Wings will be a better team in 09/10

[The Big Red Machine 0]

This season will be the first in a while in which the Wings will be legitimately challenged for first in the Central.

[Finnish Wing 110]

Are these lines over the cap?

Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Zetterberg

Franzen-Filppula-Cleary/Hudler

Leino-Helm-Hudler/Cleary

Abdelkader-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Ericsson-Lebda

Meech

Osgood

Howard

I mean, I just don't get it how we are suddenly struggling to fit under the cap after Hossa and Sammy are gone and only thing we need to do is re-sign two players. If we dump Lilja and give Leino a max 1M and Hudler a max 2,5M we are under the cap. I think Leino can sign under 1M and if Hudler won't we can look for an UFA to replace him.

It would be tight to fit under the cap and bring players up next year but after that we would have some room as Maltby and Homer will retire and potentially Lidstrom and Draper.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Finnish Wing

[Vladiator 116]

Would feel a bit better if Conks was still the back up. The D didn't play up to their potential last season. The D is going to have to play much better this coming season in order for the Wings to stay where they have been for so many years.

[clutchngrab 12]

the Holmstrom, Draper, Malts situation is frightening. You need about 1 of these players, and no way do you need 3. If I may dream, I hope Homer retires, Draper centers the 4th line, and Maltby platoons with someone from the A.

Abby's a bit rough around the edges, I'd opt for him to say in GR this season. He'll get enough time in the bigs anyway, being the first callup and everything.

Those guys did absolutely nada in the playoffs. 10+ years as 3rd and 4th line players is way too long.

[marcaractac 3,963]

Pavel Datsyuk $6,700,000

Henrik Zetterberg $6,083,333

Johan Franzen $3,954,545

Valtteri Filppula $3,000,000

Daniel Cleary $2,800,000

Tomas Holmstrom $2,250,000

Jiri Hudler $1,750,000

Kris Draper $1,583,333

Ville Leino $950,000

Kirk Maltby $883,333

UFA $750,000

Darren Helm $599,444

DEFENSEMEN

Nicklas Lidstrom $7,450,000

Brian Rafalaski $6,000,000

Brad Stuart $3,750,000

Niklas Kronwall $3,000,000

Andreas Lilja $1,250,000

Jonathan Ericsson $900,000

Brett Lebda $650,000

GOALTENDERS

Chris Osgood $1,416,666

Jimmy Howard $716,666

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (including bonuses)

ROSTER SIZE 21

SALARY CAP $56,800,000

PAYROLL $56,437,320

BONUS MONEY (ESTIMATED) (0% of cap) $0

CAP ROOM $362,680

CAP ROOM PER OPEN SPOT $181,340

Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Zetterberg

Franzen-Filppula-Hudler

Cleary-Helm-Leino

Maltby-Draper-UFA

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Pain Train- Ericsson

Lebda OR Meech

Osgood

Howard

If Hudler goes elsewhere, I'd say move Cleary to the 2nd line and sign a defensively responsible 3rd liner, and a cup hungry wrecking machine for the 4th line. That could probably be had trading Meech or Lebda after training camp, unless there is someone out there now. Only reason I'd like to see Hudler on the 2nd line over Cleary is because I thought or downfall in Game 7 of the finals was pressure being put on out 3rd line, so having Cleary there with Helm would probably prevent things like that. Anyway, just my two cents.

Either way, I think the time will be fine this season. Many people are over reacting big time. They will have a strong season. Our defense will make a good come back I think, especially with a rookie backup in net some nights. They won't score as many goals, but a lot of the lost goals will come elsewhere with increased roles in players like Filppula, Leino, Helm, and Ericsson. Having Hank and Pasha back together regularly will help a lot as well. There are gonna be some youngsters on this roster out to prove themselves, and there is still so much veteran leadership on this team for them to look up to. Holland will no doubt use the trade deadline to acquire some depth, even if that means getting another goalie if Howard doesn't pan out to well. As long as this team goes back to dominating defense, which we all know they can do, there is no reason why they can't win the central, and there is no reason why they can't compete for the top spot in the West. Ozzie I'm sure will have a rebound season as well. Last year Hudler seemed to finally break out. Now with Hossa gone, I think Filppula is going to have his coming out party.

On paper, they will not be a better team than this season past. But there are so many factors that can make them play as a better team than last season (better team defense, getting the hunger back, etc.). That's what it is gonna come down to.

Edited July 2, 2009 by marcaractac

[Donaldjr2448 43]

I think the main reason the Wings will be better next year is ADVERSITY!! No one is going to pick these guys to do anything, it will all be about Chicago/SanJose/Rangers/Montreal, and everyone will forget about the Wings! This type of thing is what sparks this team!!!

[KrazyGangsta 79]

Wings will win the cup in 10-11 .

[Red Crazy 201]

This season will be the first in a while in which the Wings will be legitimately challenged for first in the Central.

I agree with this. The Wings may even be considered the underdog to win the Central.

The problem is you have Chicago making great pick ups and their young stars will only be better this season ( Toews, Kane, etc.) They were good last year and they will be alot better this year.

While the Wings have lost goalie depth, have lost 60+ goals off the forwards, and have too many guy's on the roster that can't pull their weight ( Maltby, Draper, Homer) and are a year older.

I say the Wings will have a good team but not near as good as 07/08 or 08/09.

And the thought of Ozzie/Howard is scaring the hell out of me.

[chrisdetroit 189]

I agree with this. The Wings may even be considered the underdog to win the Central.

The problem is you have Chicago making great pick ups and their young stars will only be better this season ( Toews, Kane, etc.) They were good last year and they will be alot better this year.

While the Wings have lost goalie depth, have lost 60+ goals off the forwards, and have too many guy's on the roster that can't pull their weight ( Maltby, Draper, Homer) and are a year older.

I say the Wings will have a good team but not near as good as 07/08 or 08/09.

And the thought of Ozzie/Howard is scaring the hell out of me.

Glass half empty huh?

The Hawks are going to struggle with Huet in goal and now they don't have 'Bulin to come in and save them.

Ok the Wings lost Hossa's 40 goals but you are adding in the goals from Kopy and Sammy. Come on. Leino and Helm are both upgrades over Kopy and Sammy. Hudler likely will stay put now.

I expect Flip to have a break-out year if we can finally get him a permanent position on a line so that he isn't constantly moving around.

Ozzie/Howard scares you? LOL. We all saw what Ozzie can do in the playoffs. If Howard struggles, Ozzie will play more until we can find a better back-up. Ozzie is the starter not Howard.

Lot's of defensive pessimism this summer. Everybody is setting up for the "I told you sos"

I for one like the new improved Wings. Hossa did nothing for us when it mattered most. In fact he's had 1 good playoff his entire career and he's 30 years old. I'm ok that he has moved on. Kopy and Sammy were expendable.

I see 50 wins and 16 wins in the playoffs. Lids wins his 5th cup in 09/10 and then retires.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

You're assuming Filps, Draper and Homer have a rebound year. You're also assuming Abdelkader, Leino and Helm will have an awesome breakout year. If these things don't happen, well......we're gonna hurt a bit.

This I don't get. Filppula's goal scoring might have been down last season but he set a career high in points. So how exactly is Filppula going to rebound?

I'm really looking forward to what next seasons team can do, it should be a bit more youth orientated and I agree with what one posted said, Hudler and Filppula playing on the 2nd line all season would do wonders for both IMO.

[VM1138 1,921]

The Wings will be worse. They COULD be better, but really only if Leino, Ericcson and Helm somehow rejuvinate this team (Abdelkader won't be playing full time) and have massive breakout years and if Draper and Maltby and Homer don't continue to slide.

The key is not just to look at our roster, but look around us. Those teams taht have been nipping at our heels are improving while we're still essentially the 2008 team. Consistency is good, yes, but at what cost? We saw that the team struggled and would have been a low, low seed without Hossa. Was that just Cup hangover or will they continue to struggle next year?

I won't say the Wings will have a bad year, but I will say that there are a lot more "IFs" hanging over this offseason than usual.

[wingsownnhl43 14]

I agree with this. The Wings may even be considered the underdog to win the Central.

The problem is you have Chicago making great pick ups and their young stars will only be better this season ( Toews, Kane, etc.) They were good last year and they will be alot better this year.

While the Wings have lost goalie depth, have lost 60+ goals off the forwards, and have too many guy's on the roster that can't pull their weight ( Maltby, Draper, Homer) and are a year older.

I say the Wings will have a good team but not near as good as 07/08 or 08/09.

And the thought of Ozzie/Howard is scaring the hell out of me.

Am I the only one that doesnt see getting Hossa and Madden over Havlat and Khabibulan as an upgrade?

[dat's sick 1,002]

The Wings will be worse. They COULD be better, but really only if Leino, Ericcson and Helm somehow rejuvinate this team (Abdelkader won't be playing full time) and have massive breakout years and if Draper and Maltby and Homer don't continue to slide.

The key is not just to look at our roster, but look around us. Those teams taht have been nipping at our heels are improving while we're still essentially the 2008 team. Consistency is good, yes, but at what cost? We saw that the team struggled and would have been a low, low seed without Hossa. Was that just Cup hangover or will they continue to struggle next year?

I won't say the Wings will have a bad year, but I will say that there are a lot more "IFs" hanging over this offseason than usual.

The only team that was a contender last year and looks like they've gotten better is the Hawks. And even that is debatable with their goaltending arguably being a big weakness now.

Other big teams like the Sharks, Bruins, Penguins etc. are doing very little. The teams that are doing the most moves are Montreal and Toronto. Yeah, they've really been nipping at our heels.

I feel like Draper, Maltby and Homer were probably the most affected by the Stanley Cup hangover. They'll be better next year.

[VM1138 1,921]

Am I the only one that doesnt see getting Hossa and Madden over Havlat and Khabibulan as an upgrade?

I think so. Hossa isn't made of glass and Khabibulin was really just an overpaid backup the past few years.

[egroen 384]

Am I the only one that doesnt see getting Hossa and Madden over Havlat and Khabibulan as an upgrade?

As fragile as Havlat is, he did lead Chicago in points throughout the regular season and in the playoffs.

I'm not sure Huet will ever be better than a mediocre goaltender.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

All things being equal, Hossa is a fair bit better than Havlat. Nevermind factoring in the health. But they're going to be filling the exact same role. I wouldn't anticipate him trending too far away from Havlat's 77 points.

Huet is going to have to step up and play well, because having poor goaltending isn't going to make up for moderately improving a top line forward.

Madden for Pahlsson is a lateral move, so I'm not concerned with that.

[ComradeWasabi 109]

Honestly, the Wings might not be able to keep Huddles for more than maybe 1.5 million or they simply won't have the space to sign anybody else. Not having Huds at $2mil+ opens them up a little bit to at least acquire a couple of Dallas Drake-type veterans, and at this point, that might have to be the course of action they take with the cap looking as tight as it is.

Point being, this team will not be as good or as deep as it has been the last two years.... but hopefully the sting of losing game 7 at home and the adversity they will face this year will bring them together and they can get back to the type of play that won them a Cup two seasons ago.

[Guest micah]

The only team that was a contender last year and looks like they've gotten better is the Hawks. And even that is debatable with their goaltending arguably being a big weakness now.

Other big teams like the Sharks, Bruins, Penguins etc. are doing very little.

By doing nothing Boston and Pittsburgh improve. They are both teams full of young tallent that is still developing. They will both be better next year than they were this year.

I feel like Draper, Maltby and Homer were probably the most affected by the Stanley Cup hangover. They'll be better next year.

I feel like Draper, Maltby and Homer are washed up and no longer capable of playing the roles they're supposed to play. I wouldn't be at all sad to see Homer get demoted to the 4th line and have Maltby retire outright. It won't happen, but I don't think the team would be in any more trouble than they are today if it did.

[Guest mindfly]

Where is Lilja?

[Opie 308]

By doing nothing Boston and Pittsburgh improve. They are both teams full of young tallent that is still developing. They will both be better next year than they were this year.

These two teams will be better just by maturity, especially if the B's pull off Kessel for Kaberle, they badly need a playmaking D-man. He may not be Doug Harvey defensively but he will likely be paired with Chara, so that may not be too bad, although Chara does like to pinch.

The B's will need a first line scorer, last year with Savard having Kessel and Lucic they B's were hot and cold, if they trade Kessel they definitely need another forward.

Hey Kessel's rights, for Hudler's rights?

Just kidding~

[WingsCaptain 0]

This is dumb. First off, Maltby is not going anywhere. Secondly, Abby won't be up. Thirdly, I don't believe were going to be better next season. I guess I'll be the realistic one here and tell the truth, which I know can hurt people.

The Good: Gaining Helm and Ericsson on the full time list.

The Bad: Losing Hossa and Conklin and will probably lose Sammy and Hudler. We're probably going to be losing Lilja as well, whether it's due to a trade or injury symptoms. We will be replacing them with rookies who don't have much NHL experience. Draper and Maltby aren't going to be any better this year, and Holmstrom and Nick are slowing down. Also, Howard will likely struggle, at least for a portion of his time.

Even though we have a very strong team, both offensively and defensively, I don't think you could say that we will be better this year than last year.

I think everybody here is missing the irony of your arguments. In the '07-'08 season, we didn't have Conklin or Hossa and we won the Cup. In the '08-'09 season, we gained those two, got "better" on paper, and lost in 7 (you know, in case some of you forgot). Now, we've lost Hossa, Kopecky, & Conklin. Are we going to be better this year than last? Hmmm ... we won the year before without them, relying on Zetterberg & Datsyuk. Perhaps you've heard of them? (Kopecky was injured for the playoffs so I don't count him for the year we won -- not to mention he sucks.)

If we lose Samuelsson and Hudler, I'm still okay with it. Your comments that we would be replacing them with "rookies" has no merit. Guys like Abdelkader, Helm, Ericsson, and Leino have the best experience they can possibly get in the NHL: playoff experience. And tell me those 4 didn't fare better than Hudler, Kopecky, and Hossa. Hudler and Hossa turned into no-shows and Kopecky was home wondering what his name was and shuddering at the mere mention of the name "Beauchemin." Were it not for Abby, we might've lost games 1 and 2, lest we forget. Oh, and I've said it on other threads so I'll say it here -- just because there's speculation that Abby will be in GR doesn't mean that he will. Holland and company don't know what's going to happen with Samuelsson and Hudler, and nobody knows what will happen in training camp. We may see Abby dressed for the season. I'm fine with it either way.

Bottom line is, defense corps wins Cups. In '07-'08, we allowed an average of 20-21 shots on net. This past season, we gave up many more opportunities and the PK sucked and here we are -- still stinging from a game 7 loss. Might as well have lost in the first round.

Keep the defense in top shape and the rest falls into place. Ditch Meech and perhaps Lilja. Never been a fan of Lils because he turns the puck over too much. His only saving grace is shot blocking. Ericsson stays -- he's proven he's a solid defenseman for such a young guy. Stuart actually showed up for the playoffs. And keep the rest: Kronwall, Lidstrom, Rafalski, & Lebda.

~ Z

Edited July 2, 2009 by WingsCaptain

[bonan78 1]

Will the Wings be a better team on paper next year? No, I don't think that will be possible. But with the exception of our 2002 team, the Stanley Cup isn't won on paper, it's won on the ice, and even with the players we lost, I'd still put our team up against anything that can be thrown at us, mainly because everyone on our team has won the Cup on the ice.

Statistically, we may not score as many goals, but there's no way we will give up as many as last year, so that's a wash. We may struggle to keep our 50 win season streak alive, but we still have to be favorites to win the Central (grsnted not overwhelming favorites anymore with the moves Chicago has made), and we have several players in key positions who seem to take their game to another level in the playoffs (i.e. Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, Filppula, Kronwall, Helm, Osgood). We still have a better than average shot at winning it all this coming season, especially when you factor in the all-important intangible of hunger, but we will not be the favorites anymore, maybe that is exactly what this team needs is to play above expectations for once.

In conclusion, will we be a better team? Possibly. Am I worried? Not really.

[BigWinston 15]

I am kind of guestimating that the second line will be :

Leino - Filps - Mule

[scottyniedermayer 0]

there's no way the wings are going to be better unless they make a significant trade. lidstrom is one of the all time great defenseman but he's old now. he is basically the centerpiece for your franchise. as he goes, so do the wings. osgood is not an elite goaltender and could play like he did in the regular season this past year. most importantly, i'm not sure the wings will be able to handle the mental aspect of losing to an "inferior" team.

[Copenhagen848 58]

Better? Are you serious? No way in hell. They aren't going to suck, but I'm certainly not expecting them to go deep in the playoffs. We've been spoiled in years past, but I personally think this coming season is going to be one of the worst (comparatively speaking) seasons in a while.

If they do go deep that's great, but like I said, I'm certainly not expecting it.