Dabura

A thought, from WIIIM: With Holland stating that the Wings won’t spend any assets to direct Vegas one way or the other or towards or away from certain players, Wings fans can mostly play the waiting game. One thing we can watch out for, though, is a trade working with Vegas as the intermediary (Team A trades to Vegas, Vegas trades to Detroit) - Holland never mentioned the Wings being out of this kind of dealing, so it’s possible (however unlikely) that there could be a new face on our roster by the 21st to supplant whoever we lose. Not bloody likely, but it's something. I guess.

But he said he has no intention of making such a deal with Vegas, right?

You're complaining for the sake of complaining. Which is fine. I do it all the time. But, yeah. Smith hasn't worked out the way we'd hoped he would and he's now 28 and eligible for unrestricted free agency and he's probably going to be overpaid by some team that (hopefully) isn't us. Credit where it's due: the return Holland got for Smith was a coup. Vanek doesn't fit into our long-term plans. It's been established that his trade value wasn't especially high and that this was largely because teams were aware that his production was the result of cushy deployment: Why Thomas Vanek was traded for such a small return If we want Vanek back, we can re-sign him. Then we will have basically gotten a free pick. Same idea with Smith. Sheahan, like Smith, hasn't worked out the way we'd hoped he would. We probably could've gotten something for him at the trade deadline, but I don't believe any team was remotely interested in giving up a first-round pick for him. I suspect if that rumor has any basis in reality, the actual reality is that Holland was asking for a 1st, as opposed to a team coming to him with that offer and him rejecting him. There's no basis for saying we'll "more than likely have zero NHL players come out of this year's draft." The Wings have shown they can pull NHLers out of their collective ass. The problem is that they've struggled to pull *really good* NHLers out of their collective ass. That's arguably worth complaining about, as it suggests the Wings 1) shouldn't count on finding two or three franchise players outside of the top half of the first round, and, accordingly, 2) should be more aggressive about trying to acquire other teams' first-round picks and other teams' high-end talent. Saying, "A rebuild through the draft starts with GOOD draft picks = first rounders. We just got rid of 2 of them," is complaining that we got rid of Smith and (possibly) Sheahan. Do you really want to complain about losing Smith and (possibly) Sheahan? Like, I get that they were first-round selections, but that doesn't mean anything if they're middling players at the NHL level. If it DOES mean something, you should also be complaining about the loss of Kindl. And why are you writing off our first-round pick in this year's draft, stating we'll "more than likely have ZERO NHL players come out of this year's draft"? You're sour over losing Smith and (possibly) Sheahan because they were first-round selections...yet you're pretty much writing off our top-ten pick, the highest pick we've had in 20 years.

Well, the Canadiens weren't going to trade within the div...oh. Well, it's not like we have several third-round pi...oh. Well, it's not like we need all the help we can get on def...oh.

I mean, I don't take Kronwall if I'm Vegas, and I don't trade for Kronwall at the trade deadline if I'm a contending team. But that's me. He might be a decent addition to a really deep team, and I could maybe see Vegas believing that they could sell a team on that idea. Then again, Kronwall would still have a year left on his deal after this season, and I'm not sure any contending team would want that on their books. No, that would be ridiculous. A 1st and Mantha makes more sense.

I could maybe see Vegas taking Kronwall, with the intention of flipping him at the trade deadline.

Patrick or Hischier would've been reeeeeeeeeally nice. For what it's worth, next year's draft class is shaping up to be really. freaking. good. So there's that.

I'd be fine with either of them. To me, Pettersson is more naturally gifted and has the higher ceiling, but I suppose he'd be more of a project. I think a lot of people are overrating Glass, but, at the same time, he'd probably immediately become our best prospect. I'm kinda hoping for Necas, but I really don't have a strong preference. I don't have my heart set on any one player; I'm pretty sure I'll be satisfied with our selection. There will be some really promising players available at that #9 spot.

Craig Button thinks we'll take Pettersson. I think he's right.

http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/edm170615.html

I don't know what's worse: the fact that Adam Larsson and Jonas Brodin can get you Taylor Hall and Alex Galchenyuk the fact that the Red Wings are half a decade removed from losing Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski and in all that time they haven't even produced a Larsson/Brodin Probably the latter. "Hey, Wings, you want a really good forward?" "Boy howdy!" "All we need from you is an unremarkable middle-pairing defenseman with limited upside who's younger than 25 and has spent enough time at the NHL level to convince pro scouts that he isn't likely to spontaneously burst into flames and is therefore A Real Good Defenser Who Can Do the Defendering So Good Wow Such Valuable Very Defend Wow." "Well, um, see, the thing is..." "...?" "There's no hockey store. The reality is you have to draf--" "Dude! Just give me a middling sub-25 defenseman with a couple years of NHL experience and some name recognition! Everyone has one of those! I'm literally trying to help you rob me!" "..." "You've spent the better part of the past decade tripping balls, haven't you." "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't." ""

"We'll kick some frozen donkey wheels, see what happens."

It's kinda depressing following all of these sexypants rumors and knowing the Wings aren't in on any of it. (Prove me wrong, Kenneth. I triple-dog-dare you.)

Their top four is in pretty good shape with Weber, Markov, Petry, and [who cares]. Weber and Markov are old, but the Habs are in Cup-or-bust mode. At center, they have Galchenyuk, Danault, Plekanec, Mitchell. (Bergevin seems to believe Galchenyuk isn't ready to be a full-time NHL centerman, but he's probably the best centerman they have.) So, on the one hand, I think they'd want a C...and on the other hand, Bergevin is Bergevin, so who knows. Good call. I always think of him as a righty, even when I'm watching him. No idea why.

It's what I like to call the Red Right Hand Rule. There are two parts. First, if you are a right-shooting forward and a Red Wings prospect or fringe Red Wings roster player, you do not have a future with the Red Wings. #Jarnkrok #Callahan #Glendening #Frk #Nastasiuk #Campbell Second, if you are a highly skilled right-shooting forward who was signed by the Red Wings as a UFA, you will play one season with the Red Wings, perform well, and then f*** off. #Brunner #Alfredsson #Vanek #Jagr(SOON) It's science.

No! Nastasiuk is a franchise goalie. Use your brain, smithbro. This is serious business.

You forget: Bergevin is crazy. Tell him AA is a real good locker room guy and he speaks French and he would respect da system and da culture and he would be a real good guy who would be real good, while also being a guy, a guy who happens to be real good (especially in the locker room).

Guys, I'm spitballing. It's all I have left. Don't take this away from me. I need it. I wouldn't trade Larkin for Galchenyuk, largely because, like I said, Larkin is three years younger. I'd consider trading Athanasiou for Galchenyuk because they're roughly the same age and Galchenyuk has accomplished more at the NHL level and will probably be the better player when all is sad and done. Cost control is a key consideration, but I believe we'd be getting the better player, so it probably wouldn't keep me up at night, especially with some big contracts coming off our books over the next two or three years. Again, though, just spitballing. Truth is, Holland won't trade Larkin for anyone not named McDavid or Karlsson. And Athanasiou's trade value probably isn't very high.

I really like Martin Necas. He would be a nice addition to our Czechbro militia.

You're welcome! (Just to be clear: I didn't write it.)

https://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2017/4/11/15259068/dr-dangles-prospect-profiles-michael-rasmussen-c-tri-city-americans-15

I've always liked Galchenyuk. If they trade him, I figure it'd be for a centerman. For us, that'd be Larkin. Galchenyuk is more proven and is probably the better player right now, but he's also three years older. If not Larkin...Athanasiou? I wonder if Athanasiou plus a couple lesser pieces couldn't get us there. It's Marc Bergevin, so who knows.

Burns isn't a perfect parallel, but it's pretty dang close. It was a late 1st, but Coyle was probably sexier then than Saarijarvi is now, so it balances out somewhat. And I'd just kind of taken it as a given that Colorado would also be giving us a pick, in addition to Duchene. I probably should've stated that, though. That's perfectly fair, and I don't firmly disagree with anything you're saying. I'd definitely do 2nd + Tatar/Nyquist, provided Duchene was our best option. I wouldn't necessarily do 1st + Tatar/Nyquist (+ Saarijarvi), but, like I've said, I'd seriously consider it.

Brent Burns was traded for a 45-point player plus a first-round pick plus a good prospect. Look, I don't have my heart set on Duchene. I don't think we're a Matt Duchene away from re-establishing ourselves as a perennial contender. I don't think we can magically fix all of our problems with one big trade. But I do think we have holes that are not easily filled (it's easier to find a 45-point winger than it is to find a 60-point centerman), and I do think that Duchene could, potentially, fill one of these holes right now and serve as a stepping stone for our rebuild. Our focus should be drafting and developing, but I don't want to live or die by it. I'd love to trade Tatar/Nyquist and a pick/prospect for a top D prospect like Fleury, but that and the hypothetical Duchene trade are probably equally unlikely to happen.

DAN GIRARDI