LeftWinger

So you think Helm has earned almost double his salary from last season? And the limited time Abs played with them, he deserves to be in the million dollar club? Not so sure....

Well, it's not as big as I was hoping, but $6M is only $1.5 away from what I was asking for, and if the Cap does go up by $2M it'll wash that $1.5M out plus add $500,000, so if we go back to the origianl $12M plus we had available, it's like he signed for $4M really. So if we still have $8M available, I hope Holland doesn't overspend on Holmstrom and Bertuzzi. I know they deserve their market value, but for the money left, we need to make sure the likes of Helm, Abdelkader and Miller are taken care of. Those three prolly wont get HUGE raises, but I can see maybe $2M spent all together between the three of them, which leaves $6M to (PLEASE) add someone on July 1st. So, lets look at the breakdown: Franzen Datryuk (UFA) (UFA) Zetterberg Filppula Hudler Helm Cleary Draper Adbelkader Miller Ritola (possibly Eaves) Lidstrom Rafalski Stuart Kronnwall Ericsson (UFA) Kindl ...I didnt put Holmstrom or Bertuzzi or Lilja in there because we aren't sure yet. OF the three, Holmstrom is prolly the most likely to re-sign with us. I chose Miller before Eaves because it seemed like he got more important icetime in the playoffs, but maybe signing both is in the mix. There is just such a logjam at forward, especially if Bert and Holmer come back. Is Ritola & Kindl the only Griffins out of options or will there be more tough decisions to make? I personally hope they spend some of that $6M on a nice solid defensman. I just dont think putting the same exact top 6 defensive lineup out there (sans Lebda & Meech) and just adding Kindl (who I still dont think is an NHL caliber defender) is gonna help this team any.

funny how most of us agree, but I am still getting negatives on my original post. Oh well, must have been the Hurdler comments. Listen, just cause he wears the winged wheel doesn't mean I have to like him, you will all need a scapegoat next year and Happy is gonna be the guy, just watch. he'll make his awesome defensive plays every game next season and you will all wonder no longer why he couldn't even make the National Team...

Nice to see all the same sentiments here. Lidstrom know this team needs major improvement in order to compete for the Cup. He needs to step up, tell Holland he'll take the $3M paycut in order to get the right players here to compete for one more Cup before he retires. If He asks for $7M, I personally think that eats up WAY too much salary cap and would rather see him go and throw $4M a piece at Mitchell and Derek Morris. Listen, life will go on with Lidstrom. He is old and showing his human side. Sure he is still may be a top 10 defensman in the league, but I would rather better this teams chances winning again, than just being able to watch Nick play again and lose in the first round or maybe not make the playoffs...

if it's more than $4.5 million this team is fudged. If I know how Holland works (and we've already established that ) He will give Lidstrom $7M, both Bertuzzi and Holmstrom $3M erasing our entire cap space... Lids $4.5 Bertuzzi & Holmstrom $1.5 each... Nothing more, this team needs to get better via Free Agency, NOT waste all the cap space on the same team that sucked last season. Oh wait, we got Hudler back :puke: What a waste of $2.8M that is! Little focker couldn't even make his National team for his homeland in the Olympics, WTF is he gonna do here? NOTHING! TRADE HIM!

Ya, Mitchell would a *** bit expensive considering he made $3.5 last season. Derek Morris is another option, but he made $3.3. I agree that they will prolly (if not re-sign Lilja) go for a $1M to $1.5M defender to play on the third pairing, not unless they are going to give the jobs to Kindl and Smith...

I wish the best of luck to the prick, I mean Yzerman (yes in person he is a snooty prick.) but no way Bettman influenced his decision unless there was some money under the table for Steve. Hell he has $21M (even before the cap goes up) and some of the best players in the league Stamkos/St. Louis/Hedman. Give Yzerman $23M and he could build a nice team. He is prolly gonna offer Maltby a contract, like him or not, he has playoff veteran experience and 4 Stanley Cup rings. But with still over $22M available he could draw in some nice players. He needs a backup goalie (Legace) and he has lots of $1m-$3M talent available to choose from. Would it be possible to ****** Lidstrom? :yikes:

simple, just tell Lids, here's 5 years at $4.5M per. That way he can still be our #1 defenseman and then maybe wind up #4 by time the contract is up. By then Dylan McIlrath will be up here and Rafaski will be gone. Stuart Kronwall Ericsson Lidstrom McIlrath Smith (notice I left out Kindl, I have a feeling he is gonna be middle of the road and not be around to long.)

Marleau makes 6.3 Million now... keep dreaming... I say steal Andrew Ladd out of Chicago and/or Hjalmarsson. Sign Willie Mitchell,maybe throw some cash at Owen Nolan to try to bring in that "win it for the veteren" attitude. Lombardi, Torres, maybe Craig Conroy he's another one of the veteran players who are yearning for the Cup. One of my favs from last off season Malhotra could be a cheap veteran signing. I believe any of these guys could change the makeup a little of this team and maybe give them a little bit of an edge in the playoffs... Of course you'd have to be careful how much cash you throw at the RFA's. Let's say they sign one forward and one defenseman, definately go for Mitchell and then any of the UFA's I listed would be super on a third or fourth line. Cheap too!

uh, keep dreaming on this too

They also took Kindl before that. The "experts" were talking about Latendresse even before Kindl was drafted.

Well, if Holland gets a shot at McIlrath and actually drafts him, then order your Lions Super Bowl tickets, because that will be a miracle. I said noting negative towards European players, show me something that cuts them down in my statement. Look over the past, that is what happens with the players he chooses to draft (and mostly the first rounders or first pick he has.) They spend years in the minors, only to be given a shot when they have no eligibility left OR they go home because they are tired of waiting OR they never develop into NHL caliber players. I can give you examples of all three, Kindl, Liv & Butsayev. Thank you, good night. If this makes you feel better, tons of North AMerican players fall into those spots as well, I supposed its merely ironic that they are all 6' or less and weigh less than 200lbs. as well. Small, skilled players is what he drafts, in the mold of European players. Last season is showing you that drafting small skilled players is catching up to him and biting him in the ass. Plus I said we'd all be wishing Holland had retired, I never said we'd be wishing Yzerman was our GM. edit: Just to prove to you, here are the players that you said destroyed me: Landon Ferraro 6'0" 171lbs. McCollum doesn't count, he's a goaltender Brenden Smith 6'2" 174lbs. Corey Emmerton 6'0" 190lbs. Small, skilled players.... Emmerton aint gonna make it. Smith will be there until he has no options left, so will McCollum and Ferraro. But hey, I bet Tartar makes it up here sooner than any of them...

Hold on a minute! Is that what Holland would say? You know if your were a fan prior to the European invasion or dont think Hudler is top 6 league wide and that he will bring us back to Stanley Cup Nirvana (becasue he is the reason we won the Cup in 2008, you know) you know nothing about the Wings and how they operate and should give evereyone tons of negatives!

Ya, I got destroyed, what are you 12? I can pick out exemtpions as well, let slook at his history of drafts: Butsayev, Fischer, Tosla, Kronwall, Grigorenko, hudler, Howard, Franzen, Kindl, Emmerton, Smith, McCollum, Ferraro. Ya, thats picking someone like McIlrath if available. The last time we had a pick even near #20. he picked Kindl, who is ONLY gettign a shot becasue he has no AHL options left (how many of you again would have rather had Latendresse?) Listen I said nothing about the skille European's being bad,I just said that qwhat Holland likes to draft, and even looking over the North AMerican players taken first recently, he likes small skilled North American's too, good on him, but that just is a even bigger indication that if McIlrath is there, he probably won't take him, I hope he does, but his history shows, that is not his type of player. If you can find where I said anything anti-Euorpean in my statement I will gladly edit it out.

Oh,I am sure he will be given his shot on the top 2 lines throughout the year, but he will not become a staple there. Hudler will be Hudler and that's it. He may put in 20 goals, but he will lose every battle in the corner and be our biggest defensive liability.

besides, I know nothing about you so yes I do know about them than I know about you (try using some English that makes sense...) Over twenty years? Wow! I guess I will take my thirty plus years and run away with my tail between my legs, do you even remember the team before there was a Lidstrom? Because I certainly remember the pre-Yzerman/Joe Louis Arena days... All I am saying is if Holland makes no changes but to add Hudler and re-sign our own RFA/UFA, this team will look like s*** and if he give Lids a penny above $4.5M, this team will have no room for trade deadline additions or even call up from GRR help...

What about a nice combo of Stamkos and Kovalchuk down in Tampa? Hmmmmmmm, interesting to see how Steve handles his first ever UFA season! Bet he outshines Holland! Think we could dump Hudler off on him?

We all know Holland will take a European born player that will stay in the minors until he either goes back home, has no more options or never really develops into a NHL caliber player. We are all smoking pipes if we actually believe Holland will draft McIlrath if available, or any other 6'4ish 220lb North American player. Holland is about small skilled Europeans and thats the bottom line. Just watch who Yzerman drafts, we'll all be wishing Holland retired!

So now your making trades? What would Holland do? So it would have been better if I had said, "I think Hudler might be traded because he sucks" instead of saying I think he should be traded because he sucks? BTW, have you even watched the business end of hockey at all? What team in their right mind would offer Holland anything more than a bag of pucks for any of those guys knowing damn well that in order to become compliant one of them is going to have to be waived? Oh, here's another shocker, there will no bidding war for Ritola from any team, so if he doesn't make the club, he will be waived and he may get claimed FOR FREE. you waiver more than a John Kerry, Barrack Obama news conference...

He's just a Hudler slappie. Hudler sucks and he doesn't want to admit it. He sees Hudler playing on the top line, like Hudler coming back from the KHL is going to be the second coming of the Messiah! DUDE, GET OFF THE HUDLER JOCKSTRAP! Hudler couldn't even make his national team for the Olympics, he is NOT GOING TO BE ON EITHER OF THE TOP TWO LINES!!!!!! He should be traded at the draft alng with our #1 to move up in order to guarantee McIlrath, that is the ONLY usefulness Hudler has to this team... Oh wait! Hudler got so much experience in the KHL, he is a leader now, he can defend, hit, play in the corners AND score 70 goals! He's gonna be our #1 line and carry us to the Stanley Cup! Oh yeah baby! So, what Holland is gonna do, is sign Lidstrom to stupid money, insist that the omnipotent hudler get more ice-time that Zetterberg and Franzen combined and not move or acquire anyone who wasn't on the roster last season... You wanna know what our roster will look like with no changes? It'll look like no playoffs or first round exit because the defense sucks, we couldn't score a goal when we needed it (not even extended 5 on 3's) and our goal-tending will be worse (no way Howard can repeat his rookie season.) Why start a thread asking what we think the roster will look like then say, well you can't make changes, you need to just keep it the same because you cannot suggest a trade or using available cap space to get a player (whoever it may be) to make this team better. He asks if I even follow this team and how it operates? I guarantee I have taken more s***s than he's seen games... I love the guys who became fans of this team somewhere around the mid 90's and think that they have been thru the wars with this organization.... Using the OP's logic, what do I think the roster will look like in 10-11? s***, with no cap space for improvement at deadline or call-ups...

for those of you who think he'll be back when Holland retires, don't bet on it. Why? Because if he turns out to be a great Hockey GM, why would Tampa let him go? The way Steve Yzerman is as a professional, he starts a job, has the most success at it and finishes where he started. Let him grow up and move out guys! He grew up in our house, he graduated with honors and got his PhD here. He wants to own his own house, he wants to build and he has perhaps the best young player already in uniform to build around in Stamkos, along with one of the best young defenders in the league in Hedman. He has over $21M available cap space and pretty much has an open checkbook, with his clout around the league, don't be surprised to see some big names moving south. I wouldn't even put it past him to try and coax Lids down there! Could Tampa be the new home for Maltby? Yzerman could throw a monkey wrench into Hollands plans this off season... I say here's to a long a happy relationship between Yzerman and Tampa, I really don't want him back anyway. Hey, does he like Hudler?

so where exactly did I ignore the context of the thread? I didn't put names down,I didn't make a wish list, I gave realistic and cost saving figures. Just because I didn't use our exact roster from last year, I ignored the context? Well, you ignored you;re own context by giving these guys raises based on what you think they will get. Helm at $1M? Please! He's only at $600,000 right now. Do you know how long it took Kris Draper to get his first million plus contract and you wanna throw it at Helm after one season here? Talk about ignoring the context, that is a pipedream. I simply put down what I think the roster will look like, who knows who will be in the UFA slots, but if Holland has any sense, it won't be Lidstrom at $5.5M and Hudler will be gone. Lilja wont be here, and both Miller and Eaves will. You sir should go back and read your original post, then look at what you wrote down. BTW, if the roster is what you wrote down and we only have $300,000 for improvement or call-ups, this team is done before Christmas....

Note to UFA players who want rasies...... Move on and Move out... If it's true Holmer's agent said that, then adios! Hudler? Trade him at the draft in order to secure Dylan McIlrath. Would also like to see Holland convince Rafalski to waive his NTC.. Holmer ($1.5) / Datsyuk ($6.7) / Franzen ($3.955) Bertuzzi ($1.5) / Zett ($6.083) / Filppula ($3.0) Abdelkader ($0.900) / Cleary ($2.800) / Draper ($1.583) Darren Helm ($0.750) / Miller ($0.600) / UFA ($?.???) Eaves ($0.550)Ritola (if he can make the team, just because he is out of options doesn't guarantee him a spot) Lidstrom ($4.5M) / Rafalski ($6.0) Stuart ($3.75) / Kronwall ($3.0) Ericsson ($0.900) / UFA ($?.???) Kindl ($0.883) Howard ($.717) / Osgood ($1.417) Total $51.088 Total - $6.612 avail to better this team.... This defense was absolutely horrible last season, if all Holland does is re-sign the same and replace Lebda/Meech with Kindl, we're in for a CRAPPY season!!!! Since this is not a what would you do thread, I won't get into that, but this is the roster I would like to see, while using the available $6.6M to get a forward and defender to better this club... Oh, and, Fire McCrimmon.....PLEASE! edit: Looking at Ritola/Eaves, you could sign Eaves to a similar contract and who ever makes the team, waive the other, salary pretty much a wash...

This season, Miller was just as important, if not more, as Bertuzzi was. While Bertuzzi was scoring 18 goals with all the top 2 line and powerplay minutes he was getting, he was also a -7. Miller was scoring 10 goals mostly on the 4th line, he was also a +2 AND one of the most important penalty killers come crunch time. To this team and salary-wise, Miller is more valuable to this team, and if it came down to it, yes I would keep Miller over Bertuzzi. Miller will probably re-sign for a modest increase if any, Bertuzzi, rememeber, was still getting paid from the Ducks contract that was bought out, so if he does want to stay here, he will probably be asking for more than the $1.5M that Holland was paying him, and that would be just too much of our cap space for 18 goals and 44 points. I know he says he wants to stay, and Holland likes him, so hopefully they work out a deal, maybe for the same $1.5M. Put it this way, Miller & Bertuzzi at $2M is better than Bertuzzi at $2M plus and no Miller, if that the case MIller at $6,000,000 is better than Bertuzzi at plus $2M...

Bertuzzi over Miller? HUDLER ON THE TOP LINE?!?!?! listen all you hudler slappies out there, he wasn't good enough to make his own Olympic team, he is not gonna help this team over the hump and he will not play above the third line........ You guys are really delusional!