LeftWinger

Here's to hoping Bobby Ryan gets a contract today! From what I understand, the final cuts are due today.....

IMO, BOTH Raymond and Ryan have earned a spot. As has Veleno and Seider. We'll deal with the roster issue when Vrana is back. Send Smith, Rowney and Lindstrom through waivers. No big loss if we lose one or all of them. Zadina - Larkin - Raymond Fabbri - Suter - Ryan Erne - Veleno - Bertuzzi Namestnikov - Mitchell - Rasmussen Gagner Leddy - Seider DD - Hronek Oesterle - Stecher Staal Nedeljkovic Greiss Obviously lines and pairings not set in stone, it's a nice problem to have when you can switch around these players and it will still work!

Probably told to take it easy? No need to get hurt before the season? It's not like he has to earn his spot anymore.

Gonna be a fun season guys!

Are they using different lettering this year? (NOW The Red Wings pre-season has begun!)

That was a helluva pass from 86, Brubacher.

T-bone? What the!? https://youtu.be/Df2GncwWKQI

Would anybody be opposed to working out a trade with Holland for Kailer Yamamoto? I'd say offer sheet him, but I think Yzerman would rather not cut friendly ties with Kenny. ...also, what's the holdup on signing some of these RFA's? Dahlin, Tkachuk? These teams have plenty of cap space. There's a few players I'd love to see on Detroit. What do you guys think about Patrick?

Ok, let's work on some PTO's now!

I was looking over some old drafts, and in 2002 The Wings drafted a Johan Berggren. I searched and searched, but couldn't find any relation to Jonatan Berggren. Not that it matters, but it would've been pretty cool to have these two related in some way and both be drafted by Detroit. Anyhow, carry on...

...but will you have the same username? OH! Sorry, couldn't resist! I think it would be awesome if he developed into a C. Anything to get us back to glory!

Donato has signed with Seattle for $750K. I think I would've liked to get him in this organization for that measly amount.

All that being said, I'd offer them a top 5 protected 2022 1st (protected to 2023) and then the following 1st no matter what. So, if the 2022 first is #6 or after then they get the 22 and 23 1st round picks(no matter where 23 lands.) If the 22 pick is #1-#5 then they get the 2023 and 2024 1st (neither of which would be protected)

Ken Holland is no longer around to screw things and draft picks up...

10 years ago today. Tragic day for hockey around the world. We still haven't forgotten.

I just started looking into these guys, but honestly, don't you think Yzerman has his D for the rebuild? Sure, you can never have enough and if this guy is top 2 material, then you have to look at him, but I am thinking this draft is going to be C, especially if we are top 5. But, that's just my opinion.

I will continue my thoughts on Lambert v. Wright in here so as not to clog up the Off-Season thread. Right now one of the only pre-lim ranking I could find has Lambert at #5. Which honeslty, with the new rules, would be great if we landed 4 or 5, because then we'd still be eligible for a top 3 in the 2023 draft (Bedard.) Although honestly, IF we are that bad again this season, I really hope to be better by the 23 draft so as we don't get into that area of the draft. BUT, if we just happen to stink for the next couple of season's, then a 22 draft of Lambert at #5 and Bedard at #1 in 23 would be a nice consolation. Here is the pre-lim Top 10: ...btw, ranked at #20 is a Center named Jack Hughes...no relation though, not even a cousin of the Hughes Bros. He did have 34 points in 38 games for the USDP last season though.

Unless there's something going on in his private life, I am surprised that Ryan Donato isn't signed anywhere. He wasn't given a QO from San Jose and is currently a UFA. He is 25, C/LW and had 20 points in 50 games last season. He has 77 points in 180 games for his career, 35 of which are goals. These stats seem good enough to get him a contract somewhere. I honestly wouldn't mind giving him a deal around $1M to compete for a spot. Worst case scenario, he gets snagged off waivers if he doesn't make the team. If he cleared, he'd be nice depth in GR. ...meanwhile... Here is some reading to help get us through the rest of this off-season... https://thehockeywriters.com/red-wings-need-better-first-line-center-larkin/?fbclid=IwAR3-_8qFMlkJcFKLJRxkM7l1-uYYCNLaQlIv0O5o6x6X7gVYZPYMrTISnek The author mentions Shane Wright. I am going to be watching the stats of him and Brad Lambert this season. I know I have historically been of the, we must draft NA players (but not so much in the last few years) but I really think that Lambert might be the way to go if we get into that top 3 in picks. And technically he is both Finnish and Canadian, but again, that no longer matters to me. Now if we actually won the #1 OA, at this point today, I'd be in a pickle. We'll see how the prospects do through a full season. edit: I just added both Wright and Lambert to my bookmarks in Eliteprospects.com and I didn't even realize that Brad Lambert is the nephew of Lane Lambert, who just happens to have been a teammate of Yzerman for a few years in the 80's. Not that that'll matter in the end, but it is a nice little Easter egg to find.

The first is a conditional pick: so Arizona gets the better pick UNLESS one or BOTH top 10, then they get the worse of the two. Either way, Arizona does have three 1sts this year in this deeper draft! More than makes up for not having a 1st last season.

Canadiens do not match, then acquire Dvorak

Shots fired!

This is moreso 2022 draft, but am I the only one feeling that Brad Lambert is the way to go instead of Shane Wright?