krsmith17

Nope, no assets at all...

Yeah, I'd give up a significant amount for Duchene...

Backes was only listed as a 2nd / 3rd line center / winger because Hitch likes to have a balanced top 9. Stastny is the only center that I would consider better than Backes right now, and he's also way better than anything we have right now. Backes was 2nd only to Steen in average time on ice per game. While he wouldn't light the league on fire, he can definitely handle 1st line center, and would be an upgrade over anything we have at the moment... Zetterberg may be the better player at the age of 36, but that's even debatable. Regardless, Hank should be getting reduced minutes to keep him fresh and shouldn't be anywhere near that number one spot, or else he'll be burnt out by Christmas... again... Larkin isn't ready for the number one spot yet, and could use a year or two as our number two center to prepare himself to take over that position in the near future...

I'd like to sign Okposo, but for nothing close to $7M X 7 years... Massive overpayment in my opinion...

$6-7M is too much to sign any of the remaining UFA's to a long term contract in my opinion. I would like Backes and / or Okposo, but I wouldn't sign either of them to that kind of money unless it's significantly less term. Backes at $6M, short term (2-3 years), and Okposo at $5M, longer term (5 years), I'd be happy...

poel, seriously stop talking out of your a** and just making up s***. We were not even close to being "one of the worst possession teams". We actually had the puck more than most teams in the entire league, ranked 8th at 51.7% corsi... Let me guess, that's another stat that is inaccurate because your eyeball test says so?... We do not have to / can not replicate what we had in Datsyuk, and Backes is the best option at center available via free agency. Like I said, he's not a bonafide number one anymore but he is certainly a borderline number one, and definitely a better option than a 20 year old Larkin, who has played in a limited center role last season, or Zetterberg who should be playing limited minutes to get the most out of him for a full season...

No, we do not need the player that is closest to style of play as Datsyuk, we need the player that is closest to a number one center. Richards isn't close to that anymore, and while Backes may not be considered a bonafied number one center anymore, he's the best available and still a much better option than Richards. Money isn't an issue, I'd prefer to pay Backes $6M rather than Richards at $3M again. Now term is a completely different story and like I said, I wouldn't want Backes at anything long term, but if we can get him for a 2-3 year contract, no matter what we're paying him, he's a massive upgrade over Richards...

Offer sheets are a terrible idea in general, and Holland hasn't nor will he make an offer sheet on a player, plain and simple. There's zero chance he would offer sheet Kucherov, and piss off Yzerman... With Stamkos gone, I'm really hoping we go after Backes on a short term (2-3 year) deal. We desperately need a number one center to fill in for a couple years while Larkin gets adjusted to the position at the NHL level. I think Backes is the best option available in free agency, and I'd prefer to hold onto our assets to make a trade on the back end, rather than up front. Not going to be quite as exciting tomorrow with Stamkos off the board, but I'm still interested (afraid) in what Holland will do with all of this cap space, that he freed up...

Sorry forgot the ninja ... I was being slightly sarcastic in that proposed trade, but I thought it might have been obvious with my "massive potential" to go along with the fact that I've said numerous times how I don't see Marchenko as anything more than a 3rd pairing shut-down defender. So no, I don't think he would get us Nugent-Hopkins...

I don't want any part of Nielson and that asking price, and I'd much prefer Backes on a short term deal if possible... I'd love to land Okposo, but I can see him getting massively overpaid tomorrow too, especially with Stamkos off the board. I don't think he will get as much as Shaman suggested, but $6-6.5 for 7 years could be a possibility, and I don't want him at that price... I don't see any chance of us landing Nugent-Hopkins. They would definitely be looking for defense, and we don't have what it would take, unless we can talk up the "massive potential" of Marchenko, the same way New Jersey must have with Larsson...

There's no one I disagree with more when it comes to player analysis than poel... Smith sucks, Helm sucks, Nyquist sucks, Tatar sucks, and now Brad Richards is a better option than David Backes? LOL If you don't like Backes, you don't have to want him here, but please don't say that Richards is a better player, because it couldn't be further from the truth. Backes is better in every facet of the game. Backes will put up 40-50 points, while Richards will put 20-30 points... Backes is younger, bigger, faster, shoots right, better at faceoffs, hits more, blocks more shots, icorsi, ifenwick, etc, etc... Backes >>>>> Richards, and it's not close...

Sucks Stamkos is gone, but I'm just happy he's not going to Toronto... We desperately need a center and I'm frightened to death Holland is going to overpay for whoever is left over... There are no centers available that I'd want long term but we should probably look at one of Backes or Staal on a short term deal as a stop gap... Not sure if either would go for that though, since both are likely looking for 5-7 year deals. Other than that, the only other name that I'd be willing to pay and give term to is Okposo. I'd be okay with Backes at a similar contract that Green signed last year and Okposo to $5.5M X 5 years...

"Guys like Burns, Buff and... PK" Huh? Weber is much more like those other two than Subban...

There's no way you choose Okposo and Backes over Stamkos. We have more than enough depth throughout the entire lineup. You know what we lack? Elite level talent. There is only one elite level player that will hit free agency, quite possibly the best player (taking into account age) that has ever hit free agency, including pre-salary cap... You don't pass that up for two depth players... If Stamkos signs elsewhere, then we look at other options, but you don't pass on a player of his calibre... for depth...

I'm pretty sure that was the intention... Nonetheless, I would have rathered him over Miller last year when we waived him, and the same goes for this year... Oh well...

That would be a solid pickup. Do you have a link kip? Any idea what it would cost to acquire him?

If we trade three or four bottom 6 players (not going to happen), then I'll be open to the idea of signing Martin. Otherwise there is no room for him...

I think we'll land one free agent, possibly two, but not two huge names. But I love the enthusiasm of some, thinking that adding not one, not two, not three, but four or five new names is even a remote possibility...

Again Dom, what's your point? I know exactly what Martin brings to the table, and I never once said that he wouldn't help this team. I simply said there's no room for another bottom 6 guy, and that I would have preferred him over Miller...

I think there's going to be a lot of disappointed Wings fans here on Friday. And if / when Holland strikes out on some of the bigger names and over pays for one of the second tier guys, people are going to go nuts... Exactly my point Dom. A week ago, I would have welcomed a Martin type player, but after the Miller signing, to go along with our already over crowded bottom 6, there's really no place for a player like Martin...

Martin is a bottom 6 guy. We have more than enough depth guys. Just another reason the Miller signing was unnecessary... I would have taken Martin over Miller, but with Miller already signed, no thanks...

Thanks for the link Lefty!

I couldn't disagree more with your first sentence there Nerve... I don't think there's ever a situation where signing Drew Miller is a "must"...

Captain Jeff Hoggan will not return to the Griffins next season. I wonder who gets the C? Lashoff?