LeftWinger

Well whatever Wiz gets doesn't change my mind that Kronwall should get $6M next year. I would have no issue with him being a lifetime Wing on a long contract. I would also give Stuart $5M next year for 3 years. With Kindl in the lineup and Smith coming up, those small salaries will offset the raises to Stuart and Kronwall (especially if Lids retires.) I would still have Montador for 1 more year since I signed him for 2 yrs. You'd have: Kronner ($6M) Stuart ($5M) Wiz ($5M) Kindl ($833) Smith ($875) Montador ($2M) Giving plenty of room to put a legit offer in on Suter ($7M-$8M (if he is still available.)) Also with Bertuzzi and Holmstrom up, it gives Holland plenty of room to re-sign Helm and Abby(which I believe won't cost more than $2.5M- $3M together.) That is why a few 1 yr offers to older vets to try to bring a Cup in NOW makes a lot of sense. Life is good for a Red Wings fan, that is for sure! edit: Most importantly if we don't trade him, Hudler's $2.8M falls off too, giving us yet more Cap space... Let me check my math: Next year as of now, the Wings have $37.5M avail Cap. With my defense costing roughly $27.7M that leaves just under $10M to fill out the offense. Giving $2.5M to Helm/Abby combined, that leaves $7.5 to sign (bring up) four more forwards and a back up goalie. I think this works, especially if they win the Cup this season, the Youth movement can start next year with Mursak and Emmerton returning and maybe two more coming up along with two UFA signing's. Maybe Bert and Homer come back on 1 yr deals at a combined $2M... All that before the Cap goes up again...

Well, it definitely makes them better defensively than last year. I hope Hudler gets traded before the season, but it's looking more like we are stuck with him and his gross overpayment. But maybe he'll resurge to a 50-60 point player and up his trade value for the deadline. If he doesn't then at least he is a UFA after the season...

Fetisov was slow too, he seemed to hit folks just fine. Kronner and Stuart hit plenty in the regular season, not a ton, not as much as they should, but more than Ericsson and Ehrhoff do. Wiz will be the main hitter and Montador doens't pass on a check either. The only one who won't be doing any hitting is Lidstrom...

First of all, Welcome! Second, even if Holland traded for his rights doesn't mean he won't get in a bidding war over him, he does become a UFA Friday, BUT it does give Holland exclusive negotiating rights up until Friday, so hopefully he would agree to a contract before he becomes a UFA...

Ehrhoff is a carbon copy of what we already have in most of our D...puck moving, offensive defensemen. Wisniewski not only brings some offense to the team as well, but he also fills two voids we don't have, a right handed shot on D and yes, toughness. I am not saying one is that much better than the other, but Wisniewski, even if he doesn't net 51 points again, fills more of our voids. This is Kronwall's year to get 60+ points, he is going to have to show he can "replace" Lidstrom one of these years, so with Rafalski gone, this year should be his year. If not, then Suter is on the horizon. Nobody is afraid of Lidstrom/Kronwall/Ehrhoff/Kindl/Ericsson/Stuart. But make it Lidstrom/Kronwall/Wiz/Montador/Jovo/Stuart/Kindl, folks will have their heads up for sure. AND we will still get out points from LIds/Kron/Wiz.... If Holland lands both? Super! but first priority should be Wiz... Why not? He made over $6M last year, his game hasn't fallen apart that much. If he came here for less, great! Considering that his career is waning and he hasn't won a Cup yet, he is probably looking to go somewhere that has a legit shot at winning the Cup and there are only a few places that are legit contenders. Detroit being one of them, but he will probably get even higher offers from other teams, so I put him at $3M.

WTF!?!?! I thought he was gonna render a decision sometime today? The more this drags on, the more I say forget it! I want Holland's attention on the D come July 1, not the meanderings of an unsure Czech...

You'd have to think that now a trade for Wiz's rights would be a pretty good thing to do. I know Montreal said they weren't gonna re-sign him, but sheesh, with all the D-men re-upping already, it makes that much less available! (DUH, but you know what I mean!) Wiz, 5yrs $5M per....sign him, book it, stamp it....let's roll.

Eaves and Miller are the ONLY ones I want back of that group...

If Ehrhoff turned down "Bieska" money, then he wants way more than I would pay him. Give me my original lineup: Kronwall Stuart Lidstrom Wisniewski ($5M 4-5yrs)) Jovanovski($3M 1 yr) Montador ($2M 2yrs) Kindl (like I said in another thread if Holland is going to re-sign Ericsson, then fine, put him in place of Jovo or Montador. But that lineup is my preference. That leaves Holland $6M dollars to shore up the offense.) I would say, no thanks to Ehroff, unless we cannot get Wisniewski...

Hands down, no question, no doubt, James Wisniewski. Period. Done. Over.

at you still putting Hudler on the top line! at you still putting Hudler on the top line!

Well since most of us would rather have a bag of pucks than Hudler....for $1M or so, he wouldn't be too bad, but I have a feeling that Mursak or Emmerton would be just as valuable to this team...

I wouldn't mind, heck he played 72 games and scored 38 points, he's 24 and has a lot of potential. He will make over a million less than Hudler, yet he puts up similar numbers, plus he is younger he would be well worth the contract. Nice find!

Exactly, if Holland was going to throw $10M at one player he wants, he would throw it at Weber...

That is ! He's like "Don't listen to this idiot..."

I have no proof except for my vivid memory, but I would say that he probably played with McCarty and a plethora of 4th line centers before hooking up permanently with Draper... remember we had Tim Taylor, Mike Knuble and Greg Johnson on that team as well.

I am neither here nor there for him. I'd would take him, Cole, Jokinen, Handzus, Ryder, Upshall or Laich... any of these for the right price. Hell, I'd rather have the guys I mentioned over him now that I think about it....

yes, I would be ok with that too, as long as Holland doesn't overpay Ericsson. I like $1.7Mish but if it is $2.3M and we still get Wiz and Montador,I can definitely live with that. It still gives Holland $6M+ to get a back-up goaler and address the forwards...

This is fine, maybe we'll get Wiz for about the same.... I have no issues with Wiz for 5 yrs $4.7ish million... Then give me Montador for $2M and Jovo for $3M... Kronwall - Stuart Lidstrom - Wiz Jovo - Montador Kindl I would love to see that D starting the season.... If Ericsson would take $1.7M then he can replace either Jovo or Montador...

you are corrected, Lapointe was an original Grind Line member

:puke: if Helm and Abdelkader are still playing on the 4th line in 5 years, then please Mr. I, sell the team and let them move to Egypt...

probably because he wasn't on the Wings very long and did most of his Hall of Fame work in LA. I know the OP said greatest draft picks and he was drafted by the Wings, but from the looks of his list I think he meant draft picks that played most if not all of their career is Detroit, or at least where they got the fame... BTW, Franzen still doesn't belong there. We could list the following as well: Pete Mahovolich, Yvon Lambert, Mike Foligno, Johnny O, Mark Osborne, Murray Craven, hell Shawn Burr even put up some good numbers. There is Adam Graves and Joe Murphy, you have to give mention to Mike Sillinger (although he never really got a chance here,) Mike Knuble and Marty LaPointe both played in nearly 1000 games and put up some great numbers. Maybe all these guys wouldn't make top 10, but still very impressive careers by some great Wings picks!

Yes, for sure! Especially if he chooses Chicago over Detroit..... I just hope to all hope that Wisniewski is in the Winged-Wheel for a long time!

In terms of absolute steals and the fact that all other teams are saying DOH! right about now, even though Fedorov and Dastyuk were taken late, Nick Lidstrom going in the third round in 1989 has to be the biggest steal of the modern draft era. Considering that he is quite possibly the best defenseman EVER in the modern world, and if anyone else had scouts over there as early as the Wings had, he would've no doubt gone top 10...

I like your list, except for McCarty and Franzen. While they are a couple of very important players drafted by the Wings, IMO, Kozlov and Kocur did more for this team. But that's neither here nor there! There are many excellent players that have been drafted by the Wings and have turned out to be great players! BTW, McCarty was NOT a founding member of the grind line, the first line nick-named "The Grind Line" actually consisted of Draper, Kocur and LaPointe...