their early 30's because of knee / groin, among other injuries. Anyway, agree to disagree on this. You want 4-5 good years out of Karlsson, which you'd probably get, but fail to recognize that this team likely wouldn't win a Cup in that time. You acknowledge that he might suck for the final 2-3 years, but fail to recognize the negative impact that will have on the team and the cap situation. I guarantee you, not a single person would have wanted Mike Green for max term / max salary... I acknowledge that Trouba isn't half the player Karlsson is (offensively), but I'd still take him at half the salary if the option were there. I don't think a single defenseman in the league is worth $12M, but certainly not one closing on his prime years with injury concerns... Where did I say they didn't give it their all to make the playoffs??? We don't need a miracle. Sure, a top 1 or 2 pick would put the rebuild ahead of schedule, but so could a top 5-10 pick Karlsson is NOT young... He's not old either, but he will be by the time this team is ready to compete for a Stanley Cup...

So, it's not that we wouldn't have drafted Heiskanen, because we clearly have no problem drafting Finns, it's that we wouldn't have played Heiskanen, because apparently "We don't play Finns"... Got it...

Well it's not really a secret that Swedes have been our most dominant Euro draft selection in recent years. That probably has a lot to do with our Director of European scouting (Hakan Andersson) being Swedish. Point was, "We don't draft Finns" is incorrect. 4 in the past 5 years says otherwise.

We own the Islanders' 2nd round pick.

Drink a Carlsberg while eating Carl's Jr.

If it's Vanek for 1 year, $2M or Karlsson for 7 years, $80M, Vanek for sure.

2018 - Otto Kivenmaki 2017 - Kasper Kotkansalo 2015 - Vili Saarijarvi 2014 - Julius Vahatalo 2010 - Teemu Pulkkinen

I disagree on a few... Abdelkader - Good signing. Worst contract in the league. Way too much money ($2.5-3M too much) and term (3-4 years too long). Helm - Good signing. Bad contract. Too much money ($1.5-2M too much) and term (2-3 years too long). Nielsen - Understandable signing. Bad contract. Maybe a little too much money ($1-1.5M too much) and term (2-3 years too long). Vanek - Good signing first time. Bad signing second time. Terrible signing if there's a third time. Reasonable contracts. Green - Great signing. Good contract. Daley - Terrible signing. Reasonable contract.

Very true. However, being able to retain up to 50% on these contracts could definitely help. Abdelkader at $2.125M, Helm at $1.925M, or Nielsen at $2.625M all of a sudden doesn't look like such terrible contracts. Of course we wouldn't trade / retain on all of these contracts, but the option is there...

If we could sign Karlsson for a reasonable contract, say 5 years at $8M, I'd be okay with it, but 7 years at $12M, no thanks... Again with the prime years... A player's prime in today's NHL is around 23-28 give or take. Both Karlsson and Panarin will be 28 at the start of next season. I didn't say anything about 40, so I'm not sure where that is coming from, but with the league continuously getting younger, 35 is getting close to what 40 was 10+ years ago. The current guys "can't even make the playoffs" because we're rebuilding... No one was expecting this team to come close to the playoffs, and they won't until they get some help. I'm of the opinion that we should continue to draft and develop until we're a little closer, and THEN go for a big name free agent or two that 'puts us over the top', not that 'gets us over the hump'... The bolded is exactly why we shouldn't go after big name free agents. Bad teams need to think long-term, not short-term, which is what I believe Karlsson and Panarin would be. Adding Karlsson and Panarin, may get us in the playoffs (over the hump), but it doesn't get us close to being a Cup contender (over the top). So we make the playoffs for a few seasons, continue drafting good, not great players in the middle of the 1st round, and in 3-5 years when Karlsson and Panarin start to decline, we're left with two albatross contracts, and a mediocre team... I think we're two very good (2019 / 2020) drafts away from turning the corner. One more down season, and we get close or make the playoffs in 2020-21. Exactly. And that $18M is being generous... It would likely be close on $20M to get both Karlsson and Panarin here long term... F*** That!!!

What am I "wrong" about regarding the NTC/NMC? Like I said, obviously a contract without a NTC/NMC is better than one with one, but it makes sense (sometimes) when they're given out. Obviously Holland gave out a few too many. No one would argue that, but they are sometimes a useful tool to lower a player's cap hit. I completely understand giving Kronwall a NTC. That one makes sense. Same goes for Green. I don't think Nielsen, Vanek, Ericsson or DeKeyser should have been given one, but I guess I get why they were at the time. Abdelkader, Helm and Daley never should have received one in my opinion. Anyway, the point of all of this is that we're in pretty good shape going forward. Most of the NTC/NMC will fall off in the next year or so, and the remaining three are all easily moveable. Yzerman is not at all handcuffed with any contracts. Even if there is one he doesn't like, he's shown that he's not afraid to buyout a player.

Miro Heiskanen would be a Red Wing today if we had gained one more point in the 2016-17 season...

Right you are... Karlsson.img The question is, does he have Red Wings hats and boxers like Troubs?...

I have to say, aside from that last game, Cozens didn't impress much. Still had 9 points in 7 games, but wasn't quite as engaged as I expected to see him. Small sample size, and I'd still be thrilled if we picked him at 6, but I'd be happy with any of the players you mentioned as well. I'm kind of disappointed that Newhook had such a strong showing. As unlikely as it was, I was really hoping he'd fall outside of the 1st round to us at 35. If he wasn't already, after that showing, I think he'll be a lock to go top 10-15...

In fairness, Derek Meech's drunk uncle isn't that great... Also, f*** that trade...