DickieDunn

Where is Billy? I don't think I've seen him around.

conditional pick. If he changes his mind, the Wings get a 4th rounder or something, if he stays retired, the Wings get nothing. Or they give Detroit some scrub prospect that they know will never be in the NHL

I was at the Silverdome for the Lions last game and Tiger Stadium its last year. I imagine I'll make it to a game.

He's also not playing his natural position and apparently hates his coach and the system. That will affect a player.

Doesn't matter. You have to play the game every year

Um.... No. Tatar plays like a spaz and doesn't use his linemates, but he goes to the net and is driven to score. Nyquist is a warm body who seems afraid of contact.

The Wings were in trouble earlier, there was an interview with Holland where he said whatever you cap hit is on day one, that's the cap for injury relief purposes. Here's a det snooze article about it On opening day, after the Red Wings placed Pavel Datsyuk on long-term injured reserve and made several other moves, the Red Wings’ salary cap was at roughly $66 million. After Johan Franzen’s concussion troubles returned the second week of the season, he was placed on the long-term injured list, which kept the Red Wings unable to escape those restrictions (the NHL takes into consideration what a team’s payroll is on opening day when there is an LTI). So, in essence, the Red Wings have a $66 million salary cap rather than $71 million. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/01/10/red-wings-struggling-make-room-quinceys-return/78601510/

Mid February through the first part of April. Check the calendar, that's 6 weeks. Closer to 7 now. 15 games, pulled in 5 of them, 13 games with a save % .92 or less. That's more than a few games.

If Helm is back for 3 or 4 years at around $2.5 mil as a checking line player, ok. Anything more in terms of money, term, or role, it's bad.

6 weeks of bad hockey is more than a few bad games.

It's more complicated than that. Whatever the cap hit a team is carrying on day 1, the team can get relif up to that point. The cap hits don't just disappear.

That average backup is probably going to be a big reason the Wings make the playoffs if they do since superstar Mrazek has turned to crap.

Or Mrazek joins the long list of young hotshot can't miss goalies who missed and Howard continues to be an up and down starter.

I doubt it happens. If it does, they can trade him to a team that wants to get to the cap floor without spending actual money.

Player wants to play one more year, team tells him sign a 4 year deal for $7 mil the first year, and $3.5 the next three, you get $7 mil and we get a lower cap hit.In other words it prevents circumventing the cap

At least put AA and Mantha with Nyquist or Jurco and use them as a mismatch against other third and 4th lines

you like a system that's failed to increase scoring and made the team defense worse?

Yeah, otherwise it could be used just to keep shuffling players back and forth

No, he has to have been sitting awhile and then agree to it.

If Howard had a 6 week stretch like Mrazek has had, there would be fans out in front of his house with burning torches ready to tar and feather him before running him out of town. He's been bad and there's no other way to say it. He was sick a month and a half ago, there's no way he should still be recovering from that.

Got that right. Until he proves he can play well for an entire season and the playoffs, you need a solid backup. Unless they can replace Howard with one, you keep him. Right now Mrazek isn't going to get big money, so you can afford Howard.

Because Mrazek has been so stellar down the stretch?

Unless Chris Ilitch is the one who has handcuffed Holland in the first place.