Dabura

Well, that's basically what I was getting at. There's not much building and sowing left for them to do. They should be a perennial contender for years to come without making any big adjustments. And Michele Therrien is a genius?

Colaiacovo's a depth defenseman, and we threw him onto a makeshift, hope-and-pray blue line. Green, at his best, is a top-end talent, a difference-maker. A defensive black hole, yes, but the guy can move the puck and score, especially on the power play. Outside of Kronwall and maaaaaaybe Smith, we don't have a guy like that on the back end, and that's a big, big issue. Maybe one of our kids becomes as valuable as Green, but that's a huge maybe, and Datsyuk would be gone by then anyway. If we're going to acquire a top-end, difference-making top-four defenseman, it's very likely going to be someone who's a good deal less than ideal. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a shot at him in the first place. Ideal players don't get moved or allowed to hit the UFA market. I'd like Green at a reasonable price.

The difference is, Green can produce. That's where his value lies. As for his cap hit and health, $6M isn't all that bad, and he's only got one year left on his contract. If he bombs, move him at the deadline, or part ways in the summer.

You know who I like? Patrik Berglund.

edit (Are the boards kinda glitchy for anyone else?)

Let's all be clear: we're looking at maybe one big acquisition this summer, and even then, it's likely not going to be a top talent. Do not get your hopes up for something big. As Malik has pointed out, you can pretty much set your watch by what Team Holland says the offseason will likely bring for the Wings. Kenny's not the kind to, say, stress our need for a right-shooting defenseman on a short-term deal and then go balls-out in a bidding war for a Matt Niskanen, or turn around and decide we really need a Tomas Vanek or a Ryan Miller or whatever. He always has a plan, and he always tries to follow it as closely as he can, within reason. At most, we're likely looking at Tom Gilbert, Daniel Alfredsson, Jonas Gustavsson, and a couple Euros no one here's ever heard of (we've already got one in Nosek). Or maybe sub one of those out for Legwand, whatever. Mantha will not make the team out of camp. Pulkkinen will not make the team out of camp. Jurco - who should be on the team - may not make it out of camp. Kindl and Lashoff will likely be on the roster, at least on opening night. There is no Santa Claus. You were adopted. Your wife is cheating on you.

Honestly, I'm surprised there aren't more signings like this, leaguewide. If he pans out, awesome. If he doesn't, no big deal. FWIW tho, I'm encouraged that Kenny seems to be looking for size with his forward acquisitions. Nosek and Colin Campbell are both fairly big and will only get bigger as they fill out for the pro game.

I think Martinez meant beneficiary. DUMB JOCK.

Gary Bettman is hot.

Doughty or Kopitar. But Williams is a good choice.

It's gotta hurt for the Rangers. Maybe it's me, but I, personally, get the feeling that this was sort of their one big chance. I have a hard time seeing them returning to the finals.

More than anything, I'm just glad it's not Chicago. And now it's two Cups in three years for the Kings, which beats the Blackhawks' two in four.

Building? Built. This team is f***ing ridiculous. It's amazing what they've put together.

Better team won. No doubt about it. Williams gets the Conn Smythe.

Holy crap! The coach from the Netflix commercial's sitting in the front row, seated right next to the tunnel the Kings just exited through. And the guy sitting to his left is wearing the team jersey.

Everything I'm hearing/reading is pointing to an epic asking price for Kesler and at least equal value (player-for-player) for Thornton. So, no Kesler, no Thornton, and maybe (maaaaaaaybe) a pretty good defenseman. Just saying. Don't set yourself up for disappointment. :-(

HUNGER GAMES CHAMPIONS 2014 Also, Anton Stralman is secretly a Kronwall. He looks and talks and - with all these big hits he's throwing - plays like Nik. It's a little eerie. It'd be really funny if the Rangers win the Cup. All the odds-defying history-making stuff the Kings have done. And then the Rangers come back from 3-0 and beat them for the Cup. And it's remembered as the greatest SCF ever.

To be fair, Kenny was considering considering (not a typo) offer-sheeting Weber. But I guess Weber made it pretty clear that he wasn't keen on becoming a Wing, i.e. "You can shoot me an offer, but I'm not signing it. So...don't." Or maybe Poile just told him to back the f*** off or else he'd steal Jarnkrok, and then he stole Jarnkrok anyway, just cuz. But yeah. Unless you've got some kind of legitimate inside track on the guy, and he's unequivocally worth the trouble, don't go there.

Well, he was pretty open about wanting and deserving the captaincy. He felt he was ready to be The Guy and lead his team deep into the playoffs. Crazy attention and expectations kinda come with the territory in a Canadian market, maybe especially in Ottawa this past season, given the loss of Alfie and their surprising run last season and whatnot. So he pretty much asked for it. And he failed. Miserably. But it's not all on him, and if he's disgruntled, that's probably why - and that's where I agree with where you're coming from. He's a scapegoat now. He's the symbol of everything that's wrong with the Sens, when, in fact, he's one of the few things that's right with them. If he stays? It's not going to get any better any time soon, and not because he's ZOMG A TERRIBLE CAPTAIN. It's because they have serious issues. For example, consider their long and disturbing history of "losing" (read: pushing out) their best talent. Chara, Hossa, Heatley, Gonchar, Alfredsson. And now Spezza.

He's been trending down for a while now. Alarmingly so. At this point, he's a 3C on a playoff team and a 4C on a contender. Which might be ok if he were 35. But he's 29. But I can see a number of teams paying him good money. Toronto's considering giving Bolland big money because they're desperate for a centerman who Knows What It Takes to Win, or whatever. Nashville may lose Legwand and Laviolette knows Richards from their time together in Philly. Ottawa's losing Spezza. Vancouver may lose Kesler. Colorado may lose Stastny. Walt Disney of Columbia may lose Grabovski and they need good veteran leadership, guys who Know What It Takes to Win, or whatever. Montreal doesn't actually have any centermen. It's an optical illusion. Deadmonton. All your 30-year-old free agents are belong to Minnesota. Lon Gisland is, for all intents and purposes, an expansion team that's desperate for anyone with two arms and two legs. SJ. (lolz) Pittsburgh. Derek Roy was a bust for St. Louis and they love them some GRIT and DEFENSE. Philly knows him, probably regrets running him out of town for no good reason and watching him win a Cup or two. Buffallow. (Clever, right?) Winnipeg has two lines and Frolik. Plus, Weiss - a somewhat similar player - has been a bust. You think Kenny's going to risk the same thing again? Nope!

If I'm Bergevin, I do whatever it takes to keep P.K. Subban a Montreal Canadien for as long as possible. Give him the moon.

Just for the record, I don't actually believe the Wings are going to do this. Not a snowball's chance in hell. If the player(s) they really want (e.g. Larkin, McCann) is/are taken, Holland will trade down to the tail end of the first round to recoup the second-round pick lost in the Legwand deal.

What I can really see happening: Ehrhoff to Florida.

To me, it's a moot point; as far as I know, Tallon hasn't given any indication that the asking price is an elite, franchise forward like Datsyuk or Zetterberg. He's stated that he'd like a big-bodied top-four defenseman, probably along the lines of Seabrook. We have one of those (still in his prime and on a reasonable contract) in Ericsson, and Tallon, being Tallon, is surely very familiar with him. That's why I think we have a real shot at this. And it's a unique shot. It's a shot at first overall. I don't really believe in "weak drafts," making key decisions based on the perceived "depth" of a draft class versus another year's class. But, given how many people seem to subscribe to the idea, I think it's safe to say that the only way we get to trade up for first overall is if the planets align and the team - in this case the Panthers - doesn't feel the draft in question is especially "deep," which is just as well because they don't want any more futures anyway, as they've decided to be a cap team, a playoff team, a winning team. You'd hope that team isn't in your division, but I don't think that's a big issue for either side if everyone is thinking objectively. Ekblad is very, very good. He's big, he's mature (in both senses). He's very likely a cornerstone defenseman for any team lucky enough to get him. He's going to step right into the league and be a difference-maker. I think we'd be stupid not to pursue him. The same is true for a few other kids in this draft, but it gets dicey because we might be trading one of our better defensemen for a forward, and I don't know if that's worth it. But Ekblad, I believe he's worth it. I believe he's that right-handed franchise defenseman that every team wants these days, there for the taking, and the Panthers don't even really want him if they can get a Jonathan Ericsson.

The thing about this possibility is, as far as I can tell, it's totally doable. We wouldn't have to sell the farm, or ship out Z or D. We'd probably just have to move Ericsson (Tallon wants a big-bodied top-four defenseman), a pick, and a prospect. For Aaron Ekblad? I would do that. But that's just me.