krsmith17

Reputable source? Or just some random talking s***? I'd take Fleury, and Cody Glass and even throw in a 2nd round pick going back the other way... I find it very hard to believe that Yzerman asked for a 1st round pick AND Cody Glass...

Except it did go against what Yzerman said... Your comment was dumb, considering the information Yzerman gave us about wanting to try him in that position. Anyway, it's clear you're not going to admit that, despite the fact that I agreed that Fabbri might be better suited on the wing (we don't know for sure), and he may be slotted back over to the wing with the addition of Namestnikov. You know this definitively based on all the center he's played?

LOL penciling him in as the 3C is not earth shattering either, since, ya know, the GM said they'd like to try him there... It's not like you had him penciled in as the 3W, and I said "Fabbri is not a winger, he's a center"... The opposite occurred... I was just going by what Yzerman said himself, and you tried to correct me, despite what you've heard him say... It makes so sense...

I don't expect a big jump in the standings, but I do expect a significant jump in overall points. It won't be another 17 win season, and I wouldn't even be surprised if we double that, or at least come close... which would still make us a bottom 5 team...

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you're alone on that assessment. Gagner is a better overall player than Nielsen, he brings a much needed dimension (right-handed shot), that few others bring, he's five years younger, about $4M cheaper... I'm honestly struggling to find one reason you'd prefer Nielsen over Gagner... Shootouts? That's about it, and even then, not that either would be in my top five go-to in the shootout, but I'd throw Gagner out there before Nielsen... Nielsen flat out sucks. One of the worst players in the league, on one of the worst contracts in the league...

It's definitely a possibility. One that I'm sure Yzerman and his staff are heavily considering. You add to it, because both players are basically useless, especially with all of the upgrades via free agency over the past couple days. You save cap space and real dollars over the next few seasons, to make more moves to acquire assets, and have minimal penalty in years 4, 5, and 6 (including both buyouts). It's all been discussed above.

Dude, what are you talking about? I never said anything was set in stone. I never said the lineup would or should stick for an entire season. I simply said that I would go with Larkin, Namestnikov, Fabbri, Glendening down the middle, at least to start the season... Again, you then replied with "Fabbri is not a center. He's a middle six winger."... Which completely goes against what the general manager himself has said. I even went on to say that I think Fabbri may be better suited on the wing. However, he was a center in junior, he was drafted as a center, and likely the only reason he hasn't transitioned back to center, is because of all the injuries. It's worth a look, and what better way to give him a trial on the 3rd line with a veteran like Gagner.

$600K isn't going to make or break our cap in years 3 and 4. You literally just said that there's no way Nielsen gets waived.

Gagner is better at this point in their respective careers. He was just signed. He is the coveted right-handed shot, that Yzerman keeps saying he wants more of in the lineup. So yes, there is a way one or both of Nielsen or Filppula get waived over Gagner.

Sure. None of this changes the fact that Yzerman has said that he'd like to try Fabbri at center. So I put him at center in my mock lineup. You then replied "Fabbri is not a center. He's a middle six winger."...

Yup. Whichever teams sign these players, namely Hall and Pietrangelo, will need to shed cap space. Enter Yzerman.

I wouldn't presume all of those players will be here beyond this season. You just listed 18 forwards. I'm just saying, I expect a few players to be traded or waived before the season starts, and maybe a few others unexpected through the season. I highly doubt that expansion draft list of players is the exact same 9 months from now...

Or more than likely a trade before then.

Yeah, Neo clearly hasn't been paying attention. Yzerman has said numerous times that he'd like to try Fabbri at center. Granted, that was before we added Namestnikov (who has also played mostly wing the past few seasons). I'd still like to see Fabbri given a look down the middle. He may be better suited on the wing, but I'd sure as hell rather Fabbri in that spot than Nielsen or Filppula... Namestnikov is no more of a center than Fabbri. Nielsen sucks, and should not be on the roster. Filppula isn't too far behind. Gagner has played mostly on the wing the past few years as well. Fabbri deserves a look. If it doesn't work out, oh well, but likely wouldn't be any worse than the other options...

I think a 3rd round pick would be a reasonable expectation for Helm, especially if we were willing to retain salary. You're allowed up to three retained salary contracts, worth a shade over $12M. I'd use $1.925 of that on Helm's contract. Taking on Johnson may be getting a little too over crowded for this season. I'd look at this or another contract next offseason, when a few more contracts fall off the books. We're already going to have a glut of draft picks coming our way. I'd hold off on this one. But yeah, I'd definitely still try to swing the potential three-way trade involving Fleury... Good point. I guess a potential buyout could depend on where things stand with Fleury and Vegas...

$6.6M is very reasonable to spend on two quality goaltenders. I'm not sure, but I would have to think that's one of the cheaper, and better bang for your buck, duos in the league. To be fair, there will still be quite a bit of losing... Just not near as much as last season... lol

Yeah, it's not until year four (2023-24) that it would be "hurting" us, and even then it's sub $2M, and just a hair over $1M in each of the next two years (2024-25 / 2025-26)... Hardly crippling, especially with so much of our core still on ELC's / bridge deals...

I don't really disagree, and like I said, I've been advocating buying out Nielsen for months, but having two buyouts on the books for the next 4 years, isn't a great look. The question for me would be if the Illitch's would be okay with all that dead money... If we were to buyout Nielsen, this is what we'd be looking at over the next four years... 2020-21 - $5,222,223 2021-22 - $6,722,223 2022-23 - $2,972,223 2023-24 - $1,722,223 So yeah, like you said, it would only really hurt us the next two years... F*** it! Do it Yzerman!

I was more so referring to the second part of the tweet, not the part about what this means for Pearson, Smith and Svechnikov. We will need to make room for Svech though, or risk losing him for nothing. I agree. Yzerman has it in him to waive these guys, if there are other players outperforming them. He'll do whatever is best for the team. I think Helm is worth much more than a 5th or 6th round pick. Unless it's a three way deal, eating salary on Johnson or Fleury, I don't think Yzerman will be bringing in any more players via trade or free agency.

Very interesting. I had forgotten about this little wrinkle. Nielsen is the one I would have bought out over Abdelkader from the beginning, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about another but-out. That's a lot of dead cap over the next four years... I think I'd rather just waive both Nielsen and Filppula at this point. Going to be interesting for sure, to see how things play out...

Your hate for Blashill is unfounded. No coach in the league would have gotten much more out of the teams that Holland assembled the past few years. I'll wait and see what Blash can do with a competent group before I completely write him off.

Insert Namestnikov into Fabbri's spot (2C), move Fabbri down to Filppula's spot (3C), and scratch Filppula... This could actually be a somewhat competitive roster... No where near playoffs, but not dead last either, which depending on who you ask, could be a good thing, or a bad thing...

I haven't been this amped for Red Wings hockey in a long time. Not that I think this team is going to be particularly good this season, but what a turnaround, at least on paper... Phenomenal offseason, and he still may not be done. I don't think we can really add anything else, but maybe addition by subtraction (Nielsen / Filppula), and / or a trade to acquire more assets (Fleury)...

Both should be waived / demoted. Something Holland would NEVER do, but Yzerman definitely has the balls to do it.