e_prime

Reallllly James? You don't say.

I imagine, if starting, he'd just be slotted in on the fourth line anyway... so I don't necessarily think this is horrible... but I'll reserve my judgements about sitting AA until the season actually starts.

...but Nielsen doesn't play the game that Backes still plays, despite being broken. So, Nielsen will probably still have some legs. Chara is also ALREADY a former shell of himself. Lucky for Boston, he only has this year and next left on his contract. Also, how many more days before this season starts... Lefty's starting to get salty. He needs some games STAT.

While I don't disagree Lefty, I think buying out both is an unlikely move by Holland. Especially when we're carrying Weiss' buyout cap number until 2021 and it's at it's most expensive cost NEXT YEAR. krsmith's assessment of Holland's thinking of those two is pretty spot on. I would love to think that one of either Howard or Ericsson would be picked up in the expansion draft, but as I'm not really sure of all the details on the rules of the expansion draft, that might be wishful thinking on my part.

...5 years at $6 million per season. Anybody that doesn't think that's too much for too long is crazy. All 25 minutes of your "quality" PIMs or not... Backes is going to be a broken down shell of his former self by next season. If not by mid-season.

Well, there's no Richards to give those minutes to... so it'll be Ott, Miller, and Glenny.

The Janmark injury/surgery/missing time seems a little coincidental to really offer Holland "an out" for the trade. It was a bummer that Cole wasn't able to really play for the team and make a worthwhile contribution in the playoffs, but let's be honest some folks will never forgive or give Holland the benefit of the doubt no matter what the situation or what happens with hindsight. ...and like I said before, had we kept Janmark... he'd just be another log in the jam that's stuck somewhere between a second/third-line tweener.

So, by your calculations PVD, Callahan is over-over-ripe, past-ripe. or pre-rotten? Also, in TroubaNews:

Younger, cheaper... I certainly get it. Even though I like Drew Miller, I would have not lost any sleep if he was not re-signed. ...and yes, losing D prospects would certainly hurt more than the third and fourth line guys we've lost in the most recent past. Neither Janmark nor Jarnkrok -- fringe top 6 players, more likely to remain third line guys -- would be putting up the numbers in Detroit that they're putting up in Dallas and Nashville respectively. Not the same type of system.

Big Trouble Kurt Russell or The Thing Kurt Russell?

Signing Russell would not be an upgrade to our D at all.

Every year we fret about which players we're going to lose to waivers. Who was the last one? Ferraro? Plucked off of waivers, made a nice initial statement in Boston as most guys do... now what? 4th line duties with the Blues? Nestrasil? Had we been able to hang on to him, what? Another 3rd line center to jam up the works? Don't get me wrong, there's a big list this year, and it pains me to lose guys for nothing or to see fairly decent prospects get traded away for players that just don't work out with the team... but that's the way the league works. It's a gamble for every team. Not every over-ripe Detroit prospect is going to make the Wings, but not every prospect is going to be claimed. Those worried about Callahan. Jeez. Relax. Every team has a guy like Callahan on their minor team that they hope doesn't get scooped up off of waivers... and typically, they don't. Honestly, who was the last guy we parted with via trade or through waivers that was a real loss?

...to complain about, amitrite??!!

Quite a wait and see game going on this year for depth defensemen. For reference, Denis Seidenberg was just signed for a cool million for one year by the Islanders. Seems like there were multiple parties involved but NY was the first to jump. Guess Boston was overpaying him for years tho', huh? UFA defensemen still available: (per generalfanager.com) Kris Russell Christian Ehrhoff Dan Boyle, Marek Zidlicky, Mattius Ohlund (if they didn't actually retire?) Brad Stuart Jay Harrision Colaiacovo Jackman

kliq -- i still like your proposal for a goalie swap with Winnipeg as being part of the deal for Trouba. It's the one thing the Jets are truly lacking. Strength in net. Howard can have a shot at being the starter and help them get into and further in the playoffs. Yes, yes, I know the Jets are high on Hellebuyck but giving them Howard gives them an upgrade over Pavelec and a veteran they can rely on. Howard isn't signed so long that he'll be an issue for when Hellebuyck is really ready to be their number one.

Git 'er dun, Kenny!

Ugh. Can't we drag all this nonsense back to the Babs thread. I thought we were done with that turd.

WISHES DO COME TRUE!!! CM PUNK = Phil Brooks. Former professional wrestler (fake fighting) who decided that he would give MMA (real fighting) a shot.

I, for one, hope that he gets his ass handed to him.

Once again Dickie: You are talking worst case scenario. I'm sorry if I put into your head that Z and Kronwall are GOING TO BE DONE in the next year or two. I get what you are saying and it's not that the points you are trying to make are without validity, but the doom and gloom just overshadows the points you make. Sure, it might be a problem that Zetterberg, Kronwall, and Franzen being on LITR at the same time is an issue for us... and that's a HUGE MIGHT. Kronwall has THREE YEARS. Franzen a whopping FOUR. If needed, Holland may be able to trade one of those contracts in the future if necessary... or one may just straight up retire. Which would hurt us on the cap-recapture penalty, but it might be something that has to be done. Players get bought out, and the buyout process can sometimes be costly, but if managed they're not the end all and be all of the teams cap. I'll dredge up the cap-recapture penalty vs. buyout info I've got saved somewhere if someone wants to see it, but the possibility of Z, Kronner, and Franzen all being on LITR or retiring without finishing their contracts at the same time are the least of our immediate cap woes and certainly not unmanageable in the near future. Also, when is the CBA up? NHL and NHLPA options in 2019? For all we know cap-recapture penalties might go away... or buyouts of contracts before a certain year might have new rules... etc.

Don't you know that the definition of MOST is 6 of 23... 26%. That's 5 of 13 forwards, 1 of 7 defensemen, and zero goalies signed long-term. Of course, that's going by MY definition of long-term. (6 years left 'till expiration) Dickie's might be different. That's looking at things probably the most realistically, however If you really consider things based on moves Holland should make... One or more of Tatar, Nyquist, and/or Smith could be used in a trade for that defenseman we all dream of making their extensions null. Either one or both of Howard and Ericsson's contracts will be gone via trade, buyout, or Expansion Draft -- well before their contract expiration dates. Finally, it wouldn't surprise me, and I think kliq mentioned this before, if both Kronner and Z are LITR'd before their contracts are up due to injury.

...and even more when you consider Jurco, Pulkinnen, Ott, and Miller. A lot of flexibility. I too like watching the Wings build on the fly. Is Holland doing everything that I wish he were? No. He continues to be over cautious and too measured in his approach, which to be honest, is getting a bit stale. Will the team be worse if we overpay a bit for a defenseman? Probably not. So, while I understand the frustration that others have towards the upcoming season and see it as more of the same old same old... I think it's wayyyy to early to be this doom and gloom.

Not that I totally disagree F. Michael, but you do realize you're not only asking Holland to dust off his balls and make an offer sheet, but you're also actually asking him to trust his youth... that's just crazy talk.

That's a lot for Trouba. It should get the deal done, but I don't think Holland makes that kind of offer. I think we should hold on to that 1st rounder. I don't want to write off a season before it's even begun, but I think that number one pick might be a bit higher than usual and/or has more value closer to the draft than at the beginning of the season. You know damn well he does not.

This is all of our Trouba trade talk summed up nicely. Thanks frank.