frankgrimes

Danny D. is a Michigan boy and part of the defensive future of this team. I would go as far as calling him the Wings best and most reliable defender ... so if course his contract starts at least with 6 mill. per. Pulkinnen should be traded he doesn't provide anything he is too one dimendional.

well if he wants more money ice a better, more entertaining team. I hope, Chris is more like his father instead of someone who only cares about the bottom, that would be disappointing

Loooch, Matt Martin and Colton Orr this would once and for all end the mantra of the Wings being pushed around. But fixing this mess starts with fixing the defense and if the scouts aren't able to draft promising defenders than it's time to add some scouts from Nashville. I mean how did they find Roman Josi? Unbelievable

i know that and I understand it but is it worth risking long-term playoff revenue? Because that's exactly what will happen if this team doesn't add some serious talent soon.As great as Loooch would be I don't think he will want to come here, guy wants to win another cup while still being in his prime. I think he either stays with the Kings or is going home to Vancouver which of course would mean, no playoffs for the first time since forever for him

so that he can turn the Wings to the way it used to be again. I think Mr. I can't be happy with first round exits, if the team even makes it. So focussing on one in easier than on three

The Baseball and NFL team.

Yeah rather be average instead of getting guys like Ekblad, Nurse, McJesus or Eichel.Just so people understand if the Wings make it they'll face Washington also known as the hottest team in the league. I don't know how getting destroyed in this series would help the confidence of the young guys. A guy like Juolevi, Chychrun would

Best thing would be if Mr. I sold the other useless teams and have his focus on making this team a juggernaut again

This thread is about Stamkos, not Bergeron or Kopitar who are excellent players but Toews is almost perfect defensively and he will come up big in big games so there's that.It obviously doesn't matter anyways because of all the guys mentioned only Stamkos might be available ...Which whether people think he is a top 5 player or not isn't relevant a guy this good usually doesn't make it to UFA. Anyhow like I said I think it's nothing more than a pipe dream...back in the good ol days Wings would have gotten him for sure. If I'm building a franchise today I'd take Doughty because he fixes the hardest position to have...an elite number 1 defenseman. Guy will finally win his first Norris this year has been long overdue.

Nope he is not a better complete player. There is more to hockey than just points. The way Crosby has carried this team has been ridiculous guy is putting up points left and right. For sure he hasn't been the same who is going to pass him the puck? the point of signing Stamkos would be to replace Pasha after next year. Which means he would be able to play his favorite positions ..center and do some defensive work

If Stamkos isn't the second best player in the world who is? I understand, one could make an argurment for Jonathan Toews and if we count goalies of course Price but other than that? But my point still stands player of that ilk almost never make to UFA, so this is a very special thing. His production may be down but to me Stammer is a more complete, bigge, stronger player than he ever was and isn't. even in his prime yet. I could easily see him putting on even more muscle and end up at around 200 - 210 lbs which would mean, a guy in his prime with a lightning quick wrister that can bulldoze his way to the net...great thing for a team to have scary for the opposition if you ask me. Is he worth 12 plus a year? Well honestly I don't care it's not my money (I'd happily pay it if I were as rich as some of the owners). But to me the whole thing is just a pipedream...there are more arguments against him coming here then otherwise. The core is aging, declining and the defense needs a fix Nobody knows what the future holds and I doubt the new arena is something that tops him going home or signing with a stanley cup contender in the off-season. One thing is for sure, wheter people think he is worth it or not the guy will get paid tons of money and whichever does it will have a superstar before his prime.Just for the optics I fully expect the Red Bird III landing in Tampa this off-season if he doesn't re-sign. I just hope Newport doesn't pull another "audience" thing. Stamkos doesn't strike me as a guy who would appreciate that.

People stating that Pasha hasn't declined ? I hate to say it but he has although to me he is still the best player on the team if healthy. Which just proves how good this guy is but man I already miss him dangling around like nothing a few years back.

Stamkos to me is just a pipe dream. The guy will get paid it's not a matter of if but simply which team. 10 mill isn't going to be enough the guy isn't even in his prime yet and already the second best player in the world. Would he fix the center problem? oh yeah! But what's in it for Stamkos? The core is on their last legs, nobody knows what how good the kids will be. Superstars aren't interested in potential they want to see progress and building towards a Stanley cup winner. failing that factors like grown up city etc. will come into play, which means edge to Toronto. To me the darkhorse team in all of this is Buffalo and the ability to play with RoR and Eichel for years to come. Toronto has nothing close to that. Well the mindset of not paying someone 10 mill per even if they easily deserve it would make sure the wings never get any superstars or won't be able to keep them. Just for the record I think he will get much more than 10 per if that would be enough, Stamkos would have been extended by now.

Lol 2 games and all of a sudden the decline of players isn't a problem? whether it's after next year or the year after that at some point the post Datsyuk future will be the reality and one can only hope that this team isn't as badly prepared as they were for the post Lids era. As great as Pasha is he has stated many times that his goal is to end his career in Russia. Lids never said anything about wanting to end his career in Sweden he just said he would go home after him being done playing in the NHL. So different circumstances for sure.Also IF he decided to stay 5 mill would be a ridiculous hometown discount I don't see him taking such a lowball offer, if it's a 1 year deal it has to start with a 7. When your team is missing a number 1 defenseman, soon an elite center - hardest positions to fix - it's a mess and not an easy one to fix. The only positive is there is time to fix things but man if Holland doesn't up his game the search for a center will end up like the search for another number one defender.

Well nobody knows what the future brings but I think it's safe to say he'll never be as good as those 2. King Henrik has been the class of his generation for such a long period of time now that's almost unfair to match, even Price will have trouble holding up that standard for so long. Although he obviously has the potential and yes you can easily quote me on that

Yeah because the guy who some called elite after a few great games has been lights out lately...With the exception of King Henrik and a healthy Cary Price there isn't a goalie who could do well behind that defense and undersized offense period.

win win situation lose - better draft pick win - hole wouldn't get bigger

Why would Stamkos want to come here? This team isn't close to a cup and won't be able to offer him max cap salarywise. The guy can make 13 plus mill a year in Toronto and even more with all the endorsement deals coming his way, in short he will be loaded with cash to decades to come. this contract is going to easily put the ones of Toews and Kopitar to shame . The Green situation is funny, he was a cast off in Washington yet the Wings thought he would be good enough to take a massive chance on and offer him a 6 mill aav. He provides some offense but his defensive game leaves a lot to be desired. I like Yandle a lot but he is basically a better younger version of Green. The Wings need a guy who can provide offense AND doesn't need Danny D. to cover up for all his mistakes, that guy would have been Alex Pietrangelo but of course no offer sheet Looking back at it, one can really appreciate how awesome guys like Lids, Niedermayer and Pronger have been. Some of today's defenseman don't even deserve that tag because they are playing like forwards I think people would be wise to lessen their July 1 expectations, save for Stamkos no elite guy is available. A team which needs a top goalscorer, a number one defenseman and an elite center isn't going to find that in one off season, some teams are looking for that longer than a decade that's how difficult it has become to fix that positions! Obviously the most important one would be that elite defender but there is nobody which sucks for the Wings so that leaves the draft option as the only viable one because nobody is going to give one up if the package coming back isn't a ridiculous one. Hopefully Mantha can become a constant top 6 scoring winger, willing to use his size this at least would somehow fix one problem. But finding an elite center will also have to be done via draft, because nobody is available. There is no quick fix for his mess. I mean when you are talking about the 2 most important positions I hockey and only have like 2 or 3 guys other teams might be interested in that's not a good sign. Btw. firing Blashill who inherited a declining team, fixed with Patchworks would be a mistake. It's not his fault that people expected an almost seem less transition and put unrealistic expectations on Tatar and Nyquist. Maybe just maybe the anti Babcock crowd can now appreciate how good of a job this guy has done by just getting this team into the playoffs? tldr: there are no quick fixes thanks to a thin UFA market and not enough high end talent to pull of the needed major trade. Which leaves the draft as the only option

Protect: Larkin, Mantha, Datsyuk, Tatar, Nyquist D: Dekeyser Goalie: Mrazek other than that I don't honestly care

Wow so that means Edmonton Edmonton will soon have a line of Laine/Puljujarvi McJesus Hall - f*** that such an insane line wow. No wonder oilers fans are excited I would be too.All Chiarelli has to do is trade another young guy for a stud d men...Edmonton will be scary good soonA 1 percent chance at Matthews? I'd take that over the playoffs for sure because it would also mean a higher chance on one of the other top picks

Man that would be something else, Wings would get a very very good defender with that pick. I have to look at up but if this continues maybe even top 5 is possible? ok I've looked it up forget the Wings would have to lose every game from here on out and hope that the other teams aren't winning another game

So let me get this straight. NTC NMC is not protected and teams are required to make some higher salary cap players available plus you can't protect 2 goalies? I'd say screw it it's not worth it no sane GM will be on board with that crap. Thanks for develping talent now we take it for free? WTF ?!

Still a lot of hockey to be played so it's tough to predict where the Wings will pick but one thing is for sure they need defense, defense, defense the Edmonton model should have shown everyone that you can't outscore your defensive problems.

Because everyone would be thinking we don't want to be the edition which is responsible for ending the streak, that's pressure. Sure, it's the NHL there is always going to be stress, pressure and other things going on so young guns don't need more of that.I mean, if the streak is getting above rational thinking that's just bad. But playoffs or not changes will be needed in the off season which will be difficult because no number 1 defenseman is available. think about it again, this team got owned by a guy nobody has even heard of and yet Quincy looked like a ***** against him, Mrazek bad on his second goal that's not wings style! I don't know what the answer is but this current edition with no defensive help in the AHL isn't. not now and especially not going forward so someone needs to figure out how to right this sinking ship. If I'm Mr. I everyone would be on evaluation till the end of the season, especially the guy who has 1 solid signing since, Danny D. since Lidas retired...Ken Holland.

the only front office person I ewould feel bad for is Blashill. Holland hasn't given him a team that can compete over a long period of time, Z, Pasha and Kronner are on their last legs and in case of Pasha gone in 1 year. Next year the league will catch up to a lot of young players including Larkin, Mrazek. Tatar, Goose are solid fine player who need someone with size on their line, so they can have the required space to do their thing. I thought making Kronner a number 1 at first was a joke but sadly it wasn't and being such a good soldier he played over his capabilities but now that is catching up to him, sadly. Guy was one of the few entertaining players left when he kronwalled people left and right. It's funny, how quickly people are forgetting the simple fact that end of the season games will always be tight and played much harder because the playoffs are getting closer and closer. Making the playoffs or not, Holland or at least Mr. I has to see that this current Wings team has a lot of holes and they are nowhere near being close to become a juggernaut again soon. Maybe there are locker room problems maybe not, that's Blashill"s and Holland's job to figure it out and if needed get rid of some guys, period. Or maybe the team is just stale because some of them have been together for such a long period of time? Anyhow, I really can't remember the last time the Wings had such a boring to watch team, they are even worse than last year's one and that team was extremely boring too. Personally I'd rather miss the stupid playoffs , get a better pick and have the young players starting without the pressure of hanging on to a "streak" instead of a clean slate and letting them grow together. Philly won't make it far either