Red Wing scouts in ATL again

[Cern 0]

Could be a very interesting trade deadline for the Wings - or not.

I think this game against LA - or the one against the Blues on the 3rd - is going to be the determining factor. Oz says he's feeling great coming out of his break, but we've heard that before this season. I think this really is a final chance for him on the Wings, if it's more of the same old same old this game, who knows?

In any case, I'm not exactly terribly familiar with Lethonen, what's his story? Probably kinda hard to tell, playing for a team like the Trashers is going to give anyone short of Hossa and Kovalchuk poor stats.

[digitaljohn88 4]

Filppula for Lehtonen solves a lot of problems. If Osgood stinks tomorrow expect a trade to be made. Detroit will need a backup for Conklin in the playoffs. Filppula WILL have to be dumped anyway in order to sign both Hossa AND Franzen. Who wants a forward who has a problem finding the net??? Frankly, I am tired of watching Filppula make more "backward passes" than forward passes. Plus his backward passes get picked off. Leino is ALREADY ahead of Leino in terms or ability and skill. Fil and Kari have the same salary cap hit. Kari is a RFA so the Wings would get a draft pick for him anyway.

if we're trading for a goalie, i think we're trading for a guy who will be our starter

[russianswede919293 95]

its more likely they are scuting a defenseman than lehtonen...

[Guest mindfly]

Hävelid is done in the NHL after this season, he has stated that in several swedish newspapers all year so just forget about him

[WingsFanInDC 0]

Hey folks,

I was at the Caps vs Thrasher's game last nite.. If Lehtonen can do repeat performances of what I witnessed last night, the then Wings have to sign him somehow for backup. Knowing that the Caps won, but seeing what Lehtonen did was really well. Funny thing was, i was wondering if there were Red Wing scouts at the game last nite.

-B

[Andy Pred 48 337]

Havelid in to bolster the D for the playoffs, just as a rental. No other deal will the Wings entertain. Unless the Thrasher really want Flip bad. It was rumoured at the start of the season theat they were interested in Filppula. Can't see them offering up their 1st round pick thou just for him. Maybe a 2/3 player package off the roster but that would hurt the Wings playoff run. At present it could be the 1st or 2nd pick this year. Hrmm, Tavares or Hedman? Now that would put Kenny on the spot !

[Canadian_Yzerman_Fan 7]

its more likely they are scuting a defenseman than lehtonen...

i agree... i think lebda is in the doghouse with Babs... they know chelios can't play every game in the playoffs... meech might not be ready... and they want someone experienced in case of injuries... Cue Havelid

[Opie 308]

MY opinion:

Flip + Howard for Lehtonen.

Conk for a Pick to who knows?

I want to see J-Ho in the winged wheel more than any one except Jimmy and his family, however I just don't think it is in the cards for him.

I see the Wings offering Lehtonen a Champions discount offer (It isn't a home town discount) with Ozzie as his backup and Larsson and McCollum to continue in the AHL, I also see the Wings asking Malts to hang them up, letting Sammy walk, and I actually see Franzen chasing bigger money! Now before you read that as a slight on Mule, this is his last chance to really get paid, he is looking his best ever, will be 30 sooner than later, I don't blame him for wanting to chase his one big pay day. Leino, Helm, and Ericsson will be on this roster next season, Kenny will find a way to get these 3 on the Wings roster. I think that Malts and Sammy are replaced by Helm and Abdelkader (Or UFA) and Flip will be replaced after this trade by Leino. Hudler and Hossa are both signed in the offseason!

ZDH

Hudler Leino Hossa

Abdelkader/??? Helm Cleary

Kopecky Draper Abdelkader/???

(??? I tryly see the wings filling this the cheapest way possible so as not to be too Hamstrung against the cap, this lineup also takes Lehtonen, Hossa, Hudler taking discounted offers into account, so it could be complete fantasy)

Lids Ralf

Kronwall Stuart

Lilja Ericsson

Meech Lebda

Lehtonen

Ozzie

(I didn't bother trying to do salary numbers as Nearly half of the team I suggested will have new numbers next year!)

The only problem here is that, next season if Lehtonen says no to the discount the Wings are in the same boat they are this year.

[Rikadyn 16]

Well, seeing as Liv is no longer in the system, Lehtonen would fill the role of goalie with odd themed masks...

[up2here 41]

Hävelid is done in the NHL after this season, he has stated that in several swedish newspapers all year so just forget about him

Who cares what Havelid does next year,we only need him for this year. I dont think the Wings are deep enough with prospects to trade Filppula for a rental goaltender who will be too expensive to sign. I think you can put it in the bank that Havelid comes here for a late pick.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Kari Lehtonen has not been the goalie that everyone expected him to be. At this point, Conklin is a better goalie than him short term.

Honestly, other than Kovalchuk or Valabik, there's nothing I'd want from their team, and neither guy is going to be traded to the Wings realistically. Don't know why the hell our scouts are there.

[up2here 41]

Kari Lehtonen has not been the goalie that everyone expected him to be. At this point, Conklin is a better goalie than him short term.

Honestly, other than Kovalchuk or Valabik, there's nothing I'd want from their team, and neither guy is going to be traded to the Wings realistically. Don't know why the hell our scouts are there.

Havelid has very respectable numbers considering the team hes playing for,he would be a very good fit,kills penalties and blocks shots very well.

[Zetterbeard40 0]

I don't see them going after a tender, and I've actually heard a bunch of times on 97.1 that Holland said he will NOT be shopping for a goalie. Holland is looking for a crease clearing defensmen, Havelid possibly. He's Swedish, and we all know the wings love the swedes. Lebda/Chelios are not what you want to be going into the playoffs with as your 6th defensmen. The reason I say we wont get a goalie is simply because we are stuck with osgood for the next 2 years after this year at 1.4 and 1.1 million. Although Ozzie may not be the answer to our goaltending woes, we cant afford to pay for a "franchise" goalie, especially if we plan on keeping, Hossa/Franzen/Hudler. Not to mention we just drafted Tom McCullom as our 1st overall pick last year. Of course he's young, but with Conklin showing he can play as a starter and win, we're better off giving Conklin a bit of a pay increase, keeping him around to share duties with ozzie until ozzie retires, and wait for one of our drafted goalies to become NHL ready. Lets not forget Larsson/Howard. I could see Fill being moved to allow us to get a D-man like Havelid as well as free up some space under the cap, and to be honest i would be more than happy with that trade. We have forwards that can replace fill on the penalty kill (Helm), and offensively, well i guess anyone can replace him offensively cause he's non-existent aside from the odd assist. My final thought, if we make any move at the deadline, it will be for a big D-man that can clear out the front of the net on the 3rd d-line.

Who cares what Havelid does next year,we only need him for this year. I dont think the Wings are deep enough with prospects to trade Filppula for a rental goaltender who will be too expensive to sign. I think you can put it in the bank that Havelid comes here for a late pick.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Havelid has very respectable numbers considering the team hes playing for,he would be a very good fit,kills penalties and blocks shots very well.

We're loaded on defense already. Havelid would obviously be a short term addition, but what we need is some more size somewhere.

[NomadFromKazoo 42]

MY opinion:

Flip + Howard for Lehtonen.

Conk for a Pick to who knows?

I want to see J-Ho in the winged wheel more than any one except Jimmy and his family, however I just don't think it is in the cards for him.

I see the Wings offering Lehtonen a Champions discount offer (It isn't a home town discount) with Ozzie as his backup and Larsson and McCollum to continue in the AHL, I also see the Wings asking Malts to hang them up, letting Sammy walk, and I actually see Franzen chasing bigger money! Now before you read that as a slight on Mule, this is his last chance to really get paid, he is looking his best ever, will be 30 sooner than later, I don't blame him for wanting to chase his one big pay day. Leino, Helm, and Ericsson will be on this roster next season, Kenny will find a way to get these 3 on the Wings roster. I think that Malts and Sammy are replaced by Helm and Abdelkader (Or UFA) and Flip will be replaced after this trade by Leino. Hudler and Hossa are both signed in the offseason!

ZDH

Hudler Leino Hossa

Abdelkader/??? Helm Cleary

Kopecky Draper Abdelkader/???

(??? I tryly see the wings filling this the cheapest way possible so as not to be too Hamstrung against the cap, this lineup also takes Lehtonen, Hossa, Hudler taking discounted offers into account, so it could be complete fantasy)

Lids Ralf

Kronwall Stuart

Lilja Ericsson

Meech Lebda

Lehtonen

Ozzie

(I didn't bother trying to do salary numbers as Nearly half of the team I suggested will have new numbers next year!)

The only problem here is that, next season if Lehtonen says no to the discount the Wings are in the same boat they are this year.

I see a lot of far out predictions that ignore a lot of reality, but this one's pretty pragmatic. I hope we do get Mule AND H to stay, but I still put that in the "odds against" category. Until Howard's an NHL goalie he isn't and even if he's solid in net during the season the playoffs next year are as we all know from brutal experience an entirely different game. We tried this year with the rubber band and paper clip solution to the goalie position and we're sweating bullets. If we don't make a move like this we're way too likely to be in the same boat next year. Anyway, we'll see, but this is as good a prediction as I've seen.

[up2here 41]

We're loaded on defense already. Havelid would obviously be a short term addition, but what we need is some more size somewhere.

I agree we need size but i wouldnt say were loaded on defense. One injury around playoff time to a D-man and we might be in some trouble.

[russianswede919293 95]

I agree we need size but i wouldnt say were loaded on defense. One injury around playoff time to a D-man and we might be in some trouble.

Yup. And two would be devestating.

Lets assume that Kronner gets hurt (hey its kronner its feasable) and one other, lets say Rafalski for hell's sake and your defense is

Lids-Lilja

Lebda-Stuart

Meech-Chelios

Now lets say they have havelid..

Lids-Lilja

Havelid-Stuart

Lebda-Chelios

Looks much better doesn't it...

[Hockeytown_Ryan 119]

Really? Some of you guys dont see it? Look, what are our two biggest problems right now? Too high of salary for certain players (to sign Franzen and Hossa) and Goaltending. So um....can we dump a little bit of salary for a *rental* goaltender for this year?? A couple guys come to mind: Maltby; was the contract extension neccessary(filled by helm)? Sammy; he's up this year anyways right(filled by leino)? Draper; i love the guy but is it time (filled by helm)? Lebda; not making a killing but having chelios/meech/prospect might be just enough salary to help out.

Some of you guys wanna see flip out of here cus of his contract size....but whatever happens i see him being a staple on the second line because lets face it, we cant live in fantasy land forever. (flip, hudler, leino sounds like a good line to me). but we dump SALARY to acquire a RENTAL goalie for a REPEAT. Then in the offseason....we decide what we do in goal. Lehtonen would not be a priority in the offseason.

If they aquire him for a roster player He would be a priority....If Flip goes the other way it frees up cap for him and Yes he would be a valuable asset to this franchise

[Hockeytown_Ryan 119]

Filppula for Lehtonen straight across.

1. Wings bolster shaky goaltending with a great backup for Ty whose contract expires at the end of the run

2. Slip Leino up to "Fil" in

3. Make Helm a permanent fixture on the roster as the 4th line center

4. Free up 3 million in salary for 2010 to increase the chances of signing Hossa, Franzen or both

wishful thinking?

Im In

[MacK_Attack 108]

Wings are definitely after Havelid. I'd expect Atlanta to wait until Wednesday to move him, in an effort to try and get the price a little higher.

[Frozen-Man 144]

Really? Some of you guys dont see it? Look, what are our two biggest problems right now? Too high of salary for certain players (to sign Franzen and Hossa) and Goaltending. So um....can we dump a little bit of salary for a *rental* goaltender for this year?? A couple guys come to mind: Maltby; was the contract extension neccessary(filled by helm)? Sammy; he's up this year anyways right(filled by leino)? Draper; i love the guy but is it time (filled by helm)? Lebda; not making a killing but having chelios/meech/prospect might be just enough salary to help out.

Some of you guys wanna see flip out of here cus of his contract size....but whatever happens i see him being a staple on the second line because lets face it, we cant live in fantasy land forever. (flip, hudler, leino sounds like a good line to me). but we dump SALARY to acquire a RENTAL goalie for a REPEAT. Then in the offseason....we decide what we do in goal. Lehtonen would not be a priority in the offseason.

I don't see any way that this organization (not with the way that it treats it's players ships off a guy who has played 13 years for the Wings and a guy who has played 15 years for the Wings (who also happens to be one of the Wings assistant captains). They have more loyalty to their players than to ship out guys who have been around that long 20 games before the season is over. Not to mention you lose tons of veteran presence (yeah I know they have more but we're talking about being around for all the recent Cups and almost 2000 games between them). Not to mention none of those guys cost much money - get rid of all four and you get a whopping $4,316,666 in cap relief. You only mentioned filling those 4 spots with 2 guys so lets say you bring up Ericsson and Abdelkader to fill the remaining two spots. Those guys cost you $3,114,444 meaning that you just lost 2 long term veterans one with the best face off percentage in the league at 61.1%, and another guy with 16 goals and 36 points (who also got the first two goals of the finals last year which is a pretty big stage to perform on).

[jjd06e 10]

Lehtonen would also be a RFA, so if him and Hudler walked we would get a lot of draft picks

[Frozen-Man 144]

Lehtonen would also be a RFA, so if him and Hudler walked we would get a lot of draft picks

True but a double edged sword, Atlanta knows that too and knows if another team picks him up they will get several picks probably at least a 1st and 3rd round pick and possibly a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick. That means any team that wants him now will have to give up more value than that.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Hävelid is done in the NHL after this season, he has stated that in several swedish newspapers all year so just forget about him

Why do you keep harping on this? The point you keep stating is the exact opposite of why the Red Wings can/should go after Havelid. They only need Havelid for the remainder of this season. It doesn't matter what he does after that because the Red Wings aren't going to have the cap space to re-sign him this summer. Ericsson will be a part of the defense next season, so Havelid would be filling a role solely for the playoffs. It's a perfect scenario for the Red Wings to acquire Havelid at the deadline.

[Guest mindfly]

It's not worth throwing away a player lik efilppula with contract just to get a player that probably only will play decent for a few months before leaving for sweden. my 2