rick zombo

I don't think 2.3M/yr is overpayment. That third year could end up being a bargain. Although Holland is terrific with his RFA signings (see: Sheahan, Riley) so I wouldn't be shocked at 1.5M per either.

7M is my prediction.

Not that I like to admit that I plowed through that entire long-winded pile of gloom, but I have to call you on this. Helm's a wimp because you heard this from an inside source?

That's pretty advanced analysis. Did you use corsi for this?

I can dig your positivity. Also, I almost forgot about Cowan. That dude needs to be dealt with early this season.

Worth it's own thread perhaps, but mostly a "meh" signing? The price is right: 1 year, 2 way, 550k. http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2014/07/detroit_red_wings_re-sign_forw_1.html

I sure as s*** wasn’t.

I think we’d all love that.

It's not so much that Cleary is better than Booth. It's that siging Cleary instead of Booth is not the scrotum-crushingly bad move that a few here were eager to declare. Neither guy has been healthy recently. Booth has had some good regular seasons and Cleary has had some good playoffs. To me it's a wash. Booth might get the edge based on age where Cleary might get the edge based on time-served and past history (I know this is an unpopular opinion). Regardless, it's certainly not a scenario where Booth at 1M is an unbelievable steal and Cleary at 1.5M makes Holland a terrible GM. (I know this is not how you feel, but my original response was directed at less even-tempered LGWers)

If you look at my line-up (which was done in a pretty light-hearted fashion by the way) it's clear that I was looking 3-4 years down the road. By then, Ericsson's deal will be up and he'll be passed over for younger/better players. And Helm? Let's just just say, with his injury history, I'll be surprised if he can still walk in 3-4 years

Growth from within? This is fun to think about: Nyquist - Datsyuk - Mantha Tatar - Sheahan - Jurco Zetterberg - Larkin - Abdlekader Athanasiou - Nastasiuk - Bertuzzi McKee Pulkinnen Kronwall - DeKeyser Ouellet - Sproul Smith - Marchenko Backman Mrazek Howard Lot’s of character in that forward group. Not sure if Pavel can still pivot on the first line. P.S. Mrazek wins the Conn Smyth

You didn't need to say it in your post. Your opinion on Holland has been well stated over the past year. Booth is just as stupid a signing as Cleary, and then some, because when healthy, Cleary is an "every day-er" that's only one season removed from being one of our better playoff performers in 2013. Booth has had two good seasons with Florida and hasn't done jack squat in 3 years. But the grass is always greener............

Comments like these make me want to cancel my subscription to LGWs. Holland is now all of a sudden a bad GM because he didn't sign David friggin Booth? Please.

Nestrasil's been re-signed and I highly doubt he gets claimed on waivers. He'll be in GRs fo' sho'.

It should be called: "This Arena Is Our Big Offseason Aquisition" Arena

I can see DD getting a little more than that. Tatar is tougher to predict based on the fact that Sheahan signed so low..........

I'd be shocked if either player signs for more than 3M per.

I’m just trying to figure out what Holland will do. Holland would try and move Kindl to make room for Alfredsson. No question IMO. But yes, I agree with what you’re saying. Kindl’s still the easiest guy to move. Based on his comments, I get the sense that Babcock is dying to have either Marchenko, Ouellet, Sproul, or Backman on this team next year. One of those guys will probably play well enough in camp to make Kindl expendable once and for all.

Rather than going back in time, you could just trade Kindl, sign Alfie to another one year deal, and still be sitting pretty next year and beyond cap-wise.

Quincey's probably better than all three of those guys.

Not going to happen.

I'm not worried about either of them. Sure Holland's been munching on his own stones a bit with UFA dealings, but he's always been great when it comes to signing his own RFA deals.

Not to get too off topic, but the citys future is beginning to look brighter thanks to major investors like Dan Gilbert and Illitch. The proposed arena/M-1 rail will encourage new development. Its still bad, but a new arena is not going to hurt anything.

Because number9 called him a "poor man's Brad Stewart".

Fair enough. For me, the only time I take Quenville over Babcock would have been this past season. Only because I'd rather have had a top 5 pick in the draft than squeak in to he playoffs with an AHL roster.