frankgrimes

I expect them to contend for a wildcard spot again. Nobody knows how long it will take Blashill to implement his system and hammer the strategy home for all the players. Wings are starting the season without their best player and it will for sure take him some time get into hockey shape, so to me that's a big concern because it means Richards will have to play second line center instead of 3 line and if his Chicago stint is and indication that's asking too much of him at this point in his career. Mike Green will also have to play defense and not just run the powerplay if he can do that he will be a nice addition but if not an improved power play and more goals against will equal itself out. The core is a year older and Z's play in the second half especially the playoffs has me very concerned what to realistically expect from him going forward. According to himself that was the best he felt since years so hopefully he can be the Z of the first half. As a whole the core is one year older and I hate to say it on their last legs so it's up to the kids to take another step forward and help them out, we can't expect Z and Pasha to carry this team on their back like we've been used to for so long. Hopefully both Tatar and Goose were able to add a few pounds so that they won't be as easy to knock of the puck anymore and be able to really take advantage of their peak speed. In terms of production I would be happy if they can match last year and play a bit more defensive responsible but all in all no concerns with both of them. Same goes for Danny D. I hope he is bigger now and will start to dish out some hits but even if not I really like his play and only expect him to get better and be our number 1 soon. Pulkinnen, Jurco and Smith to me is simple they'll get a chance and it's up to them what happens after that they either run with it or get traded come trade deadline. And no Blashill nor any other coach will be able to give Pulkinnen more time to get of his canon of a shot this isn't the AHL he needs to work for space here simple as that. I'm not concerned with goaltending Howard had a lot of time to fully recover and will get pushed by whoever the backup is, so that's a good thing for both goalies. When it comes to Blashill all I'm hoping for is that the fans and front office are giving him time because adjusting to the NHL will take time and patience from everyone involved. I expect him to try a few things and see if they work at that level of they don't he will change them till he finds the right system and strategy for this team. I for sure don't expect him to come in and just run the show knowing all the inns and outs like Babcock did because that would be very unfair to a rookie coach. So all in all my expectations are very modest play hard every shift and don't try to pull a Dave Lewis on Blash and then see how it goes. Teams that are obviously better: Bolts Rangers (their window is ticking though) Capitals Penguins (that top 6 wow) Blue Jackets (dark horse if healthy! Islanders Habs (only if Price plays god again if not they are worse ) so I expect us to fight for one of the 2 remaining wildcard spots with teams like the Senators, Panthers and Flyers.

well Laviolette is not known for focussing on defense I wonder if Franson was in his doghouse? Anyway without his Nashville stint I think he would have easily gotten at least 5 mill over 6 years

wow that's a bargain thought he would get at least 4 million. Him not accepting the Leafs deal of 4,75 for 5 years could turn out to be a costly mistake.Surprised wings couldn't beat that offer he would have been a nice second pairing guy with some much needed physicality. Sabres are improving quickly

http://lakingsinsider.com/2015/09/01/lombardi-kings-kopitar-not-close-in-talks/ WTF Lombardi one if not the best GM in hockey playing hardball with his star-center ? Does he want to get fired or what? I mean, Kopitar has all the leverage in the world if the Kings don't pay him someone else will it's that simple (same in the Stamkos case). Kopitar may not be as good as Toews but he is extremely close so something like 8 years 82 million full NMC should do the trick. Is it a lot of money ? Yes but this is an elite-center who teams would break the bank for if he became available. Losing him would mean minus 70+ points for the Kings and their offense really isn't as good as their defense. I'm also sure what Lombardi tried to do with Richards' contract doesn't exactly scream confidence in contract talks. Like I said he is an awesome GM but he is playing hardball with the wrong guy here, Kopitar, Doughty and Quick aren't players to play hardball with. Sure he can ask for a hometown discount but Kopitar would be stupid to accept one and sign for less than he is worth. To be honest I'm really shocked that neither Stammer nor Kopitar have been extended yet, when everyone knows they are going to get paid it's just a matter of by whom. But hey as a Wings fan keep it up Lombardi I'm sure the best owner in all of hockey is more than prepared to sign Kopitar to Toews' like money, so from a purely egoistic standpoint I'm loving it.

See and that's why I've said the Wings would be one of the teams flying to LA and offering him a truck full with money. TSN had a long discussion whether it be Green or Franson in the weakest ufa class I can remember. I mean neither of the 2 played anything close to be awarded such praises which like you said speaks volumes about July 1 this year. Weiss came back after spending months and months on IR the top ufa that year was Clarkson, last year obviously Niskanen. I can't find anything about Richards but like many people said it's a one year signing with absolutely no risk so I really like it. anyhow yes Stammer, Kopitar will sign extensions I just don't believe going public with this stuff is the right thing to do. Look at the captain he didn't even comment on it and it's only his 4 year as a GM.

The kings would rather have an animal back than someone who has used painkillers ...

I'm not getting Into this discussion again we all know the players which were considered top. this year had no clear cut top UFA but I still would have preferred Franson over Green. Richards at this point in his career is a very valuable third line center but that's about it and I like the signing. Kopitar would be incredible so I hope Lombardi continues to play hard ball till his agent is pissed of and Kopitar refuses to re-sign.

which is exactly one of the points why home town discounts are happening less and less. it's not the job of players nor their agents to figure out the cap that's the job of a GM. Kopitar would be absolutely nuts to accept anything under 8 years and at least 10 mill aav. The cap system is a flawed one and it needs to go a luxury tax one would work much better. yeah it's a dream but if negotiations are going south I'm sure the Red Bird would fly to LA and make him a can't refuse offer. And one thing is for sure all of a sudden the next ufa class would become awesome over night. Well part of the problem of not getting the top-guys wanting to sign here is the notion that Kenny is a bit of an underpayer and still expects some sort of discounts, which - in most cases - just won't happen. Abdelkadere is a very interesting case but 4 million per doesn't seem outlandish to me and I think we all should be very happy if we could extend him for that aav.

Absolute ridiculous but if they gain $ 733 each day from now on it would take a million days *g* but man would I ever love some case like this being presented to the NHL.

I wish him nothing but the best. Guy lost his mother then came to Toronto in a trainwreck situation and thanks to Toskala got called up way too early (he never played on smaller ice before). I think he has shown what he can do when he is healthy so I hope it works out for him, guy deserves all the good faith in the world. Hopefully he can stay healthy still sad to see him go

mmm Kovalchuck Putin is a politician so I couldn't care less about him. But Kovalchuck has proven time and time again what type of person he is..The NHL is better of without him.

I think it must be awesome for the kids, who wouldn't like to be on the ice with their favorite players. Having a politician involved is the only downside but other than that I'm sure the kids were very happy although Kovalchuck is the worst excuse of a so called leader ever.

As expected and really I don't see a problem with this. At best he will be an emergency call up from the Grand Rapids and while being there he can show some younger guys (Mantha, Larkin) the way and since the 950k aren't counting against the cap it doesn't really matter. Personally I'm in favor of everything that helps prepare Larkin, Mantha better for the big club in a few years if that includes signing a veteran with a great work ethic so be it.

good send that stupid animal back home. As a guest you either behave or get into the next plane home. wish the police would do this stuff more often , thumbs up

wow you are right yeah 10 years is long but I still don't like the tune of it. If Z is so eager for a change maybe ask Holland to build a more versatile team one that can react to every opponent ? I am sure the word is out on how to beat the Wings. I don't know how Blashill is going to coach but I hope he will be hard when it's needed but also a players coach in some situation. didn't almost every player say that they've hated Scotty 364 days and loved on day 365 ? I don't think a coaches job is to cuddle the players his job is to make them better and push them in a fair way. Is Babcock hard on his players? Yes but I hope Blashill will be too. My biggest fear is some will for sure try to expose his lack of experience by trying to push back but hopefully it's not them trying to pull a Dave Lewis on him.

I'm sure it's taken out of context but if not this is a very unpleasant way to say thank you to the best coach in all of hockey. And while we are at it it would have also been time for Z to play like a captain in the playoffs so that's that.

Oh ok thank you so it's basically the majority amount for the Leafs and the rest for their football and baseball clubs. But yeah this should put the Penguins sale into perspective. Yeah Ballmer bought a team for 2 billion but what people are forgetting he is the former CEO and co-founder of Microsoft so money will never be an issue for him. And as always the best owners aren't the guys who are paying the most and then cut down on costs because they run it like a business instead of a fans' dream like our own Mr. I, Pegula or James Dolen. The best example for that strategy not working are - oh surprise - the Leafs there is no way Rogers and Bell will co-own them for long one of the 2 will buy out the other one soon.

Well this whole the Leafs sold for a billion is a bit misleading, MLSE including all their franchises have been sold for that much. Otherwise I fullly agree no American franchise is worth that much I think if Lemieux can get a buyer in the range of 600 that would be awesome...the guy owns 20 % of the Penguins so that's a 120 million paycheck right there not bad not bad.

Exactly that! I really don't know what's fun about maybe making the playoffs instead of being an annual cup contender and the destination once UFA hits. The Red Wings of old were great because they've had it all and they've played a lot more entertaining hockey than the current version. I'm sure the teams who hate the Wings also hate the 20 $ million Mr. I has to write every year so some questionable franchises can still have a team.

nope I like it too it looks really cool

sure it does why do you even care it's not your money? Would you rather see billionaires getting even more ? It's not like he is asking for sympathy although I do have some for him because no matter how rich someone is uprooting a family and having your endless loyalty not returned and even used against you is a tough pill to swallow for almost everyone.and guess what I'd rather see hockey players making more than some athletes from questionable leagues or sports doing so. If someone wants to pay a guy like Stamkos 200 mill I wouldn't have a problem with it either but guess what if I were a billionaire i would do it too because the success and Jersey sales will make up for it in no time. No offense but I think hockey players deserve a lot more respect than what they are receiving for putting their body on the line for almost 8 months a year to entertain fans !

I like generalfanager.com the most. The website is well made and they do give a lot of credit to Matt. As far as accuracy that's too hard to judge for everybody not in the know.

No that's not the case a lot of them are saving it for later and we are not talking about 10 versus 12 million here...we are talking 10 versus 16 maybe even 20 million and the difference alone could have bought him all or some of the mentioned stuff. These guys are the best 1 % hockey players of the world and they're (more than in every other sport), as humble as it gets. He isn't asking for sympathy he is saying how he feels and no matter if someone is a rich athlete or just your average Joe from the bridge everyone has feelings and the damn right to mention them. If you can't stand athletes talking about that stuff don't read it, especially TSN has sadly added more than enough other useless articles... Bergeron is awesome but he signed a 10 year contract something Toews and Stamkos couldn't / can't do so the cap comparison makes no sense. if Toews signed for 10 years it would be 8,5 vs 6,8 aav and at that point I'd take captain serious. compared to other leagues hockey players are heavily underpaid ... and if people really believe Stamkos isn't worth 100 million over 8 years oh well...btw. If some people also can't deal with the fact that these guys are making a lot of money don't watch but then you have to Stop watching pro sports all together simple as that . Want to see people that are playing for the fun of it? Watch your local hobby teams or college hockey.

I've used these things just as an example between giving and not giving a discount. But you are hitting the nail on the head here what happens after career? that's why it's important to cash in while they can and not give discounts.ideally this stuff should be paid off while receiving the big bucks, sure there are maintenance and other costs but that is nothing compared to the huge price tag. Also most players aren't throwing money around like crazy they drive nice SUVs, buy nice condos and houses things everyone else would do but like always more often than not more is better. X Cross has seen the ugly side of the business now and is talking about what could have been which is not only his right but a smart thing to do and it should be a warning for other young player to not give discounts . People here called me crazy after I've said that Toews could have gotten even more on the open market and it's exactly situations like this that should have players asking for as much as they can get. 27 old Stamkos is worth 100 million of he signs for something like 80 he would leave 20 million on the table that's a freaking lot and all he would receive as a thank you ... is another lockout and a team that can't wait to get rid of him when he's in his mid 30s..

good god all these stupid "athletes shouldn't complain stuff" is ridiculous. Everyone and I even spell it big EVERYONE would prefer more money over less. X Cross did them a favor and now he feels like he got the worst end of it: a lot less money than he could have gotten and shown absolutely no loyalty by his former club. And the difference between 10 and 16 million is still huge, we are talking about another nice beach house , a very nice Yacht, Bugatti Veron Super Sport here and nobody in his right mind would say no to that. The same people who are saying that athletes shouldn't complain are often the same ones siding with the owners in lockouts.. The guy was asked and he gave an honest an very believable answer.