Reality

[egroen 384]

Below is a very realistic team for next year. I have rounded a bit, so these numbers are not exact.

The salary cap this year is $56.7 million, and I have it staying exactly the same... though it might actually go down.

There is a very good chance Hossa, Franzen and Hudler could all be gone next year. Hossa is guaranteed to be gone. Holland has shown he is reluctant to trade away recently signed players (meaning Filppula and Lilja will probably stay), and guys like Cleary, Stuart and Rafalski (where posters will often attempt to save money) have no-trade clauses. If Babcock is asked whom he would prefer, I am sure he would pick Sammy over Hudler ten out of ten times.

7.45 Zetterberg

6.70 Datsyuk

3.00 Filppula

3.00 Samuelsson

2.80 Cleary

2.25 Holmstrom

1.60 Draper

0.90 Maltby

0.90 Abdelkader

0.80 Kopecky

0.60 Helm

0.50 McCarty/Downey

30.50

7.45 Lidstrom

6.00 Rafalski

3.75 Stuart

3.00 Kronwall

1.25 Lilja

0.90 Eriksson

0.65 Lebda/Chelios

0.50 Meech/Chelios

23.50

1.40 Osgood

0.70 Howard/Conklin

2.10

$56.1 million = 2009/10 Salary

Not a bad team, but far from what it is this year.

I would prefer to see him trade Filppula and let Sammy go in order to keep Franzen (and sign Leino), but I just have my doubts that would happen. Holland is more likely to let a free agent go than to trade a recently signed player.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

holland is gonna do what he does every year...find a way to make the wings better than the other teams and give less. players want to play in detroit cause players know they have a chance to win. often they take a pay cut (hossa) to roll with the winged wheel. franzen and huds stay, and sammy's actually been good this year, at both ends of the ice. let maltby go, and trade kopecky. bring in helm and leino. decisions will be made with hossa and zetterberg as to signings and salary. but again, leave that to holland and we'll see what he gives us next season. here's hoping hossa remains in the red and white next year. and zetterberg wants to remain a wing for his whole career, and obviously take the "C" when lids hangs em up, so don't be surprised if he signs for 7 years with a hometown discount.

[egroen 384]

holland is gonna do what he does every year...find a way to make the wings better than the other teams and give less. players want to play in detroit cause players know they have a chance to win. often they take a pay cut (hossa) to roll with the winged wheel. franzen and huds stay, and sammy's actually been good this year, at both ends of the ice. let maltby go, and trade kopecky. bring in helm and leino. decisions will be made with hossa and zetterberg as to signings and salary. but again, leave that to holland and we'll see what he gives us next season. here's hoping hossa remains in the red and white next year. and zetterberg wants to remain a wing for his whole career, and obviously take the "C" when lids hangs em up, so don't be surprised if he signs for 7 years with a hometown discount.

I posted this because many fans do prefer to live in a fantasy land where Hossa, Franzen and Hudler will all be on the team, but many might also be curious if it is at all possible. For those inquiring minds: it is not.

I challenge anyone to create a viable team that includes all of them. Sheesh, you want not only Hossa, Franzen and Hudler but also Sammy and Leino!

This is the team I am expecting for next year, and if Holland can work some magic and make it a little bit better, I am going to be pleasantly suprised.

Edited December 2, 2008 by egroen

[CrossoverThrash 0]

I posted this because many fans do prefer to live in a fantasy land where Hossa, Franzen and Hudler will all be on the team, but many might also be curious if it is at all possible. For those inquiring minds: it is not.

I challenge anyone to create a viable team that includes all of them. Sheesh, you want not only Hossa, Franzen and Hudler but also Sammy and Leino!

This is the team I am expecting for next year, and if Holland can work some magic and make it a little bit better, I am going to be pleasantly suprised.

Why would Hossa turn down 50 million to come here, same iwht Rafalski. Theres no way you can pay hank more than .1 mil than datsyuk

[Peleshob 0]

The day Ken Holland gives Samuelsson 3mil I become a Leafs fan. Filppula getting 3mil a year is overpayment because he will gradually become worth more than the deal. Samuelsson has reached his ceiling and I think that given he's getting 1.2mil now the MAX he should get is 2mil. Make no mistake, he's playing great now... but he's not worth 3mil. Then again, I don't think Cleary is worth 2.8mil either... but his injuries have served as an excuse for now.

[egroen 384]

The day Ken Holland gives Samuelsson 3mil I become a Leafs fan. Filppula getting 3mil a year is overpayment because he will gradually become worth more than the deal. Samuelsson has reached his ceiling and I think that given he's getting 1.2mil now the MAX he should get is 2mil. Make no mistake, he's playing great now... but he's not worth 3mil. Then again, I don't think Cleary is worth 2.8mil either... but his injuries have served as an excuse for now.

Samuelsson plays on the penalty kill just as Cleary and Fillpula do and is more of a regular on the power play than they are. He has also been producing a lot more points than either of them. The fact Holland, with all his "magic", signed Cleary and Filppula for around $3 million tells me we will most likely see the better player, Samuelsson, give a home-town discount for close to the same.

Even if Holland printed up a transcript of LGW.com and used it to bring Sammy's value down to $2 milion, that is only $1 million you have freed up. What does that do for you? You could let Kopecky go and afford Leino, which would not be bad at all.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

i said i hope we keep hossa...don't think we will though...

on the other hand, if he does leave, here is my little analysis, take it as you will.

current cap hits:

dats-6.7

filppula-3.0

cleary-2.8

homer-2.25

drapes-1.583

malts-.883

lids-7.45

rafs-6.0

stuart-3.75

kronner-3.0

lilja-1.25

lebda-.65

meech-.483

ozzy-1.416 total: $41.21 mil

estimates for re-signings:

kopecky-.75

zetterberg-6.7 (same as dats)

huds-2.0

franzen-3.0

howard-.75 total: $13.20

gone:

mccarty

sammy-asks too much...

conklin-value goes up too high based on this years performance

cheli-finally expires

combined total- $54.41

no room left for hossa, leaves holland with a presumed 2.29 mil to sign helm and leino, or both...

go nuts!

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Reality is that you, nor I, nor most likely kenny even knows what the team will be like next year.

Then again it is about time for another speculate on next years team thread, it's been 3 days since the last was started.

[Winther 6]

Samuelsson plays on the penalty kill just as Cleary and Fillpula do and is more of a regular on the power play than they are. He has also been producing a lot more points than either of them. The fact Holland, with all his "magic", signed Cleary and Filppula for around $3 million tells me we will most likely see the better player, Samuelsson, give a home-town discount for close to the same.

Even if Holland printed up a transcript of LGW.com and used it to bring Sammy's value down to $2 milion, that is only $1 million you have freed up. What does that do for you? You could let Kopecky go and afford Leino, which would not be bad at all.

Thats 14 forwards+8 defensemen+2 goalies counting against the cap. Is that really correct, a 24 man roster? i thought you could only have 23, one forward/defenseman less? Take away say lebda and samuelsson, thats 3.65. Then add Franzen at 3.5 instead of samuelsson. Is that at all possible, or just wishful thinking?

Edit; Im bad at math . 22 man roster, not 24. Is it possible to replace Samuelsson with Franzen and still make it work?

Edited December 2, 2008 by Winther

[The Mule 0]

I'd much rather wait until this season has wrapped itself up before I start thinking about next year's team.

[JayUp88 1]

But I love Franzen and Hudler

[Elshupacabra 0]

It's all really dependent on what kind of a discount Zetterberg will take. However, I think that re-signing both Zetterberg and Franzen will be a higher priority than keeping Samuelsson, Lilja, Lebda and Kopecky based solely on Holland not liking to trade players.

[egroen 384]

Is it possible to replace Samuelsson with Franzen and still make it work?

I personally feel the only way Franzen stays is if Filppula is traded (and obviously Hudler and Samuelsson leave).

As for the thought Zetterberg should be making what Datsyuk is ($6.7 million):

1) Zetterberg is a far better player today than Datsyuk was when he signed. A Conn Smythe and Selke nomination are nice bargaining chips.

2) When Datsyuk signed the cap was at $44 million, and Datsyuk's salary was over 15% of the salary cap. I have Zetterberg signing for a very nice home-town discount of the Lidstrom cap at $7.45 million - which is only 13% of the salary cap today.

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

7.00 Zetterberg

6.70 Datsyuk

3.9 Franzen

3.00 Filppula

3.00 Samuelsson Gone

2.80 Cleary

2.25 Holmstrom

1.60 Draper

0.90 Maltby

0.90 Abdelkader

0.80 Kopecky Gone

0.60 Helm

1.25 Hudler

0.50 McCarty

0.50 Downey GR Bound

31.40

7.45 Lidstrom

6.00 Rafalski

3.75 Stuart

3.00 Kronwall

1.25 Lilja

0.90 Eriksson

0.75 Chelios

0.65 Lebda Traded/Waived

0.5 Meech Traded/Waived

23.1

1.40 Osgood

0.70 Howard/Conklin

$56.6 mill 09-10

Edited December 2, 2008 by PROBIE4PREZ

[DatsyukownzU13 1]

What's up with the Jimmy Howard love? He has been horrible, once again, in Grand Rapids. If anything Larsson is probably more likely to get an NHL contract than he Howard is. I think Conklin will probably get signed to another 1 year deal, though.

[lets go pavel 2]

The way I look at it, Z will make approximately what Hossa makes this year, which frees up Z's current salary, 2.9 million. If we give that to Franzen, in addition to what he currently makes he'd be around 4 ... could probably get more on the free agent market, but that might work. That puts us right back at the cap ... we would lose Hossa, and could only resign Hudler, Sammy, Kopecky if they take the same amount.

[egroen 384]

PROBIE4PREZ: You only have a 21 man roster. You need at least one more.

combined total- $54.41

no room left for hossa, leaves holland with a presumed 2.29 mil to sign helm and leino, or both...

And with both Leino *AND* Helm you also only have 21 players.

Edited December 2, 2008 by egroen

[DatsyukownzU13 1]

Below is a very realistic team for next year. I have rounded a bit, so these numbers are not exact.

The salary cap this year is $56.7 million, and I have it staying exactly the same... though it might actually go down.

There is a very good chance Hossa, Franzen and Hudler could all be gone next year. Hossa is guaranteed to be gone. Holland has shown he is reluctant to trade away recently signed players (meaning Filppula and Lilja will probably stay), and guys like Cleary, Stuart and Rafalski (where posters will often attempt to save money) have no-trade clauses. If Babcock is asked whom he would prefer, I am sure he would pick Sammy over Hudler ten out of ten times.

7.45 Zetterberg

6.70 Datsyuk

3.00 Filppula

3.00 Samuelsson

2.80 Cleary

2.25 Holmstrom

1.60 Draper

0.90 Maltby

0.90 Abdelkader

0.80 Kopecky

0.60 Helm

0.50 McCarty/Downey

30.50

7.45 Lidstrom

6.00 Rafalski

3.75 Stuart

3.00 Kronwall

1.25 Lilja

0.90 Eriksson

0.65 Lebda/Chelios

0.50 Meech/Chelios

23.50

1.40 Osgood

0.70 Howard/Conklin

2.10

$56.1 million = 2009/10 Salary

Not a bad team, but far from what it is this year.

I would prefer to see him trade Filppula and let Sammy go in order to keep Franzen (and sign Leino), but I just have my doubts that would happen. Holland is more likely to let a free agent go than to trade a recently signed player.

All the bold raises eyebrows for me. Sammy will most likely be a goner, I just can't see us spending 3 million for someone like him. Leino attempts to fill in for what I think is .850? Kopecky should be gone as well. Mac/Downey will be in GR. I highly doubt Chelios or Meech can demand anything more than .50 on this team.

I don't really think Holland will let Hudler, Franzen and Hossa all leave in one off-season. I just can't imagine it.

Edited December 2, 2008 by DatsyukownzU13

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

PROBIE4PREZ: You only have a 21 man roster. You need at least one more.

wow thats kinda depressing ..I knew it was to good to be true . Ken Holland must be banging his head on the wall trying to figure this s*** out ...

[VM1138 1,921]

There is simply no way we let Hossa AND Franzen go. We keep one of them.

Also, I'm betting one or two will retire (Chelios, depending on how he holds up this season, is one).

Also, I think Holland would have a riot on his hands if he kept Kopecky and let Franzen, Hossa, and Hudler go. The kid is....you guys know the drill......useless.

Edited December 2, 2008 by VM1138

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Why again is Sammy making 3 million a year?

I know he's actually playing well this year, but talk about overpayment.

[egroen 384]

Why again is Sammy making 3 million a year?

I know he's actually playing well this year, but talk about overpayment.

Because that is a good price for him... he could get more.

He plays on the PP and PK, is "gritty" and in addition to a very successful playoff run last year he is on pace for 70+ points this year.

Cleary has shown a lot less and got $2.8 million - and the only way he accepted such a low salary was if it included a no-trade clause.

[Opie 308]

Why again is Sammy making 3 million a year?

I know he's actually playing well this year, but talk about overpayment.

Dude, you and I have gone back and forth about Sammy but in this rendition I bring up a different point, completely unrelated to Sammy's play.

Jeff Finger

I know the salary cap last year went up and we will probably see a slight reduction in $ amounts due to the expected down turn it will take, but, Dude, some one gave Jeff Finger 3.5 mil. I'm just saying!

[bellarina 1]

Get rid of the salary cap.

or

Sign Hossa and Franzen for 2 million a piece each.(needless to say sign Hank)

Give them each 2-3 Little Ceasers Restaurants (throughout North America)and some how they sell Phantom pizzas totally 6 million more than they actually sell a year.

Hoss and franz Get their 8 mil each and "play for less". Is that illegal??

Make it happen Kenny.

[thedatsyukian 7]

Really it's going to come to the players priorities. We have to hope that they aren't making their decision based solely on the paycheck and that the red wings atmosphere made a lasting impact.