krsmith17

A potential elite (at worst decent) goaltender should be worth more to a team than a potential 2nd pair (at worst 3rd pair) defenseman. Holland could have protected Mrazek and Vegas wouldn't have touched Howard. We would have had a great duo for another season, and make a decision next summer... You're absolutely right. The decision to leave Mrazek exposed, doesn't make any sense. As I've said, I don't buy the attitude problem bulls***. Is it possible that Holland may have lost it? Is it possible that he's not the same GM he was 10+ years ago? That's my assumption. He's made a lot of bad (horrible) decisions over the past few years, and they seem to be getting progressively worse. IF Mrazek is taken in the expansion draft, I do hope that Chris Ilitch strongly considers the future of this team, and who should be managing it going forward... I don't think it should be Holland.

I'm well aware that every team loses a player, but we could have protected different players. One's that help us now, but more so thinking about the future. We could have protected Sheahan instead of Abdelkader and Mrazek instead of Howard. Losing Ouellet would be best case scenario at this point. We don't need the cap space as much as we need quality players (even if that is just potential)..

This exactly. It makes sense that teams didn't want to trade for him (or any player that needed protection), prior to the expansion draft, unless it was a one for one swap, benefitting both teams. There wasn't a fit, that doesn't mean there won't be a fit after all the dust settles. There is a goalie market, and for a goalie with Mrazek's ability and potential, you can be guaranteed there will be teams inquiring. Leaving Mrazek unprotected was the dumbest move by any GM in this expansion draft so far... unless there is some sort of side deal that none of know about... I really hope you're right on this... I still wouldn't have risked it, but if McPhee gave Holland his word that he would take Ouellet, for example, then I can kind of see why he may have did it to "send a message"...

That's even more troubling...

McPhee is doing a phenomenal job with this whole expansion process. They're going to be a very good team in the next 3-5 years, certainly better than Detroit if Holland remains the GM beyond this season...

I don't buy that. Holland has been inept in making trades over the past several years, this is just another example. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are no "untradeable" players, and yes that includes Clarkson, Ericsson and the "terrible attitude, cocky Petr Mrazek"...

Even if the Ducks are in "win now" mode, it still makes zero sense. In 2017-18 Shea Theodore will be as good or better than Sami Vatanen, and is 5 years younger, with the potential to become a top 10 defenseman in the league. There's not one part of this rumor that makes sense. Even a first to keep Vatanen is a steep price to pay, but certainly more plausible than Theodore...

For sure. I still find it very hard to believe that Murray is even considering giving up Theodore to keep Vatanen though... If he does, he's an idiot.

Which is why I said we'd have to put together a quality package. Yeah, I'd do Athanasiou / Svechnikov, Hronek / Saarijarvi and our 2018 2nd round pick.

I just seen the tweet from Bob McKenzie, so I guess it could happen... Man, if Theodore actually is available, Holland needs to be all over that. Call McPhee with a very enticing package and get us one Shea Theodore, please Kenny... Not sure what it would take but I would include one of Athanasiou or Svechnikov, plus another piece or two...

And nothing with Detroit...

If it's true that management have put Coreau ahead of Mrazek, that scares the s*** out of me... What makes them believe Coreau is better than Mrazek? Because he's bigger? He doesn't use that 6'6", 220lb. frame to his advantage at all. Because he won the Calder Cup? So did Mrazek, the difference being Coreau did it this year at 25, and Mrazek did it 4 years ago at 21. Mrazek has also had better numbers than Coreau every step of the way. Even as badly as Mrazek struggled this past season, his numbers were still better than Coreau's. Mrazek is a thousand times better than Coreau and any other goaltender in the pipeline. It's not even close. The fact that so many are ready to give up on a goaltender as young and talented as Mrazek is mind blowing. I don't give a s*** about the bad attitude. If he has such a poor attitude, trade him, don't give him away for free... Protecting Howard over Mrazek was the wrong decision. I don't care if Howard has been better this past season, Mrazek is the better goaltender for this team going forward. He's 8 years younger and on a better contract (still RFA). There's no question in my mind that he will rebound from last season, it's just a matter of where he will be when he does it. BUT, let's just say he doesn't rebound and he puts up similar numbers again this season. Then don't offer him a new contract next summer, simple as that. Protecting Howard served no purpose. There's no way Vegas would have taken him, unless there was some sort of incentive attached to it. Anyway, I think it's crazy that Holland actually left Mrazek unprotected, all we can hope for at this point is that maybe there's some sort of deal under the table to keep Mrazek while "sending him a message"...

There's no way this can be true... Theodore is arguably better than Vatanen now, is 5 years younger, and projects to be MUCH better in the next couple years. Theodore has the potential to become Elite. Losing Ouellet would be best case scenario in my opinion. I don't see him ever developing into anything more than a reliable 4/5 defenseman, and we have several of those in the system. It would give Sproul more of an opportunity, and who knows, maybe it would give Hicketts an opportunity at some point this season. In saying that, I wouldn't mind if they took Sheahan either, but I wouldn't give up a draft pick, unless I knew they were taking Mrazek...

So he's going to be a Blackhawk?...

Highly unlikely. Of the players we just mentioned, I would say Vilardi, Heiskanen and Makar will be gone long before 9. I'm thinking those three along with the obvious Patrick and Hischier will be the top 5. I'd be open to making a trade with Vegas if one of Vilardi or Makar drop to 6. It shouldn't cost anything too crazy to move up 3 spots, and McPhee may be willing to do it, depending on the return.

Yeah, add Makar and Heiskanen to that list for sure. As you know though, I'm not that high on Mittelstadt, and he wouldn't be one of my picks...

I do think Hague will be gone in the first round, although I really don't see the hype that's been surrounding him (mostly by one particular person here...). I've seen so many mock drafts with us taking Pettersson. He still wouldn't be my first choice, but wouldn't be a terrible pick either. I'm still hoping for Glass or Liljegren... or if five teams ahead of us f*** up, Vilardi...

Heard that before... I'd be surprised if he didn't sign with his hometown Oilers. Do we really need another depth forward? If he's cheap and isn't guaranteed a spot (two-way contract) I guess, why not...

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2017/06/who_will_red_wings_lose_in_exp.html#incart_river_index I'm hoping Chuck Gormley knows his s***. Has Vegas taking Ericsson... LOL

I was referring to next year, piggy-backing off of the conversation in the other thread about making room after this season for one of the kids (be it whoever we take with our 9th pick this year (Liljegren / Makar) or one of the kids currently in the organization (Hicketts or Hronek)). I'm also aware players on LTIR still get paid their salary, which is why I said they'd only have to pay him $1.75M of his $4.75M cap hit. But yeah, Franzen would be a good option as well, but I do think Kronwall will end up on LTIR by this time next season (if not sooner)...

I was referring to if Kronwall went on LTIR. But even if he didn't, only $1.75M actual salary for a $4.75M cap hit, would help them get closer to the cap floor, while paying a lot less in actual dollars. Could be a benefit to a team like Arizona... But hey, I just want to make room for some of the kids...

http://www.tsn.ca/mckenzie-s-draft-ranking-top-93-and-honourable-mentions-1.778987 McKenzie's final draft ranking. Top 100, first three rounds... Rasmussen at 9 (hope not), Tippett at 10 and Liljegren at 16...

Kronwall...

Yeah, that would still be terrible asset management in my opinion. Especially when McPhee has been very open about making deals with teams that want to keep players. Of the players we could potentially lose, the biggest losses in my opinion would be Mrazek and then Sproul. Then I'd put Nosek, Sheahan and Ouellet in a second tier below them. And as much a fan of Helm as I am, with age and cap hit being a factor, I'd like to see Vegas take him. Of course if they were stupid enough to take anyone else (Frk, Glendening, Callahan, Tangradi, Kronwall, Ericsson, Lashoff, McIlrath, etc.) I'd be ecstatic...

http://www.tsn.ca/button-and-seravalli-draft-the-golden-knights-1.782983 Interesting to see Button has Vegas taking Sproul and Seravalli has them taking Ouellet. Neither think they will take Mrazek... I'm hoping Seravalli is right on this one.